Mailing List Archive

2009/5/13 Veronique Kessler <vkessler@wikimedia.org>:
> Dear All,
>
> Please note that the 2007 Form 990 which covers fiscal year July 1, 2007
> through June 30, 2008 has been posted to the Wikimedia Foundation
> website at: http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/File:WMF_2008_Form_990.pdf
>
> Also posted are questions and answers which can be found at:
> http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Form_2007_Questions_and_Answers
>
> Of course I am available to answer questions as well.
>
> Veronique

According to part VI line 91B the foundation had an interest in or a
signature or other authority over a financial account in the United
Kingdom. Given the risks posed by holding any assets in a country
where Mr Justice Eady continues to act as a judge could you explain
what was going on there?

--
geni

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On Wed, May 13, 2009 at 10:22 AM, Veronique Kessler
<vkessler@wikimedia.org> wrote:
> Dear All,
>
> Please note that the 2007 Form 990 which covers fiscal year July 1, 2007
> through June 30, 2008 has been posted to the Wikimedia Foundation
> website at: http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/File:WMF_2008_Form_990.pdf
>
> Also posted are questions and answers which can be found at:
> http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Form_2007_Questions_and_Answers
>
> Of course I am available to answer questions as well.

Any chance, we could move to a more timely reporting schedule?

My reading is that the nominal filing date for this would have been
last December, before allowing for requested extensions.

As it is, this is being released more than 10 months after the end of
the fiscal year which is rather a lot.

-Robert Rohde

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2009/5/13 Robert Rohde <rarohde@gmail.com>:
> As it is, this is being released more than 10 months after the end of
> the fiscal year which is rather a lot.

Indeed. Normally waiting a while for this kind of stuff doesn't
matter, but an organisation like WMF is moving so quickly that it's
pretty much irrelevant publishing this information now. (A lot of it
was already released in the annual financial statements, though, I
think.)

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Where is the Foundation's public yearly calendar anyway? It would at least
be useful for everyone to see what and when the Foundation should be
handling certain responsibilities.

On Wed, May 13, 2009 at 12:53 PM, Thomas Dalton <thomas.dalton@gmail.com>wrote:

> 2009/5/13 Robert Rohde <rarohde@gmail.com>:
> > As it is, this is being released more than 10 months after the end of
> > the fiscal year which is rather a lot.
>
> Indeed. Normally waiting a while for this kind of stuff doesn't
> matter, but an organisation like WMF is moving so quickly that it's
> pretty much irrelevant publishing this information now. (A lot of it
> was already released in the annual financial statements, though, I
> think.)
>
> _______________________________________________
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> foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
>
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Hi Veronique,

thanks for posting this. In Part VI, question 82b, it is mentioned that
333,125 USD was donated in kind. Can you confirm that this does not include
the volunteer contributions to Wikipedia? (assume not, or at least hope that
it's not valued that low ;-) )

A more general question for anyone who knows: Part III, question 1 mentions
whether the org. tried to influence politics. Does anyone know 1) what this
includes (only US politics or also foreign, also mission related lobbying
(free licenses for example) or only general R/D lobbying) and 2) whether
answering Yes would make any difference to the tax status etc for the WMF?
(just interested :) )

The document asks about affiliates. When, according to the IRS, is an
organization an "affiliate"?

Thanks!

eia

2009/5/13 Veronique Kessler <vkessler@wikimedia.org>

> Dear All,
>
> Please note that the 2007 Form 990 which covers fiscal year July 1, 2007
> through June 30, 2008 has been posted to the Wikimedia Foundation
> website at: http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/File:WMF_2008_Form_990.pdf
>
> Also posted are questions and answers which can be found at:
> http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Form_2007_Questions_and_Answers
>
> Of course I am available to answer questions as well.
>
> Veronique
>
> _______________________________________________
> foundation-l mailing list
> foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
>
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2009/5/13 Thomas Dalton <thomas.dalton@gmail.com>:
> 2009/5/13 Robert Rohde <rarohde@gmail.com>:
>> As it is, this is being released more than 10 months after the end of
>> the fiscal year which is rather a lot.
>
> Indeed. Normally waiting a while for this kind of stuff doesn't
> matter, but an organisation like WMF is moving so quickly that it's
> pretty much irrelevant publishing this information now. (A lot of it
> was already released in the annual financial statements, though, I
> think.)

I won't reply to everything in this thread, but I will quickly reply
to this. (I'm on a break from a budget prep meeting.)

Here's how it works with regards to 990s:

Organizations are required to file their 990s within five months of
the end of the fiscal year. Many organizations also obtain extensions;
it's totally normal.

