Global Resource Distribution Committee/Grantmaking Strategy 2026

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Executive summary

This draft Grantmaking Strategy sets out a renewed approach to how the Wikimedia Foundation's Community Fund is distributed across the Wikimedia Movement. Developed by the Global Resource Distribution Committee (GRDC) following extensive consultation with communities, affiliates, and other stakeholders between August 2025 and March 2026, it responds to widespread feedback that funding structures need to become more equitable, sustainable, transparent and strategically focused.

The strategy is built keeping in mind that grantmaking resources may become more constrained in the coming years, increasing the need for clear priorities, effective resource allocation and stronger support for communities and innovation.

Strategic vision

The overarching goal is to create a grantmaking system that enables a more equitable, sustainable and impactful Wikimedia Movement. The strategy aims to:

Improve fairness, transparency and consistency in funding decisions.
Remove barriers to funding for emerging and underrepresented communities.
Strengthen the long-term sustainability of Wikimedia affiliates.
Ensure funding is more clearly linked to strategic priorities and measurable impact.
Empower regional decision-making while maintaining shared movement priorities.

Ultimately, the strategy seeks to strengthen Wikimedia communities worldwide, support contributors and readers, increase access to reliable free knowledge, and build a more resilient movement.

Funding principles

Five principles underpin all grantmaking decisions:

Collaboration and Cooperation
People-centred
Subsidiarity
Iterative, evidence-based and collaborative practices
Equity and empowerment

Four strategic priorities

The consultation identified four interconnected challenges that shape the strategy.

1. Equity in access to resources

The strategy proposes making Rapid Grants the primary entry point for newcomers, simplifying application and reporting processes, expanding eligibility for informal groups, and increasing investment where demand justifies it. It recommends establishing structured peer mentoring and capacity-building programs to support emerging communities.

2. Funding priorities and impact

The strategy identifies human and financial sustainability as the overarching priority for grantmaking over the coming years. Human sustainability includes attracting and retaining contributors, supporting community leadership, expanding readership and ensuring healthy organisational practices. Financial sustainability focuses on responsible stewardship of movement resources, investment proportional to expected impact, and strengthening affiliates' ability to generate additional funding. To support this, the strategy proposes developing a comprehensive Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) framework with shared outcomes, consistent metrics and proportionate reporting requirements. Annual grantmaking guidelines would also provide greater clarity around priorities, eligibility and expectations.

3. Affiliate sustainability and funding structures

To improve organisational resilience, the strategy introduces differentiated funding pathways based on organisational maturity through a tiered funding model. This would align application requirements, reporting expectations and funding levels with affiliates' capacity and development stage. The strategy also proposes more predictable multi-year funding, transition support for organisations facing significant change, and expanded support for affiliates to diversify their income through fundraising and external partnerships.

4. Strengthening Regional Fund Committees

Recognizing the critical role of Regional Fund Committees (RFCs), the strategy proposes measures to improve their effectiveness, sustainability and transparency. These include stronger training and onboarding, greater use of program officer expertise, improved documentation and knowledge transfer, broader recruitment including external specialists, measures to reduce volunteer workload, clearer decision-making criteria, public processes, an appeals mechanism, and improved communication with applicants. It also proposes piloting a new approach to assessing thematic funding applications.

Implementation and continuous improvement

The strategy recognises that implementation will require ongoing collaboration between the GRDC, Wikimedia Foundation staff, Regional Fund Committees, affiliates and wider movement stakeholders. It is intended to evolve over time through annual review, allowing assumptions, priorities and funding approaches to be refined in response to evidence, evaluation and community feedback.

Share your feedback

We would like to emphasize that this is a draft, and your input will shape the final strategy. Whether you're a volunteer, affiliate, Regional Fund Committee member, grant recipient, or simply interested in how movement resources are distributed, we hope you'll take part! Feedback is open on Meta until September 17, 2026. You're also invited to the GRDC's session at Wikimania on 22 July, 11:00 AM, Room 4, where the committee will present the draft, answer questions, and hear your feedback.

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