Board/Becoming a trustee

Wikimedia UK: the open knowledge charity

Wikimedia UK is a membership organisation whose mission is to help people and organisations create and preserve open knowledge, and to help provide easy access for all.  As an independent UK charity which acts as the UK arm of the global Wikimedia movement, encompassing Wikipedia and its sister projects, we are in a special position to make an impact on open knowledge across both the educational and cultural sectors.

The role of the Wikimedia UK board

Wikimedia UK's 10-person volunteer board provides strategic guidance, direction and oversight for the charity as a whole while recognising and respecting the domain of staff and volunteer responsibility. In particular, it:

• sets and maintains our direction, vision, mission and values, and helps develop strategy for effective charitable impact
• sets and maintains the policies, practices, budgets and other processes necessary to deliver those aims
• selects and supports the CEO who has oversight of operations, staff and employment procedures
• maintains fiscal oversight and accountability, including risk management and ensuring that the charity operates in a prudent and solvent manner
• ensures that the law and our Articles of Association are complied with
• maintains its own effectiveness while promoting and championing the charity.

Trustee skills and experience

Successful candidates for the board could come from a wide range of backgrounds including the public, educational, charity or commercial sectors, or from the open knowledge or Wikimedia movements. We seek diversity of gender, age, location and outlook, but all candidates should be able to demonstrate a track record of effective performance, strategic thinking and sound judgement.

A skills audit of the board has identified the following areas in which strategic and governance skills and experience would be particularly useful: GLAM, education, and volunteer management/engagement. Also of interest would be experience in media and communications, fundraising, HR, and software/technology project management.

Some trustees are active volunteers within the Wikimedia or the wider open knowledge movements, but active volunteering activity outside the trustee role is by no means essential. There are many ways in which personal skills, interests and experience can contribute to our open knowledge mission.

Expectations of trustees

Wikimedia UK is fortunate in having a board that is active and engaged. While the board is largely strategic, and does not normally get involved in the running of specific charitable projects, it is active in establishing direction and strategy as well as in helping to ensure the charity stretches itself and reaches its full potential. We expect trustees to commit not only to regular attendance at quarterly board meetings and our AGM, but also to make themselves reasonably available for ad hoc discussion and consultation - generally by email - at other times. Some trustees also serve on one or more board committees, but that is entirely voluntary.

Trustees are directors of the charity and have a number of legal and practical duties, details of which can be see here. The probity of our trustees is of the utmost importance to us, and we have a comprehensive Conflict of Interest Policy.

All trustees need to be members of the charity, and you are encouraged to apply to join right away - it is only £5.

The process

Trustees are appointed either by election or co-option for two year terms, and we will during 2015 have new opportunities for both elected and co-opted members. At our 2015 AGM to be held in London on Saturday 25th July, four existing trustees will be retiring by rotation of whom three have indicated their intention to stand for a further term.

Trustees seeking election at the AGM will be asked to supply a short statement and to make themselves available to answer written questions from our community of volunteers. While it is not essential to attend the AGM it is very much encouraged and candidates who make the time to come do help to demonstrate their commitment to our voting membership.

Getting to know us

We are a remarkably open and transparent organisation and a huge amount of information about what we do is on this wiki. To get an idea, you could have a look at:

• the agendas and minutes of our Board meetings
• our 2014 Annual Report
• our Articles of Association.

Timetable

• TBA, but not before 19 June 2015 - Director nominations open
• 8 July (midnight) - Director nominations close
• 25 July 2015 – AGM, which will take place in London after our Volunteer Strategy Gathering

We are not yet ready to receive formal applications/nominations, but if you would like to express an interest in joining the board or would like more information please email our Chair, Michael Maggs (Michael.maggswikimedia.org.uk). You are also very welcome to attend our some of the many Wikimedia UK events.