Frequently asked questions

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'''Wikimedia Australia Inc.''' (also known as WMAU) is the Australian chapter of the [[wikimedia:Main Page|Wikimedia Foundation]]. The Wikimedia Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation which provides several online collaborative ''wiki'' projects, most notably [[wikipedia:Main Page|Wikipedia]], an internet-based encyclopaedia which is the largest and most popular reference website and one of the top ten most-visited websites worldwide.
__NOTOC__
'''Wikimedia Australia''' is the Australian chapter of the [[wikimedia:Main Page|Wikimedia Foundation]]. The foundation is a non-profit organisation that provides almost 300 online collaborative ''wiki'' projects, most notably [[wikipedia:Main Page|Wikipedia]], an internet-based encyclopaedia which is the world's largest and most popular reference website and one of the top 10 most visited websites globally. Together, the foundation's sites are visited about 15,000 times a second.


'''[[w:Australian Business Number|ABN]]:''' 74 761 792 996<br />'''[[w:Consumer Affairs Victoria|Consumer Affairs Victoria]] Registration No.:''' A0051923E
'''[[w:Australian Business Number|ABN]]:''' [http://www.abr.business.gov.au/SearchByAbn.aspx?SearchText=74761792996 74 761 792 996]<br />'''[[w:Consumer Affairs Victoria|Consumer Affairs Victoria]] Registration No.:''' A0051923E


== What is the mission of the Chapter ? ==
==<span id="mission"></span>What is your mission? ==


The purpose of the organisation is to:
Wikimedia Australia has three main aims:
* Organise, support and participate in educational and social events that promote development of Free Cultural Works and related open source software systems, in particular ''wikis''.
* to organise, support and participate in educational and social events that promote the development of [[w:Free content|free cultural works]] and related open-source software systems, in particular, wikis;
* Increase public awareness, support and participation in the projects hosted by the [[foundation:|''Wikimedia Foundation'']] (WMF).
* to increase public awareness, support and participation in the projects hosted by the [[foundation:|''Wikimedia Foundation'']] (WMF);
* Develop resources to assist Australians in the creation and maintenance of Free Cultural Works.
* to develop resources to assist Australians to create and maintain free cultural works.


Wikimedia Australia is recognised by the Wikimedia Foundation as a [[foundation:Local chapters|official chapter]] and as such will offer members an official voice in the global Wikimedia community, whose aim is to create unencumbered resources for use throughout the world.
Wikimedia Australia is recognised by the foundation as a [[foundation:Local chapters|official chapter]]; so we provide our members with an official voice in the global Wikimedia community, whose aim is to create no less than the sum of human knowledge, and to make available ''gratis'' related free resources for use by anyone throughout the world.


Local chapters of the Wikimedia Foundation are self-dependent organisations that share the goals of the foundation and support them within a specified geographical region. They support the Wikimedia Foundation, the Wikimedia community and the Wikimedia projects in different ways - by collecting donations, organising local events and projects and spreading the word of Wikimedia and Free Culture. They also provide the volunteer community and potential partners and supporters with a point of contact capable of fulfilling specific local needs.
There are now around 40 local chapters of the foundation. All are self-dependent organisations that share the goals of the foundation and support them within a specified geographical region. They support the foundation, its communities, and its projects in different ways by collecting donations, organising local events and projects, and spreading the word of Wikimedia and free culture. They provide the volunteer community and potential partners and supporters with a point of contact capable of fulfilling specific local needs.


==Are you a charity?==
==Are you a charity?==
 
Wikimedia Australia is a registered [[wikipedia:charitable organization|charitable organisation]], as well as being a not-for-profit association incorporated under the laws of the state of Victoria. While your donations are greatly appreciated, Wikimedia Australia does not currently have tax-deductible status for donations.
Wikimedia Australia is a [[wikipedia:non-profit|non-profit]] association incorporated under the laws of [[wikipedia:Victoria, Australia|Victoria]], [[wikipedia:Australia|Australia]]. We do not currently have tax-deductible status for donations.


