Annual Report 2024/Story: Investing more in community support

Det här är en översatt version av sidan Verksamhetsberättelse 2024/Story: Utökade insatser runt stöd till gemenskapen. Översättningen är till 100 % färdig och uppdaterad.

In this story, we focus on how the association supports its dedicated volunteer community through grants, equipment, and access to sources. Over the year, the demand for support increased significantly, and investments in photo competitions and a member-driven decision-making process strengthened community engagement.

Supporting the dedicated community of volunteers who contribute to the Wikimedia platforms in various ways is a central focus and a top priority for the association . Over the years, we have developed multiple types of support to help the community do its work and realize its ideas.

This includes providing active support through project and conference grants, lending equipment (via the technology pool), providing reference materials (including access to research databases), supporting media accreditation, organizing events for members, arranging events for Wikimedians, and maintaining the tools we have developed to support the community.

This project is a priority area for the association, which is why considerable efforts and investments were made throughout the year, including signing a new agreement with Retriever for access to Mediearkivet. This ensures that Wikimedia Sverige can continue to support the identification of high-quality sources for Wikipedia. We are pleased that requests from the community increased by 114% compared to 2023. This is a development we are proud and happy about. We see several areas with even greater potential and will continue investing to expand our efforts in the coming years.

The photo competitions Wiki Loves Earth (WLE) and Wiki Loves Monuments (WLM) are organized annually. These competitions, which focus on the digital preservation of cultural and natural heritage, also aim to engage volunteers who enjoy contributing during the competitions. Each year, we see a large group returning specifically to participate, often preparing photos throughout the year. The competitions serve as a way to harness their enthusiasm and passion for photography. We're very exciting about being able to support this particular part of the community. Wiki Loves Monuments, which has been organized in Sweden since 2011, had another successful year, with uploads increasing by 90% compared to 2023. The number of photographers also grew in both competitions, and it was especially exciting to see more returning photographers participating.

In the fail fest "Volunteer engagement – a challenge", we raise the question of transferring parts of the work surrounding the Wiki Loves competitions to volunteers. Other areas are also planned to be handed over to the community by establishing a member-driven decision-making process, where priorities are determined by a committee rather than our staff. This includes decisions on grant approvals, among other things. We will continue working on this idea.

Throughout the year, images and results from events where volunteers got media accreditations were shared on social media. These posts connected the images to the impact of making more knowledge freely available, highlighting the importance of our work in approving activities as part of its community support. Showcasing more examples like these can increase engagement and raise awareness of the support opportunities available through the association.