Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees Election Toolkit

Are you thinking of running for a community seat on the Wikimedia Board this year? 

Would you like to learn more about the skills relevant for this position?

The 2021 Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees elections: Call for Candidates opened on June 9, 2021. This call is open to all community members interested in applying for candidacy. 

Earlier this year, the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees (BoT) held a call for feedback about the community-held seats. These conversations highlighted a need for learning resources that focused on building critical skills to be an effective board trustee. With support of the BoT, the Wikimedia Foundation developed the Board Candidate Toolkit. This toolkit is a recommended starting point for anyone interested in running for a trustee position. 

What is the Board Candidate Toolkit? 

The purpose of this toolkit is to support community members as they prepare for their Board of Trustee candidacy. The toolkit is a collection of materials that highlight some of the best practices and critical skills needed when working on a not-for-profit board. It includes a variety of reflection questions, podcasts, videos, and articles from around the world. 

The materials are organized based on the questions a board candidate may have, and include:

• What is the purpose and function of the Board of Trustees?
• What does the role of a trustee involve and not involve?
• What critical skills are relevant to the role?

Please find the Board Candidate Toolkit on Meta:  Wikimedia Foundation elections/Candidate Resources – Meta

What now?

This resource is a living document and it will evolve and expand as it responds to the changing needs of the community. We encourage your additions to this resource and look forward to your feedback at any time. Please email comdevteam@wikimedia.org, comment on the toolkit talk page, or fill out the feedback form.