Reflecting on the 2026 Volunteer Supporters Network Hub Annual Meeting

The Volunteer Supporters Network (VSN) is a global community dedicated to supporting Wikimedia communities across the movement. Every year, this network comes together to exchange experiences, discuss challenges and strategies, and learn from one another. The VSN Annual Meeting 2026, held virtually from June 4–5, 2026, was the network’s first annual meeting since transitioning into Hub pilot. 

Hosted by the Igbo Wikimedians User Group, managed by Chinonso Chidi, and moderated by Lucy Iwuala, the multilingual event offered live interpretations in English, French, and Spanish, uniting over 150 registered participants.

From Network to Hub

The VSN has operated as a space for volunteer supporters to share knowledge since 2014. Becoming a hub represents an evolution toward a more structured, sustainable framework empowering Wikimedia communities at scale. The core objectives of this year’s meeting reflected this new scenario:

• To explore and share strategies that leverage emerging technologies to improve volunteer support and adapt to a changing environment.
• To highlight innovative practices and success stories in volunteer support, encouraging participants to adopt and adapt effective approaches in their communities.
• To strengthen connections and collaboration among individuals committed to volunteer support.
• To foster knowledge exchange and capacity building that empowers communities to better support and retain volunteers.

Key Sessions Recap

Day 1 – A Conversation about the VSN Hub Pilot: Governance, Services, and Challenges

The first day was a targeted, internal session for VSN members, liaisons, and the advisory committee to map out the future of the VSN Hub pilot, taking into consideration current challenges.

• Sara Thomas opened with a breakdown of the hub’s governance structure and services, followed by Justice Okai-Allotey, who outlined the role of the VSN advisory group.
• Robert Obiri shared insights as the new node coordinator, based in Ghana.
• Sailesh Patnaik from the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF) provided the broader institutional perspective on current and projected support for movement hubs.
• Vic Sfriso wrapped up the day by guiding the community through challenging debates regarding the VSN’s current membership criteria.

Day 2 – Cross-Movement Partnerships and Community Conversations 

Day 2 opened up to the wider movement, drawing over 100 participants to learn about Wikimedia initiatives worldwide:

• Rita Maliqi shared the mentorship programs and educational resources from the EduWiki Hub. 
• Cassie Cassares from the WMF Community Development team presented on localizing the Let’s Connect peer-to-peer learning program. 
• Benedict Udeh highlighted the impactful work being done through Wiki Mentor Africa.
• Feliani Ruth provided lessons learned from the first year of operations at Wikimedia ESEAP Hub.
• A VSN Community Roundtable: The meeting concluded with a roundtable featuring Martin Rulsch (Wikimedia Deutschland), Tania Solá (Wikimedia Mexico), Maju Planas (Wikimedia Argentina), and Robert Obiri (Wikimedia Ghana). They engaged in a conversation about global threats to our movement, specifically focusing on volunteer burnout, declining youth participation, language barriers, and artificial intelligence integration.

Key Results and Evaluation

After the meeting, we conducted a brief post-event survey to get participants’ feedback on topics such as the organization, moderation, and the topics discussed. Some figures are:

• 60% agreed that the meeting, to a great extent, helped them learn new strategies, tools, or approaches for supporting volunteers in a changing environment.
• 87% affirmed that the virtual format was effective for achieving the meeting’s objectives. 
• Over 73% recommended that the VSN prioritize volunteer retention and engagement. 67% maintain that partnerships and collaborations should continue. 47% suggested priority on training and capacity building, emerging technologies and AI for volunteer support. This input lays out a roadmap for where the VSN Hub will focus its energy moving forward.

As the VSN Hub moves from its Hub pilot stage forward, the lessons from the 2026 meeting serve as a reminder that the health of the Wikimedia movement relies on the strength, safety, and sustainability of the communities of volunteers and their supporters.