Wikimedia Foundation’s cover photo
Wikimedia Foundation

Wikimedia Foundation

Software Development

San Francisco, CA 94,559 followers

Imagine a world in which every single human being can freely share in the sum of all knowledge.

About us

About the Wikimedia Foundation The Wikimedia Foundation is the nonprofit organization that operates Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia free knowledge projects. Our vision is a world in which every single human can freely share in the sum of all knowledge. We believe that everyone has the potential to contribute something to our shared knowledge, and that everyone should be able to access that knowledge freely. We host Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects, build software experiences for reading, contributing, and sharing Wikimedia content, support the volunteer communities and partners who make Wikimedia possible, and advocate for policies that enable Wikimedia and free knowledge to thrive. The Wikimedia Foundation is a charitable, not-for-profit organization that relies on donations. We receive donations from millions of individuals around the world, with an average donation of about $15. We also receive donations through institutional grants and gifts. The Wikimedia Foundation is a United States 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization with offices in San Francisco, California, USA.

Website
https://wikimediafoundation.org
Industry
Software Development
Company size
501-1,000 employees
Headquarters
San Francisco, CA
Type
Nonprofit
Founded
2003
Specialties
Non-Profit, Free knowledge, Open Source Culture, Internet, Technology, Mobile, Open Source, Education, Free Knowledge , and Wikipedia

Locations

Employees at Wikimedia Foundation

Updates

  • Wikipedia plays one of the most unique roles in the entire digital landscape. What does the future hold for the world's free encyclopedia? Maryana Iskander, CEO of the Wikimedia Foundation, spoke with Ferial Haffajee to explore how Wikipedia is used across the tech industry, remains governed by volunteers, and protects the integrity of free knowledge. Check out the interview ➡️ https://lnkd.in/exz3P3xF

  • Next stop: East Africa 🌍 In 2025, the 20th Wikimania – the annual conference of the Wikimedia movement – will be a hybrid event, taking place in Kenya and online, and hosted in partnership with Wikimedians from East Africa. Since 2005, Wikimania has brought together volunteers, researchers, organizers, and more from across the world to celebrate open knowledge. This historic 20th anniversary will be the first time the event is held in East Africa. Expect community-led sessions, bold new ideas, and plenty of inspiration. 🌟 Learn more about #Wikimania2025 ➡️ http://wikimania.org/

    • Illustration of the map of Africa with the Wikipedia W at its center. Text says: Less than a month away: Get ready for Wikimania 2025!
    • This will be the 20th edition of Wikimania, the annual gathering of the Wikimedia movement. Since 2005, Wikimania has brought together volunteers, technologists, scholars, and organizers from around the world to share knowledge, build community, and imagine what comes next.
  • Any railfans out there? Today's community-contributed Wikimedia Commons Picture of the Day is a great example of the different creative subcultures brought together in pursuit of free knowledge. User:Kabelleger is a Swiss railfan who has uploaded dozens of train pictures to the library of free media. People with a diversity of passions create free media for anyone to use or enjoy and share their knowledge every day on Wikimedia Commons. Check out more community-contributed Pictures of the Day ➡️ https://w.wiki/7dzN

    • Rusty electric locomotives pull mining wagons through a barren desert landscape under a clear blue sky Text says: Two vintage electric locomotives hauling empty nitrate-ore hoppers from Tocopilla to Barriles, Chile. By User:Kabelleger. Today’s Picture of the Day was shared by a Swiss railfan on Wikimedia Commons – just one of many contributors turning their passions into free knowledge.
  • Have you ever seen a celebrity's Wikipedia photo that looked like it was taken with a potato? It is not laziness; it is licensing. Now, a global group of photographers is changing things, one portrait at a time. Only freely licensed images can be used on Wikipedia. That rules out most studio headshots, press photos, and even selfies from social media. It is a principle rooted in Wikipedia’s commitment to free knowledge, but it also means editors need to search for quality images. WikiPortraits is helping. This volunteer-led effort brings photographers and Wikimedia contributors together to create high-quality, freely usable portraits of notable people – from authors and activists to scientists and cultural leaders. These images are not just for the article. They become freely licensed on Wikimedia Commons, where they can be used by journalists, students, and anyone who needs a reliable visual reference. It is about more than looking good. It is about showing up fairly in the record of public knowledge. Learn more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/efZRai7X https://lnkd.in/eemrPfiB https://lnkd.in/gDHwjaKA

