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{{short description|American charitable organization}}
{{For|information about the Wikimedia Foundation's involvement with the English Wikipedia|Wikipedia:Wikimedia Foundation|selfref=yes}}
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The '''Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.''', abbreviated '''WMF''', is an American [[501(c)(3)]] [[nonprofit organization]] headquartered in [[San Francisco]], [[California]], and registered there as [[foundation (United States law)|a charitable foundation]].<ref name="Hanson2016">{{cite book|first=Jarice|last=Hanson|title=The Social Media Revolution: An Economic Encyclopedia of Friending, Following, Texting, and Connecting|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ePEZDAAAQBAJ&pg=PA375|year=2016|publisher=ABC-CLIO|isbn=978-1-61069-768-2|page=375}}</ref> It is the host of [[Wikipedia]], the seventh [[List of most-visited websites|most visited website]] in the world.
The Wikimedia Foundation provides the technical and organizational infrastructure to enable members of the public to develop wiki-based content in languages across the world.<ref name="wikimedia-mission"/> The Foundation does not write or curate any of the content on the
The Foundation finances itself mainly through millions of small donations from Wikipedia readers, collected through email campaigns and annual fundraising banners placed on Wikipedia and its sister projects.<ref name="FRReport2021">{{cite web | url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fundraising/2020-21_Report | title=Fundraising report 2020–2021 | publisher=Wikimedia Foundation}}</ref> These are complemented by grants from philanthropic organizations and tech companies, and starting in 2022, by services income from [[Wikimedia Enterprise]]. As of December 31, 2023, it has employed over 700 staff and contractors, with annual revenues of $180.2 million, annual expenses of $169 million, net assets of $255 million and a growing endowment, which surpassed $100 million in June 2021.<!-- for sources see infobox -->▼
▲The Foundation finances itself mainly through millions of small donations from Wikipedia readers, collected through email campaigns and annual fundraising banners placed on Wikipedia and its sister projects.<ref name="FRReport2021">{{cite web | url=https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fundraising/2020-21_Report | title=Fundraising report 2020–2021 | publisher=Wikimedia Foundation}}</ref> These are complemented by grants from philanthropic organizations and tech companies, and starting in 2022, by services income from [[Wikimedia Enterprise]]. As of
== History ==
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{{for|the list|wmf:Special:SiteMatrix|m:Complete list of Wikimedia projects|selfref=yes}}
[[File:Wikimedia logo family complete-current.svg|thumb|Logos of Wikimedia sister projects]]
The Foundation owns and operates eleven wikis that are written and governed by volunteer editors. They include, by launch date:
* [[Wikipedia]] – [[online encyclopedia]]
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[[File:Wikimedia Foundation Servers-8055 13.jpg|thumb|Wikimedia Foundation servers]]
Wikipedia employed a single server until 2004, when the server setup was expanded into a distributed [[multitier architecture]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.aulinx.de/oss/code/wikipedia/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040710213535/https://www.aulinx.de/oss/code/wikipedia/|title=Aulinx|archive-date=July 10, 2004}}</ref> Server downtime in 2003 led to the first fundraising drive. By December 2009, Wikimedia ran on [[colocation centre|co-located]] servers, with 300 servers in Florida and 44 in [[Amsterdam]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2008/06/24/a-look-inside-wikipedias-infrastructure|title=A Look Inside Wikipedia's Infrastructure|date=June 24, 2008|work=Data Center Knowledge|access-date=July 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715011832/https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2008/06/24/a-look-inside-wikipedias-infrastructure|archive-date=July 15, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2008, it also switched from multiple different [[Linux]] operating system vendors to [[Ubuntu|Ubuntu Linux]].<ref>{{cite news |title=Wikipedia simplifies IT infrastructure by moving to one Linux vendor |first=Todd R. |last=Weiss |url=https://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9116787/Wikipedia_simplifies_IT_infrastructure_by_moving_to_one_Linux_vendor?taxonomyId=154&pageNumber=1&taxonomyName=Servers%20and%20Data%20Center |newspaper=[[Computerworld]] |date=October 9, 2008 |access-date=November 1, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121005181633/https://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9116787/Wikipedia_simplifies_IT_infrastructure_by_moving_to_one_Linux_vendor?taxonomyId=154&pageNumber=1&taxonomyName=Servers%20and%20Data%20Center |archive-date=October 5, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Wikipedia adopts Ubuntu for its server infrastructure |first=Ryan |last=Paul |url=https://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2008/10/wikipedia-adopts-ubuntu-for-its-server-infrastructure.ars |newspaper=[[Ars Technica]] |date=October 9, 2008 |access-date=November 1, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090130021503/https://arstechnica.com/open-source/news/2008/10/wikipedia-adopts-ubuntu-for-its-server-infrastructure.ars |archive-date=January 30, 2009 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2019, it switched to [[Debian]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Debian – Wikitech|url=https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Debian|access-date=April 18, 2021|website=wikitech.wikimedia.org|language=en|archive-date=April 18, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418084905/https://wikitech.wikimedia.org/wiki/Debian|url-status=live}}</ref>
