Wikimedia Foundation Bolsters Global Knowledge access with Community-Driven Initiatives
San Francisco, CA – November 26, 2025 – As Wikipedia approaches its quarter-century milestone, the nonprofit Wikimedia foundation is doubling down on its mission to provide free knowledge to the world, expanding its support for local communities and investing in the future of facts access. The Foundation, responsible for Wikipedia and its sister projects, detailed its ongoing work in a recent post, highlighting a diverse range of initiatives from grassroots edit-a-thons to long-term endowment planning.
Wikipedia, utilized by millions daily, isn’t simply a website – it’s a collaborative project powered by a global network of volunteers and supported by the Wikimedia foundation.The organization’s work extends far beyond maintaining the English-language encyclopedia, actively fostering knowledge creation and access in underrepresented languages and regions.
Recent projects include supporting localized Kyrgyz wikipedia progress in central Europe, bolstering Wikimedia contributors in Nigeria, and equipping teachers with resources to integrate Wikipedia into classrooms in Morocco. The Foundation also actively encourages local engagement through initiatives like edit-a-thons across Japan.
“the people who do all this can’t be seen on yoru computer screen, but they power the human world of Wikipedia, one that makes everything else…possible,” stated wikimedia Foundation CEO Maryana Iskander.
The Foundation operates on a unique funding model, relying on contributions from just 2% of its readers to remain ad-free and self-reliant. These funds are crucial for not only maintaining existing infrastructure but also for future-proofing the organization.Current plans include growing a long-term endowment to accelerate technical innovation and pursuing strategic investments to address the evolving role of language on the internet.
Wikipedia distinguishes itself as an encyclopedia dedicated to representing the best of human knowledge, intentionally avoiding the characteristics of social media or opinion platforms.It remains a unique and vital resource, accessible to all.
Those interested in supporting the Wikimedia Foundation can donate at donate.wikimedia.org.
Maryana Iskander is Chief Executive Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation.
This post was originally published on October 30, 2023, and updated with more recent information in November 2024 and November 2025.
