Charity status: Difference between revisions
(small rewrite) |
(minor rewrite, slight strengthening) |
||
| Line 11: | Line 11: | ||
The Wikimedia Foundation, the owners of Wikipedia, are recognised as a charity under the law of Florida. Several of our sister “chapters” - including Wikimedia Hong Kong, Wikimedia Germany, Wikimedia Sweden and Wikimedia CH (Switzerland) - are also recognised in their jurisdictions as charities. We continue to believe that our activities and our objects are similarly charitable and in our case constitute the charitable advancement of education. However, we accept that we are not aware of any existing English charities whose activities are similar to us, and understand your reluctance to grant tax benefits in the absence of these. Therefore, we would like to ask you to refer our case to the Charity Commission, using the mechanism we discussed on the phone, and ask their view on whether out activities are charitable or not. | The Wikimedia Foundation, the owners of Wikipedia, are recognised as a charity under the law of Florida. Several of our sister “chapters” - including Wikimedia Hong Kong, Wikimedia Germany, Wikimedia Sweden and Wikimedia CH (Switzerland) - are also recognised in their jurisdictions as charities. We continue to believe that our activities and our objects are similarly charitable and in our case constitute the charitable advancement of education. However, we accept that we are not aware of any existing English charities whose activities are similar to us, and understand your reluctance to grant tax benefits in the absence of these. Therefore, we would like to ask you to refer our case to the Charity Commission, using the mechanism we discussed on the phone, and ask their view on whether out activities are charitable or not. | ||
We have set out in our previous letters an outline of our activities and the reasons why we think we are charitable. | We have set out in our previous letters an outline of our activities and the reasons why we think we are charitable. To recap: the charitable object of “advancement of education” is already accepted for libraries, museums and art galleries. We consider our activities to be directly analogous to those undertaken by these organisations. Like libraries, we make educational material available to the public; like art galleries, we display works of art and works of historical interest for the public to see; and like museums, our projects are not simply an indiscriminate collection of facts: our projects accept only articles that are considered notable, newsworthy or educational. <ref> Wikipedia, for instance, has the following content policy: | ||
{{quote|Wikipedia is not an indiscriminate collection of information; merely being true or useful does not automatically make something suitable for inclusion in an encyclopedia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:NOT)}} </ref> | {{quote|Wikipedia is not an indiscriminate collection of information; merely being true or useful does not automatically make something suitable for inclusion in an encyclopedia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:NOT)}} </ref> | ||
Our chief purpose in this communication is to provide a more legally rigorous analysis, with reference to the case law, which we include as an attachment. We also attach a set of examples showing how the resources that we support are used in structured learning. | |||
Thank you once again for the assistance you have given. We look forward to hearing from you in due course. | Thank you once again for the assistance you have given. We look forward to hearing from you in due course. | ||
Revision as of 21:09, 26 May 2009
Covering Letter
Dear Mr Y....,
Re: Wiki UK Limited (operating name Wikimedia UK)
Your ref: [insert]
I refer to your letter dated 17 April 2009 refusing our application to be recognised by you for tax purposes as a charity and to our telephone call on 1 May, during which we discussed the legal situation regarding the “advancement of education” and the ways we can take our case forward.
The Wikimedia Foundation, the owners of Wikipedia, are recognised as a charity under the law of Florida. Several of our sister “chapters” - including Wikimedia Hong Kong, Wikimedia Germany, Wikimedia Sweden and Wikimedia CH (Switzerland) - are also recognised in their jurisdictions as charities. We continue to believe that our activities and our objects are similarly charitable and in our case constitute the charitable advancement of education. However, we accept that we are not aware of any existing English charities whose activities are similar to us, and understand your reluctance to grant tax benefits in the absence of these. Therefore, we would like to ask you to refer our case to the Charity Commission, using the mechanism we discussed on the phone, and ask their view on whether out activities are charitable or not.
We have set out in our previous letters an outline of our activities and the reasons why we think we are charitable. To recap: the charitable object of “advancement of education” is already accepted for libraries, museums and art galleries. We consider our activities to be directly analogous to those undertaken by these organisations. Like libraries, we make educational material available to the public; like art galleries, we display works of art and works of historical interest for the public to see; and like museums, our projects are not simply an indiscriminate collection of facts: our projects accept only articles that are considered notable, newsworthy or educational. [1]
Our chief purpose in this communication is to provide a more legally rigorous analysis, with reference to the case law, which we include as an attachment. We also attach a set of examples showing how the resources that we support are used in structured learning.
Thank you once again for the assistance you have given. We look forward to hearing from you in due course.
Yours sincerely,
Andrew Turvey
Secretary
Wikimedia UK
Wikimedia UK is the operating name of Wiki UK Limited.
Wiki UK Ltd is a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales, Registered No. 6741827.
The Registered Office is at 23 Cartwright Way, Nottingham, NG9 1RL, United Kingdom.
- ↑ Wikipedia, for instance, has the following content policy:
Wikipedia is not an indiscriminate collection of information; merely being true or useful does not automatically make something suitable for inclusion in an encyclopedia. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WP:NOT)