Wikimedia Foundation

What fuels the vast digital library we know as Wikipedia? Here, at One Montgomery Tower in San Francisco, stands the Wikimedia Foundation. It’s the powerhouse behind not only Wikipedia, but a constellation of 14 collaborative projects. The Wikimedia Foundation isn’t just an office building. It’s the heart of a global movement, a testament to the power of free knowledge. The Wikimedia Foundation was born in 2003 in St. Petersburg, Florida, brainchild of Jimmy Wales. Initially, it was simply a way to fund the burgeoning Wikipedia, freeing it from its for-profit roots at Bomis. By 2008, recognizing the energy of the San Francisco Bay Area’s tech scene, the Wikimedia Foundation migrated west, finally settling here. The Wikimedia Foundation doesn’t control the content on Wikipedia. That’s the domain of the volunteer editors, the dedicated Wikipedians. The Foundation provides the infrastructure, the servers, the software (MediaWiki). They also handle fundraising, primarily through small donations. Think about it: millions of small donations from readers like you power this global resource. In 2023, the Wikimedia Foundation employed around 700 staff and contractors. Its net assets were valued at an impressive $255 million, with an endowment exceeding $100 million. The Wikimedia Foundation also hosts other crucial projects, like Wiktionary (the online dictionary and thesaurus), Wikibooks, Wikiquote, and Wikimedia Commons (the media repository). The Foundation’s efforts extend beyond the digital realm. They champion causes like copyright reform, press freedom, and legal protection for online content. The Wikimedia Foundation stands as a beacon, reminding us that knowledge should be accessible to everyone.