  • Next week, the Wikimedia Foundation will challenge the United Kingdom’s Online Safety Act (OSA) Categorization Regulations, which determine the duties websites have under UK law. These regulations, which are intended to hold large commercial platforms accountable for the safety of people who visit their sites, inadvertently endanger Wikipedia and the global community of volunteer contributors who create the information on the free encyclopedia. Wikipedia is the only top-ten website operated by a nonprofit, and its 260,000 volunteer contributors set and enforce policies ensuring the information provided is fact-based, neutral, and attributed to reliable sources. Wikipedia not only provides trusted information for individuals globally, it is also one of the highest-quality datasets used to train Large Language Models. We share the UK government's commitment to promoting online environments where everyone can safely participate. However, these OSA rules could unfairly impact Wikipedia's contributors who wish to remain private, as well as expose the free encyclopedia to manipulation and vandalism and divert essential resources from improving it. This legal challenge is a last resort after years of expressing our concerns with UK policymakers. We take action now to protect Wikipedia contributors and free knowledge. Read more about the legal challenge and why it matters ➡️ https://lnkd.in/ez8ffyhp 

    • Exterior of the Clock Tower building. Text says: Wikimedia Foundation's challenge to UK's Online Safety Act regulations reaches the High Court of Justice.
  • What can Wikipedia teach us about truth, trust, and trivia? The Colin McEnroe Show dedicated an episode to exploring Wikipedia, including the free encyclopedia's role in fighting misinformation and the delight of unexpected discoveries. The conversation featured voices like writer Stephen Harrison, professor Amy Bruckman, and “Depths of Wikipedia” creator Annie Rauwerda. Together, they explored what makes Wikipedia unique – including its principle of neutrality and volunteer-driven model. They also didn’t shy away from complexities, such as bias, representation, and the definition of "reliable" in today's world. Listen to the full podcast episode ➡️ https://lnkd.in/enCbVypX

  • The winners of Wiki Loves Folklore 2025 are keeping culture alive one photo at a time 📷🌍 142 countries. 1,912 volunteers. 85,715 media files. Once again, the Wiki Loves Folklore contest invited people everywhere to pick up a camera and help preserve the world’s intangible cultural heritage. What does that mean? According to UNESCO, intangible cultural heritage includes the stories, rituals, performances, crafts, and social practices that shape daily life. Every contest entry, whether a bustling market or a festival dance, adds to a global collection of free media on Wikimedia Commons. Explore the 2025 winners, discover new traditions, and maybe plan your own folklore photo next year ➡️ https://w.wiki/Eh66

  • Wikipedia is the only website in the top-10 most-visited websites in the world to be run by a nonprofit organization. We operate primarily on donations from people like you. And if you write to us with a question, a concern, a message of appreciation, or just to say thanks, you will be greeted by our Donor Relations team. This team is the Wikimedia Foundation’s first line of response for donors, helping supporters from around the world understand how their gifts sustain free knowledge and ensuring that their experience is smooth and respectful. They are ready to help wherever donors are, with a team distributed across 8 countries and 17 time zones, speaking 13 languages, and giving 24-hour support to our donor base – from Monday morning on Australia’s East Coast to Friday evening on the Pacific coast of the United States. Each year, the Donor Relations team handles around 175,000 donor interactions. Whether solving technical issues, sharing feedback internally, or maintaining accurate donor records, the Donor Relations team helps ensure that Wikimedia’s fundraising remains effective and true to its values. Behind every donation is a team helping make it meaningful. You can also support free knowledge by checking out the Wikipedia Store, managed by the Donor Relations team ➡️ store.wikimedia.org

  • Wikimedia Foundation reposted this

    What if there was a way to help policymakers to make better proposals about the internet? That’s the idea behind the Wikipedia Test. It's a call to action and advocacy tool to help regulators consider how new laws might negatively affect online spaces, tools, and resources developed in the public interest. We hope that with this tool we can encourage a policy environment that promotes the human spirit behind meme machines, community forums, fan fiction threads, and Wikipedia rabbit holes. 🤓 Read more about the Wikipedia Test: https://lnkd.in/dhKUjuPR 🗓️ We'll be hosting a series of webinars that cover how to use the tool. Details coming soon.

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Funding

Wikimedia Foundation 17 total rounds

Last Round

Grant

US$ 2.1M

See more info on crunchbase