San Francisco (CA) - The 2001 founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales of the Wikimedia Foundation, has made a personal plea on WikimediaFoundation.org to help the cash strapped organization. The site's annual expenses are "less than six million dollars," according to Wales, with only 23 employees.


"Once I built a website, made it run, made it race against time, now it's done. Brother, can you spare a dime?"

They've been running a fundraiser for the past several weeks trying to raise exactly that amount. The thermometer stalled around $3.5 million before Wales plea. Now, just a few days later, it's over $5.8 million.

Wales says the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation runs Wikipedia, and was founded in 2003. Wikipedia may have run until 2005 or 2006 without a formal budget. Prior to that everything was run by volunteers. The first official employees were hired in 2005.

See the personal plea from Jimmy Wales, Wikimedia Foundation founder.


Thoughts to ponder

We here at TG Daily can't help but wonder how this quick success by Wales will spawn "copycat fundraisers" by other site owners. If users are willing to pay to keep their favorite free websites (like Wikipedia) running, how much are they willing to pay? Maybe Wales is kicking himself right now that he didn't ask for $8 million, or $12 million or $20 million.

Personally, I think $6 million is pretty cheap for the Internet's #9 site. And if $3.5M to $5.8M can come in a few days ($2.3 million), maybe it would've only taken a couple weeks to reach $8 million or more?

In addition, we wonder how far above $6 million it will go by itself. Are people keen on donating to support their favorite site for the sake of supporting it? Or will it be that once the published goals are reached, those who might've donated will step back and keep their money?

What do they spend it on?

Dec 31, 2008 10:17     

I was just wondering, anyone have an idea of WHAT they spend the $5 to $6 million dollars on? Not being sarcastic, honestly curious.. seems like a lot of money, but I know it is an EXTENSIVE website, holy geesh, seems like anything I wonder about, someone has put something about it on wiki. Thanks! [Ronald, according to: http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Donate/Questions/en#How_is_the_revenue_spent.3F $2.7M on technology $1.7M on finance and administration $0.6M on programs $0.4M on "Office of the ED" $0.4M on Legal $0.13M on the board $0.1M on Wikimania Also, check out: http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Financial_reports -Rick]

Ronald Stepp report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

Wiki Financial Statements

Dec 31, 2008 10:28     

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wi...008_fs.pdf
Adil report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -1

Sounds like they need a bailout

Dec 31, 2008 10:51     

What they need to probably start doing is having some sponsorship with some light advertisements. Raising over $6 million(which will get larger every year) will be tough feat every year.
Headward report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

copycats?

Dec 31, 2008 12:04     

Actually, I think it's Wikipedia that's doing the copying ;). Wikipedia has the visibility that it might just work. Other free sites (a couple of fan sites come to mind) have tried the donation route in the past. Many couldn't meet their needs and ended up going to advertising and amazon click throughs to support the site. Anyway, I look at it as a pretty cheap source of info even with making donations. It's not perfect, but it's better than the alternatives.

Jim L report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

Some kind of subscription doohickie

Jan 01, 2009 01:33     

They really should implement some kind of micropayment subscription system. Might be a good place to start testing different methods of getting a penny here, a nickel there, or even a dollar and offer some kind of low key system to collect. I use it and would rather do that than give a donation that may or may not make a dent in what they need each year.
Ronald Stepp report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -3

It could be worse

Jan 01, 2009 08:03     

For example what would happen if they decided to make it cost to people who want it ad-free, others "enjoy" ads and eventually there are not enough payers and the site becomes cluttered with ads. I love that they are resorting to common sense, which majority of Wiki-users have. If you pay annually some 30-40 bucks, it helps keeping it alive and think how much you save on your nerves not being messed with by ads and the TIME you loose trying to get rid of them or simply ignoring them :D Okay, that was a bit too theoretical/philosophical so I should stop.

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@Ronald Stepp

Jan 01, 2009 10:48     

No idea on what takes the money, but doing some numbers: 26 employs! only two more, on a wage of 3000 u$S/Mont (28 * 3,000) * 12 = 1,008,000 money goes easy...
mm report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

Well run

Jan 01, 2009 13:47     

Money is the necessary evil and you can't give things away forever. Most people using Wikipedia understand that it either needs donations or will have to take on ads. At the point it has to take on ads it's going to wither or get pulled into Wikia so it can become profitable rather than just pay the bills. Sure, it won't have a direct pay cost to the end user but indirectly it will either require a users time invested in click throughs and purchases from supporting groups to make it work. I'd prefer we keep doing donations.

Isaac H report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +0

So stupid.

Jan 01, 2009 19:48     

Just run some ads like all sites.
John report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -1

we need wiki

Jan 01, 2009 20:04     

I personally feel wikipedia is one of the most important websites on the Internet. Although I've made no contributions in terms of content, but where else can users help contribute to the big picture of information independence. Unfortunately, I live in Utah, and don't make much money; but I'll gladly contribute financially when I can. They deserve it.
KXSwa report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

@mm & wages

Jan 02, 2009 13:25     

If they've got 3k $ wages I'm ready to join them.. :/
Lux report abuse vote down vote up Votes: +1

@Some kind of subscription doohickie Jan 01, 2009 01:33

Jan 02, 2009 19:26     

Then what's the point of a free encyclopedia that anyone can edit then? @John Moron. Name one non-profit organization that runs ads on their website. I don't want to see context sensitive ads about trip a country when I'm just looking up info about a country.
kira report abuse vote down vote up Votes: -1

SaveWiki

Jan 03, 2009 12:41     

I don't know where I would be without Wikipedia. I don't know if you use it regularly, but I do. It's an important tool that has constantly been criticized for being easily modified. However undoubtedly everyone has turned to it in desperate times to look for information. They are asking for six million dollars. Wikipedia cannot go. We have to save it by making any possible donations. KTHXBI.
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