We set a target to reach $100 million by 2026, the first 10 years of the Endowment’s existence. In those discussions, we asked ourselves questions like: What purpose would the Endowment serve? How long would it take before investment income from the Endowment could be used? How could we build a fund that maintained the projects’ independence, while still aligning with the values of the movement? We decided to move forward with our plans for an Endowment in 2016 to commemorate the critical role Wikipedia played in the world in its 15th year, and further ensure its sustainability.
That launch was preceded by years of thoughtful discussion among Foundation staff and volunteer communities about what needs we would foresee for the projects, and how we could protect them for future generations.
Five years ago, we launched the Wikimedia Endowment as an independent, permanent fund to support a strong future for Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects.