==What is the difference between Wikimedia Australia and the Wikimedia Foundation?==
==What is the difference between Wikimedia Australia and the Wikimedia Foundation?==
Wikimedia ''Australia'' is a not for profit association incorporated in the state of Victoria, Australia. The Wikimedia ''Foundation'' is an American nonprofit charitable organization and it operates Wikipedia and other sites. Please read their [http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Frequently_Asked_Questions FAQ] for more information about the Wikimedia Foundation.
Wikimedia Australia is a non-profit association incorporated in the state of [[w:Victoria, Australia|Victoria, Australia]]. The foundation is the US non-profit charitable organisation that operates Wikipedia and other sites. Please read the foundation's [[foundation:Frequently Asked Questions|FAQs]] for more information.
 
==Which projects do you support?==


Wikimedia Australia supports all projects run by the Wikimedia Foundation and most of our members are actively contributing to one or more of these projects.
==Which projects does Wikimedia Australia support?==
We support all projects run by the foundation; most of our members actively contribute to one or more of these projects, often as editors of the English Wikipedia.


{{wikimedia projects}}
{{wikimedia projects}}


==How is the chapter run? ==
==How is the chapter run? ==
Wikimedia Australia is administered by a [[board]]; members vote in an annual election for their representatives on the board (formerly ''the committee''). This site includes a complete list of [[meetings|board meetings]] and [[resolutions]]. Wikimedia Australia also has a small team of staff.


The Wikimedia Australia chapter is now based by an [[Committee|Interim Committee]], charged with the task of establishing the organisation and holding the initial [[2008-2009 AGM|Annual General Meeting]] which is to be held in early January 2009.
Most of the interaction between board members, other members and the community happens online through wikis, mailing lists and video calls. Face-to-face meetings, known as ''wiki meetups'', occasionally occur around Australia. These meetups are generally organised locally by members in their capital city. Project participants and new people are ''always'' welcome to attend.


This site also includes a complete list of [[meetings|committee meetings]] and [[resolutions]].
Wikimedia Australia has a [[Statement of Purpose|statement of purpose]] and [[rules]].


Most of the interaction between committee members, members and the community happens online through wikis, mailing lists and electronic chat ([[IRC]]). Face-to-face meetings, known as ''WikiMeetups'', occasionally occur around Australia. These meetups are generally organised locally by members in their local capital city and both project participants and new people are always welcome to attend.
==Is Wikimedia Australia responsible for content on Wikipedia?==
No. Wikipedia is run by the Wikipedia editing community, and the chapters have no particular power over content. However, Wikimedia Australia does run training events and [[edit-a-thons]] to help everyone edit and improve content on Wikipedia.  


The chapter also has a [[Statement of Purpose]] and [[Rules]].
If you'd like to contribute to Wikipedia, we encourage you to become an editor (as well as joining WMAU!); that way, you can contribute online to the biggest repository of information in the world, ''and'' can work with other Australians to support the creation and uploading of free cultural content. These two aims neatly complement each other.


==Is Wikimedia Australia responsible for content on Wikipedia?==
== Is my donation to Wikimedia Australia tax deductible? ==
No. Wikipedia editors are responsible for what they themselves add.


==Can Wikimedia Australia control content on Wikipedia?==
No. While your donations are deeply appreciated and are always put to good use to further the mission of the Wikimedia movement in Australia, donations to Wikimedia Australia and to the Wikimedia Foundation overall, are unfortunately not tax deductible.
No. Wikipedia is run by the Wikipedia editing community and Wikimedia Australia has no particular power to enforce control over what any content there should or should not look like.


However, as many of our members are Wikipedia editors, as individuals we can attempt to persuade others -- like anyone else at Wikipedia.
The eligibility criteria for an organisation to be tax deductible in Australia is limited. Unfortunately after close review of tax law, Wikimedia Australia does not meet these criteria at this time as there is no category that recognises free knowledge or digital volunteering organisations.


