Sloan Foundation backs Wikimedia another 3 million times

Stephen Withers
Tuesday, 12 July 2011 13:35

IT Industry - Development

The Alfred P Sloan Foundation has made a second $US3 million grant of $3 million to the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit organisation behind Wikipedia.

Following an initial grant of $US3 million from 2008 to 2010, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation has made a second similar grant to the Wikimedia Foundation, which operates Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation officials said the money would be used support Wikimedia's strategic plan that focuses on increasing Wikipedia's quality, increasing the number and demographic diversity of its editors, and reaching more readers, particularly in the global south.

"We are delighted to support Wikimedia in developing and sustaining its educational mission while continuously improving quality, diversity and access to knowledge for people everywhere," said Doron Weber, vice president, programs at the Alfred P Sloan Foundation. "Wikipedia embodies the ideal values of the world wide web and we are proud to be part of this bold endeavour to use the wisdom and the altruism of the crowd to create the biggest, most up-to-date and most open global encyclopaedia in human history."