By January 2013, Wikimedia transitioned to newer infrastructure in an [[Equinix]] facility in [[Ashburn, Virginia]], citing reasons of "more reliable connectivity" and "fewer [[hurricane]]s".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2013/01/14/its-official-equinix-ashburn-is-wikimedias-home/|title=It's Official: Ashburn is Wikipedia's New Home|date=January 14, 2013|work=Data Center Knowledge|access-date=July 14, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715011703/https://www.datacenterknowledge.com/archives/2013/01/14/its-official-equinix-ashburn-is-wikimedias-home/|archive-date=July 15, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2013/01/19/wikimedia-sites-move-to-primary-data-center-in-ashburn-virginia/|title=Wikimedia sites to move to primary data center in Ashburn|date=January 19, 2013|website=Wikimedia Diff|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715011114/https://blog.wikimedia.org/2013/01/19/wikimedia-sites-move-to-primary-data-center-in-ashburn-virginia/|archive-date=July 15, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=July 14, 2018}}</ref> In years prior, the hurricane seasons had been a cause of distress.<ref name=WMBlog20180407>{{cite web|url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2009/04/07/wmf-needs-additional-datacenter-space/|title=WMF needs additional datacenter space|date=April 7, 2009|website=Wikimedia Diff|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715011051/https://blog.wikimedia.org/2009/04/07/wmf-needs-additional-datacenter-space/|archive-date=July 15, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=July 14, 2018}}</ref>
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== Corporate identity ==
The Wikimedia Foundation was founded in 2003 by [[Jimmy Wales]] so that there would be an independent charitable entity responsible for company domains and trademarks, and so that Wikipedia and its sister projects could be funded through non-profit means in the future.<ref name="Rupert Neate">{{cite news | first = Rupert | last = Neate | title = Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales goes bananas | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/3399843/Wikipedia-founder-Jimmy-Wales-goes-bananas.html | work = The Daily Telegraph | date = October 7, 2008 | access-date = October 25, 2009 | quote = The encyclopedia's huge fan base became such a drain on Bomis's resources that Mr. Wales, and co-founder Larry Sanger, thought of a radical new funding model – charity. | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20081110041546/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/3399843/Wikipedia-founder-Jimmy-Wales-goes-bananas.html | archive-date = November 10, 2008 | url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Bylaws#ARTICLE_II_-_STATEMENT_OF_PURPOSE |title=Bylaws |publisher=Wikimedia Foundation |access-date=2016-09-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170225172741/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Bylaws#ARTICLE_II_-_STATEMENT_OF_PURPOSE |archive-date=2017-02-25 |url-status=live }}</ref> The name "Wikimedia", a [[Compound (linguistics)|compound]] of [[wiki]] and [[media (communication)|media]], was coined by American author [[Sheldon Rampton]] in a post to the English Wikipedia mailing list in March 2003,<ref>{{cite web |last=Rampton |first=Sheldon |author-link=Sheldon Rampton |date=March 16, 2003 |title=Wikipedia English mailing list message |url=https://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2003-March/001887.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051101074301/https://mail.wikipedia.org/pipermail/wikien-l/2003-March/001887.html |archive-date=November 1, 2005 |access-date=July 11, 2005}}</ref> three months after [[Wiktionary]] became the second wiki-based project hosted on the original server. The Foundation's mission is collection and distribution of educational knowledge under free licenses or public domain and promised to keep these projects free of charge.<ref name="wikimedia-mission">{{cite web | url = https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Mission_statement | title = Mission statement | publisher = Wikimedia Foundation | access-date = January 28, 2008 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080117000000/https://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Mission_statement | archive-date = January 17, 2008 | first = Florence | last = Devouard | author-link = Florence Devouard | url-status = live }}</ref>
All intellectual property rights and domain names about Wikipedia were moved to the Foundation after its inception,<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news |url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/3399843/Wikipedia-founder-Jimmy-Wales-goes-bananas.html |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/3399843/Wikipedia-founder-Jimmy-Wales-goes-bananas.html |archive-date = January 11, 2022 |url-access = subscription |url-status = live |title = Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales goes bananas |newspaper = The Daily Telegraph |access-date = December 26, 2017 |date = November 7, 2008 |last = Neate |first = Rupert}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and it currently owns the [[domain name]]s and maintains most of the [[Wikimedia movement]]'s websites.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.guidestar.org/profile/20-0049703|title=GuideStar – WIKIMEDIA FOUNDATION, INC.|access-date=2020-02-11|archive-date=2021-01-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121083722/https://www.guidestar.org/profile/20-0049703|url-status=live}}</ref> WMF is now the registrant of the domain [https://www.wikipedia.org/ wikipedia.org], owner of the trademark and operator of the wiki platform. It also runs projects like [[Wikibooks]], [[Wikidata]], [[Wiktionary]] and [[Wikimedia Commons]]; it raises money, distributes [[m:Grants|grants]], controls the servers, develops and deploys software, and does outreach to support [[Wikipedia:Wikimedia sister projects|Wikimedia projects]], including the [[English Wikipedia]]. ▼