If you go here http://nccsdataweb.urban.org/knowledgebase/detail.php?linkID=214&category=118&xrefID=2579
--to the U.S. National Center for Charitable Statistics-- you can see
a spreadsheet analyzing filed 990s. It shows that 62% of returns in
the study were filed between the 5th and 9th month after the close of
the organizations' fiscal years. Ten percent were filed prior to the
5th month; 17 percent in months 10-12; and 8 percent more than a year
after the end of the organizations' fiscal year.

The NCCS says "One possible reason suggested by practitioners [that
990s are not filed more quickly] is that auditors, who typically
complete organizations' Forms 990 as well, must schedule their audits
to permit a steady workflow. Thus, an accounting firm specializing in
nonprofit or corporate returns will have an organization obtain an
extension so the firm can schedule the audit for, say, 6 months after
the close of the organization's fiscal year during a slack period for
the firm."

Our form was filled out by our audit firm, KPMG, and then reviewed by
Veronique, me, the audit committee, and the board, before being filed.
(That level of review is considered best practice.)

Thanks,
Sue

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The account being referred to is our Moneybookers account; Moneybookers
is a payment gateway like Paypal and we have had the account for a
couple of years. Only a small fraction of donations come via
Moneybookers but some folks prefer it over Paypal.

geni wrote:
> 2009/5/13 Veronique Kessler <vkessler@wikimedia.org>:
>
>> Dear All,
>>
>> Please note that the 2007 Form 990 which covers fiscal year July 1, 2007
>> through June 30, 2008 has been posted to the Wikimedia Foundation
>> website at: http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/File:WMF_2008_Form_990.pdf
>>
>> Also posted are questions and answers which can be found at:
>> http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Form_2007_Questions_and_Answers
>>
>> Of course I am available to answer questions as well.
>>
>> Veronique
>>
>
> According to part VI line 91B the foundation had an interest in or a
> signature or other authority over a financial account in the United
> Kingdom. Given the risks posed by holding any assets in a country
> where Mr Justice Eady continues to act as a judge could you explain
> what was going on there?
>
>

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On Thu, May 14, 2009 at 9:00 AM, effe iets anders
<effeietsanders@gmail.com> wrote:
> A more general question for anyone who knows: Part III, question 1 mentions
> whether the org. tried to influence politics. Does anyone know 1) what this
> includes (only US politics or also foreign, also mission related lobbying
> (free licenses for example) or only general R/D lobbying) and 2) whether
> answering Yes would make any difference to the tax status etc for the WMF?
> (just interested :) )
>

This might be a good start:
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/501(c)(3)#501.28c.29.283.29>,
specifically the "Political activity" section. :-)

--
Casey Brown
Cbrown1023

---
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this address will probably get lost.

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2009/5/15 Veronique Kessler <vkessler@wikimedia.org>:
> The account being referred to is our Moneybookers account; Moneybookers
> is a payment gateway like Paypal and we have had the account for a
> couple of years.  Only a small fraction of donations come via
> Moneybookers but some folks prefer it over Paypal.

Ok. Presumably money doesn't stay there long so it never builds up a
significant balance?

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Hi,

The donations in-kind refer to donated internet hosting costs and legal
fees. In our 07-08 audit report, we discuss the volunteer contribution
but did not attempt to quantify it in terms of a dollar value. We are
investigating how best to reflect this in next year's audit report.

I don't know much about Part III, question 1 so I look forward to
hearing from the community.

In terms of affiliates, can you please point me to the specific
line/lines you are looking at so I am sure to answer the question correctly.

Veronique

effe iets anders wrote:
> Hi Veronique,
>
> thanks for posting this. In Part VI, question 82b, it is mentioned that
> 333,125 USD was donated in kind. Can you confirm that this does not include
> the volunteer contributions to Wikipedia? (assume not, or at least hope that
> it's not valued that low ;-) )
>
> A more general question for anyone who knows: Part III, question 1 mentions
> whether the org. tried to influence politics. Does anyone know 1) what this
> includes (only US politics or also foreign, also mission related lobbying
> (free licenses for example) or only general R/D lobbying) and 2) whether
> answering Yes would make any difference to the tax status etc for the WMF?
> (just interested :) )
>
> The document asks about affiliates. When, according to the IRS, is an
> organization an "affiliate"?
>
> Thanks!
>
> eia
>
> 2009/5/13 Veronique Kessler <vkessler@wikimedia.org>
>
>
>> Dear All,
>>
>> Please note that the 2007 Form 990 which covers fiscal year July 1, 2007
>> through June 30, 2008 has been posted to the Wikimedia Foundation
>> website at: http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/File:WMF_2008_Form_990.pdf
>>
>> Also posted are questions and answers which can be found at:
>> http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Form_2007_Questions_and_Answers
>>
>> Of course I am available to answer questions as well.
>>
>> Veronique
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> foundation-l mailing list
>> foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org
>> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
>>
>>
> _______________________________________________
> foundation-l mailing list
> foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
>

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True.


