I don't know if you've read the 2010-11 plan. In it, we lay out the new revenue strategy, which focuses on "many small donations," and calls for a shift away from a "balanced approach," which includes grants and large gifts and earned income. (We will still do some of that, but much less.). That new approach is not an accident: it's a deliberate attempt, by me and the board, after lots of thinking, to reduce the likelihood that we'll need or want to compromise due to the attitudes or desires of funders. We want the Wikimedia Foundation to be oriented towards readers and editors.

Sue Gardner says...



We've talked before how large foundation-level donations to the WMF at least give it a sort of accountability to presumably responsible organizations.

Looks like Sue would rather be unaccountable and irresponsible.

Looks like Sue would rather be unaccountable and irresponsible.

the new revenue strategy, which focuses on "many small donations" ... it's a deliberate attempt by me and the board ... to reduce the likelihood that we'll need or want to compromise

Basically, Zack's premise is that there are lots of talented people in the community who are demonstrating informal leadership and trying to get good work done. Some of them don't need any particular help or support from the Wkimedia Foundation, but some of them would be able to get way more done if they had help.

So the purpose of putting out this call, is to surface people who are doing really great work, and bring some of them onto the staff so they can get stuff done faster and more effectively.

It's an experiment, and we're not quite sure what might come of it. There will probably be all kinds of interesting implications and consequences, and we're keen to see what they will be.

Greg, if you'd kept your head down, you could have been paid staff.