== How can I contact the Chapter? ==
== How can I contact Wikimedia Australia? ==


Please see the [[Contact]] page for information on contacting Wikimedia Australia.
Please see the [[contact]] page for information on contacting us. We look forward to hearing from you!
[[Category:Wikimedia Australia organisation‎]]
[[Category:Information]]
[[Category:Frequently asked questions]]

Latest revision as of 03:28, 20 June 2023

Wikimedia Australia is the Australian chapter of the Wikimedia Foundation. The foundation is a non-profit organisation that provides almost 300 online collaborative wiki projects, most notably Wikipedia, an internet-based encyclopaedia which is the world's largest and most popular reference website and one of the top 10 most visited websites globally. Together, the foundation's sites are visited about 15,000 times a second.

ABN: 74 761 792 996
Consumer Affairs Victoria Registration No.: A0051923E

What is your mission?

Wikimedia Australia has three main aims:

  • to organise, support and participate in educational and social events that promote the development of free cultural works and related open-source software systems, in particular, wikis;
  • to increase public awareness, support and participation in the projects hosted by the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF);
  • to develop resources to assist Australians to create and maintain free cultural works.

Wikimedia Australia is recognised by the foundation as a official chapter; so we provide our members with an official voice in the global Wikimedia community, whose aim is to create no less than the sum of human knowledge, and to make available gratis related free resources for use by anyone throughout the world.

There are now around 40 local chapters of the foundation. All are self-dependent organisations that share the goals of the foundation and support them within a specified geographical region. They support the foundation, its communities, and its projects in different ways – by collecting donations, organising local events and projects, and spreading the word of Wikimedia and free culture. They provide the volunteer community and potential partners and supporters with a point of contact capable of fulfilling specific local needs.

Are you a charity?

Wikimedia Australia is a registered charitable organisation, as well as being a not-for-profit association incorporated under the laws of the state of Victoria. While your donations are greatly appreciated, Wikimedia Australia does not currently have tax-deductible status for donations.

What is the difference between Wikimedia Australia and the Wikimedia Foundation?

Wikimedia Australia is a non-profit association incorporated in the state of Victoria, Australia. The foundation is the US non-profit charitable organisation that operates Wikipedia and other sites. Please read the foundation's FAQs for more information.

Which projects does Wikimedia Australia support?

We support all projects run by the foundation; most of our members actively contribute to one or more of these projects, often as editors of the English Wikipedia.

The following projects fall under the Wikimedia Foundation umbrella:

How is the chapter run?

Wikimedia Australia is administered by a board; members vote in an annual election for their representatives on the board (formerly the committee). This site includes a complete list of board meetings and resolutions. Wikimedia Australia also has a small team of staff.

Most of the interaction between board members, other members and the community happens online through wikis, mailing lists and video calls. Face-to-face meetings, known as wiki meetups, occasionally occur around Australia. These meetups are generally organised locally by members in their capital city. Project participants and new people are always welcome to attend.

Wikimedia Australia has a statement of purpose and rules.

Is Wikimedia Australia responsible for content on Wikipedia?

No. Wikipedia is run by the Wikipedia editing community, and the chapters have no particular power over content. However, Wikimedia Australia does run training events and edit-a-thons to help everyone edit and improve content on Wikipedia.

If you'd like to contribute to Wikipedia, we encourage you to become an editor (as well as joining WMAU!); that way, you can contribute online to the biggest repository of information in the world, and can work with other Australians to support the creation and uploading of free cultural content. These two aims neatly complement each other.

Is my donation to Wikimedia Australia tax deductible?

No. While your donations are deeply appreciated and are always put to good use to further the mission of the Wikimedia movement in Australia, donations to Wikimedia Australia and to the Wikimedia Foundation overall, are unfortunately not tax deductible.

The eligibility criteria for an organisation to be tax deductible in Australia is limited. Unfortunately after close review of tax law, Wikimedia Australia does not meet these criteria at this time as there is no category that recognises free knowledge or digital volunteering organisations.

How can I contact Wikimedia Australia?

Please see the contact page for information on contacting us. We look forward to hearing from you!

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