Thomas Dalton wrote:
> 2009/5/15 Veronique Kessler <vkessler@wikimedia.org>:
>
>> The account being referred to is our Moneybookers account; Moneybookers
>> is a payment gateway like Paypal and we have had the account for a
>> couple of years. Only a small fraction of donations come via
>> Moneybookers but some folks prefer it over Paypal.
>>
>
> Ok. Presumably money doesn't stay there long so it never builds up a
> significant balance?
>
> _______________________________________________
> foundation-l mailing list
> foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
>

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effe iets anders wrote:
> Hi Veronique,
>
> thanks for posting this. In Part VI, question 82b, it is mentioned that
> 333,125 USD was donated in kind. Can you confirm that this does not include
> the volunteer contributions to Wikipedia? (assume not, or at least hope that
> it's not valued that low ;-) )
>
> A more general question for anyone who knows: Part III, question 1 mentions
> whether the org. tried to influence politics. Does anyone know 1) what this
> includes (only US politics or also foreign, also mission related lobbying
> (free licenses for example) or only general R/D lobbying) and 2) whether
> answering Yes would make any difference to the tax status etc for the WMF?
> (just interested :) )
>
> The document asks about affiliates. When, according to the IRS, is an
> organization an "affiliate"?

Now, that was an excellent question Eff.
Yes, can you point out where in the doc you found refs to affiliates ? I
had a look but could not find it?

Ant

>
> Thanks!
>
> eia
>
> 2009/5/13 Veronique Kessler <vkessler@wikimedia.org>
>
>> Dear All,
>>
>> Please note that the 2007 Form 990 which covers fiscal year July 1, 2007
>> through June 30, 2008 has been posted to the Wikimedia Foundation
>> website at: http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/File:WMF_2008_Form_990.pdf
>>
>> Also posted are questions and answers which can be found at:
>> http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Form_2007_Questions_and_Answers
>>
>> Of course I am available to answer questions as well.
>>
>> Veronique
>>
>> _______________________________________________
>> foundation-l mailing list
>> foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org
>> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
>>
> _______________________________________________
> foundation-l mailing list
> foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org
> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
>


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The affiliate question was mainly triggered by page 1, question H (and might
be especially interesting in later files of 990 with US chapters on their
way who might or might not be affiliates according to the IRS definition).

I noted that question H(c) has not been filled in. I assume that this is
because this was considered a follow up question on H(a)?

Best,

eia

2009/5/15 Veronique Kessler <vkessler@wikimedia.org>

> Hi,
>
> The donations in-kind refer to donated internet hosting costs and legal
> fees. In our 07-08 audit report, we discuss the volunteer contribution but
> did not attempt to quantify it in terms of a dollar value. We are
> investigating how best to reflect this in next year's audit report.
>
> I don't know much about Part III, question 1 so I look forward to hearing
> from the community.
>
> In terms of affiliates, can you please point me to the specific line/lines
> you are looking at so I am sure to answer the question correctly.
>
> Veronique
>
>
> effe iets anders wrote:
>
>> Hi Veronique,
>>
>> thanks for posting this. In Part VI, question 82b, it is mentioned that
>> 333,125 USD was donated in kind. Can you confirm that this does not
>> include
>> the volunteer contributions to Wikipedia? (assume not, or at least hope
>> that
>> it's not valued that low ;-) )
>>
>> A more general question for anyone who knows: Part III, question 1
>> mentions
>> whether the org. tried to influence politics. Does anyone know 1) what
>> this
>> includes (only US politics or also foreign, also mission related lobbying
>> (free licenses for example) or only general R/D lobbying) and 2) whether
>> answering Yes would make any difference to the tax status etc for the WMF?
>> (just interested :) )
>>
>> The document asks about affiliates. When, according to the IRS, is an
>> organization an "affiliate"?
>>
>> Thanks!
>>
>> eia
>>
>> 2009/5/13 Veronique Kessler <vkessler@wikimedia.org>
>>
>>
>>
>>> Dear All,
>>>
>>> Please note that the 2007 Form 990 which covers fiscal year July 1, 2007
>>> through June 30, 2008 has been posted to the Wikimedia Foundation
>>> website at:
>>> http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/File:WMF_2008_Form_990.pdf
>>>
>>> Also posted are questions and answers which can be found at:
>>> http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Form_2007_Questions_and_Answers
>>>
>>> Of course I am available to answer questions as well.
>>>
>>> Veronique
>>>
>>> _______________________________________________
>>> foundation-l mailing list
>>> foundation-l@lists.wikimedia.org
>>> Unsubscribe: https://lists.wikimedia.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-l
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>>
>
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