Presentation slides for Wikimania 2023
Title: Regional Grants Committees
Speaker: Farah Mustaklem (FJMustak), Harriet Bayel, Butch Bustria, Ghozi Septiandri, Shabab Mustafa
Abstract: Grant-making is playing an increasingly important role in diversifying the Wikimedia ecosystem. Decentralizing the decision-making process into Regional Grants Committees has been a great step in the right direction for a more inclusive movement. As a member of the grants committee for one of the historically least funded regions, the members will showcase the virtues of having these committees and promote their growth. Years ago, the grant-making landscape at the Wikimedia Foundation was quite different. Decisions about grant proposals were being made centrally, often by people who had very little knowledge about the regional or local context of the proposals. Now the grant-making decisions is devolved into regional committees has enabled grantees from under-represented communities to have a better chance at implementing their proposals. The decentralized model of the grants committee is a great example of how the movement governance can be decentralized successfully. The regional grants committees are also a great way of including volunteer community members in the process, who bring in invaluable insight, as many of the volunteers have been on the receiving end of grants in the past, and are familiar with the challenges grantees may face.
Presented at: Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre, Thursday, 2023-08-17 02:40 to 03:00 UTC
Video file: File:Wikimania 2023 - 310 - August 17, 2023 - Regional Grants Committee.webm