DESIGN PRINCIPLES IN ACTION: BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES OF THE WMF MODEL
In our research for "Who Decides," The Lafayette Practice found that Participatory Grantmaking is an effective and impactful strategy for resource distribution. Simultaneously - perhaps more importantly - we found that Participatory Grantmaking is a powerful movement building strategy, increasing movement resources of not only money but also knowledge and self-determination. The core qualities we found to be ingrained in Participatory Grantmaking are a direct match to the values of the Wikimedia Foundation. In the "Who Decides" Report, we focused on the consistent PGF qualities of Innovation & Flexibility, Transparency, Participation, Accountability, Leadership of most impacted, Capacity building, (Cost-) Effectiveness, Increasing Solidarity, Functionality in multiple languages and across complex logistics, and more. Compare this to the Wikimedia Foundation Design PrincipIes:[1]
- Transparent and Participatory Grantmaking (committees and community)
- Coaching and mentoring our grantee partners
- Deepening our support of emerging and Global South communities, and greater female contribution
- Recognizing differences in contexts and approaches
- Innovating and Experimenting
- Balancing accountability with simplicity and ease
- Seeking good outcomes and high impact
How do these well-matched core qualities and design principles play out in the actual operations of Wikimedia Foundation Grantmaking programs?
Innovation, Flexibility, and Experimentation
"Encourage Innovation" is one of Wikimedia's Five Strategic Plan/Movement Goals, established in 2010. A longer explanation of the intention for 2015: "Wikimedia [will have] processes for research, innovation, and experimentation in service to the Wikimedia vision and [will have] efficient processes for migrating high potential innovations to production."[2] WM F's Grantmaking is one of the most important programs for meeting this movement goal, and its history demonstrates a quickly evolving model with real interest and investment in new ideas that could improve or potentially transform free knowledge content and communities. In 2013-2014, the team was able to fund and facilitate experiments and established programs to individuals, small groups and organizations in over 60 countries around the world, focusing on at least 30 diverse Wikimedia language and issue-
- ↑ Grantmaking Overview, June 2014. Page 7.
- ↑ http://strategy.wikimedia.org/wiki/Strategic_P%7Can/Movement_Priorities#Encourage_%7Cnnovation
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