Grants:Project/Rapid/Learn

1. Individuals, groups, and organizations may apply.
2. Any individual, group, or organization is allowed up to three (3) open Project Grants and Rapid Grants at any one time. See details.
3. You may submit your grant request or report in any language.
4. Grants must be between 500 USD and 5000 USD (or its equivalent in another currency at the time of the application).
5. Grants can be up to 12 months in length, and there is no minimum length.
6. Rapid Grants should fund one discrete project, and not several independent projects. Everything funded by the grant must be thematically related to the grant. Ongoing operating expenses are not eligible for funding.
7. Funds are generally for direct expenses. Compensation for an individual's time is permitted for a limited number of roles.
8. Activities or expenses that have already taken place at the time of application are ineligible for funding.
9. Applicants must be in good community and legal standing according to the assessments of the Wikimedia Foundation's Trust & Safety Team and the Community Resources Team. See details.
10. Applicants (including individuals and groups involved with the application) must be in compliance with all current and past grant agreements with the Wikimedia Foundation. They must not have any late, past due, or incomplete grant reports.
11. Applicants that repeatedly do not respond to requests for information about their applications or grants, or who have mismanaged past grants or applications may be made ineligible for future grants.

• An open grant is defined as a grant that is approved but not yet completed. This also includes approved grants with terms not started, and also grants with terms that have ended, but for which reporting is not yet finished.
• This limit applies to both Rapid Grants and Project Grants. Conference Grants are not included in this cap. Grantees receiving Annual Plan Grants (APGs) are limited to one grant (their APG), with the exception of Conference Grants, and are not eligible for Rapid Grants or Project Grants with grant terms that overlap with their Annual Plan Grant, according to the requirements of the APG program.
• Individual grants to affiliate leaders or grants that heavily involve an affiliate's participation will be included in the three open grant count per organization. (This is to prevent grants that are actually to groups/organizations being granted to individuals who wish to avoid the cap.)
• Some activities are appropriate for groups and not individuals. If you apply as an individual for a group activity, your program officer may suggest that you apply as a group instead of as an individual. (This is to prevent grants that are actually to groups being granted to individuals who wish to avoid the cap.)
• There are multiple reasons why there are limits placed on the number of open grants an individuals or organization can have at one time. First, there are limitations on the budget for grant programs. Second, it is important that individuals and affiliates across the Wikimedia movement are able to access funding through grants. Finally, we want to make sure grantees do not become overwhelmed with excessive grant-related obligations and requirements.

We ask that applicants meet the following criteria for behavioral conduct. These standards apply to all members of a group’s or organization’s leadership team, and to any key people involved with organizing the funded activities. A list of these people must be provided to the grants administration team at the time of application.

• Applicants should be in good standing in regard to ethical behavior within your community (e.g. social behavior, financial behavior, legal behavior, etc), as determined through the due diligence process of the grant program. Past instances as well as current investigations or incidents will be considered by the Wikimedia Foundation when determining the eligibility of each applicant.
• Within the last year, applicants have not been blocked, banned, or otherwise flagged by Wikimedia Foundation staff or another affiliate for violations of friendly space expectations or friendly space policies, or for other types of violations or conduct issues. If such issues have occurred in the past, the applicant is required to demonstrate learning and understanding in regard to the cause for the issue, such that they are ready to serve as a role model for others as a grantee.
• Within the last year, applicants have not been repeatedly blocked or flagged for the same issue and/or have not been banned on the Wikimedia Projects. If a block/ban is recorded in the applicant's account history, the applicant is required to demonstrates learning and understanding in regard to the cause for the block, such that they are ready to serve as a role model for others as a grantee.
• On occasion, we make exceptions to these criteria if we believe it contributes to a fair and equitable review process. If there is something you believe is important for us to understand about your circumstances in regard to our criteria, you are welcome to reach out to us at rapidgrants(_AT_)wikimedia.org.
• Due to issues around privacy and the sensitivity of information, it may not always be possible to share complete information about eligibility decisions with each applicant for every decision.

1. You must submit your application between the 1st and 15th of each month. Please schedule your activities accordingly, so you will have a decision about your grant within the timeframe you need to plan and begin your activities. Our goal is to provide a funding decision on an application by the end of the month. Decisions may take longer depending on the need to resolve eligibility or other proposal issues, the current number of Rapid Grant proposals, among other factors.
2. In the months specified below, we will prioritize support to contests and campaigns. These months will primarily (but not exclusively) focus on different contests throughout the year:

• ...
• ...
• ...

Proposals independent from these campaigns will be reviewed as capacity allows, but may need to be postponed for a later month.

1. We will evaluate each batch of grants once a month and accept the best proposals in alignment with the Wikimedia Foundation’s Medium-term goals.
2. Grants for activities that have already taken place will not be funded retroactively. You must apply for your grant in time for a decision to be made before any funded activities have taken place. Applications for past activities will be rejected.
3. You must respond to requests for information within one week during the review period (the time between submitting the application and receiving a decision). Applicants that do not comply will have their applications rejected, and will need to reapply.
4. You must agree to the reporting requirements, sign a grant agreement, and provide the Wikimedia Foundation with the information needed to process your funding in a timely manner. Prospective grantees must provide the requested information within two weeks of approval. Applicants that do not comply will have their grant approvals rescinded, and will need to reapply.

When selecting applications we consider the following criteria:

1. Strategic priority: Do your activities improve one or more of Wikimedia’s existing websites?
2. Potential outcomes and impact: What are the concrete outcomes that are anticipated as a result of the activities? What difference do you expect your project to make?
3. Contribution record: Do you have a history of engaging with Wikimedia projects and communities?
4. Support and endorsement: Do you have sufficient volunteers to complete the project and endorsements from community members?

Please check with your local Wikimedia affiliate to see if they offer a local grant program!

• Archives