▲All intellectual property rights and domain names about Wikipedia were moved to the Foundation after its inception,<ref name=telegraph>{{cite news |url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/3399843/Wikipedia-founder-Jimmy-Wales-goes-bananas.html |archive-url = https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/3399843/Wikipedia-founder-Jimmy-Wales-goes-bananas.html |archive-date = January 11, 2022 |url-access = subscription |url-status = live |title = Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales goes bananas |newspaper = The Daily Telegraph |access-date = December 26, 2017 |date = November 7, 2008 |last = Neate |first = Rupert}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and it currently owns the [[domain name]]s and maintains most of the [[Wikimedia movement]]'s websites.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.guidestar.org/profile/20-0049703|title=GuideStar – WIKIMEDIA FOUNDATION, INC.|access-date=2020-02-11|archive-date=2021-01-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121083722/https://www.guidestar.org/profile/20-0049703|url-status=live}}</ref> WMF is now the registrant of the domain [https://www.wikipedia.org/ wikipedia.org], owner of the trademark and operator of the wiki platform. It
▲The Wikimedia Foundation provides the technical and organizational infrastructure to enable members of the public to develop wiki-based content in languages across the world.<ref name="wikimedia-mission"/> The Foundation does not write or curate any of the content on the wikis itself.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://diff.wikimedia.org/2021/10/05/a-victory-for-free-knowledge-florida-judge-rules-section-230-bars-defamation-claim-against-the-wikimedia-foundation/ | title=A victory for free knowledge: Florida judge rules Section 230 bars defamation claim against the Wikimedia Foundation | publisher=diff.wikimedia.org | date=October 5, 2021 |quote=the plaintiff argued that the Foundation should be treated like a traditional offline publisher and held responsible as though it were vetting all posts made to the sites it hosts, despite the fact that it does not write or curate any of the content found on the projects}}</ref> Instead, this is done by volunteers who work as editors, such as the [[Wikipedians]] who create and maintain Wikipedia. However, it does collaborate with a network of individual volunteers and affiliated organizations, such as Wikimedia chapters, thematic organizations, user groups and other partners.
== Finances ==
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{{Main|Knowledge Engine (search engine)}}
Knowledge Engine was a [[search engine]] project initiated in 2015 by WMF to locate and display verifiable and trustworthy information on the Internet.<ref name=Koebler2016>{{cite news|url=https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/8q8gvg/wikipedias-secret-google-competitor-search-engine-is-tearing-it-apart|title=The Secret Search Engine Tearing Wikipedia Apart|last=Koebler|first=Jason|date=February 16, 2016|work=[[Vice.com|Vice]]|access-date=July 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180709215630/https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/8q8gvg/wikipedias-secret-google-competitor-search-engine-is-tearing-it-apart|archive-date=July 9, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> The KE's goal was to be less reliant on traditional search engines. It was funded with a $250,000 grant from the [[John S. and James L. Knight Foundation|Knight Foundation]].<ref name=McGee2016>{{cite news|url=https://searchengineland.com/wikimedia-foundation-secures-250000-grant-for-search-engine-development-242544|title=Wikimedia Foundation Secures $250,000 Grant For Search Engine Development|last=McGee|first=Matt|date=February 15, 2016|work=[[Search Engine Land]]|access-date=July 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160523004937/https://searchengineland.com/wikimedia-foundation-secures-250000-grant-for-search-engine-development-242544|archive-date=May 23, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> Some perceived the project as a scandal, mainly because it was conceived in secrecy, and the project proposal was even a surprise to some staff, in contrast with a general culture of transparency in the organization and on the projects. Some of the information available to the community was received through leaked documents published by ''[[The Signpost]]'' in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|first=Andreas|last=Kolbe|title=An in-depth look at the newly revealed documents|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2016-02-10/In_focus|work=[[The Signpost]]|date=February 10, 2016|access-date=July 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901083007/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Wikipedia_Signpost/2016-02-10/In_focus|archive-date=September 1, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Koebler2016/> Following this dispute,
=== Social justice campaigns ===
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