Updates from the July 2026 Wikimedia Endowment Board Meeting

The Wikimedia Endowment held its bi-annual Board meeting on 17 July 2026. The Endowment Board meets twice per year to provide governance, strategic direction, and stewardship of the Wikimedia Endowment’s assets.

Welcoming Jordanna Polis Schutz to the Wikimedia Endowment Board

The Board appointed Jordanna Polis Schutz as a new At-Large Director. 

Jordanna Schutz is an early-stage investor, entrepreneur and technologist with experience across emerging technologies, science-based innovation, and enterprise software.  She has a lifelong passion for how we develop, share, validate and negotiate knowledge.

She manages Pactolus Ventures and Birchaven Group, serves on the Board of Starfall Education Foundation, and enjoys volunteering with a youth ultimate frisbee program. Prior to her work in venture capital, she founded the online payment company Lucidity Inc. and held roles in both the private sector and U.S. federal government focused on technology, analysis, informational integrity, and emerging threats.

Jordanna is a longtime donor to the Wikimedia Foundation and Wikimedia Endowment and brings extensive Board experience, deep knowledge of Wikipedia, and a strong commitment to the long-term future of free knowledge. Jordanna has been a dedicated supporter of education and initiatives that expand access to knowledge. We are grateful to welcome her experience and perspective to the Endowment Board as it continues its work to safeguard the future of free knowledge.

New Board and committee leadership

The Board appointed veteran Wikimedian Patricio Lorente as Chair of the Wikimedia Endowment Board.

Patricio has served on the Wikimedia Endowment Board since 2021, holding one of three Board seats reserved for members of the Wikimedia community, and serves on the Endowment’s Community & Grantmaking Committee. 

Patricio has more than two decades of experience across the Wikimedia movement. He joined Spanish Wikipedia as an editor in 2005 and has been an administrator since 2006. He is a founding member of Wikimedia Argentina and served as its President from 2007 to 2012 and from 2024 through the present. He has also served on the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees, including as Chair from 2015 to 2016. An academic and educator, Patricio has also held senior leadership roles at the National University of La Plata in Argentina. His deep experience across Wikimedia communities, governance, and education contributes an important community perspective to the strategy and long-term direction of the Endowment.

The Board also appointed new and returning leaders for its committees:

• Laura Duchâtelet, Chair of the Community & Grantmaking Committee
• Ike Kier, Chair of the Finance Committee
• Doron Weber, Chair of the Governance Committee
• Kevin Bonebrake, Chair of the Audit Committee

We are grateful to each of them for taking on these leadership responsibilities and for their continued service to the Endowment.

Annette Campbell-White has completed her term on the Wikimedia Endowment Board, where she most recently served as Chair. For the last 10 years as the Endowment’s second founding member, Annette has used her decades of experience in investment, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy to help guide the Endowment’s growth and governance.  While her Board term has concluded, she will continue contributing her expertise as a non-Board member of the Audit Committee, in accordance with the committee’s charter. We thank Annette for her leadership, generosity, and continued commitment to the long-term future of free knowledge.

Interim President of the Wikimedia Endowment

The Wikimedia Endowment Board of Directors has appointed Sheetal Puri as Interim President of the Wikimedia Endowment, effective August 7, 2026. 

Sheetal succeeds Lisa Seitz Gruwell, who concluded her tenure as President of the Endowment alongside her departure as Chief Advancement Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation after 15 years of service. We are grateful to Lisa for her leadership and support of the Endowment during an important period of growth.

Alongside her role with the Endowment, Sheetal serves as Interim Chief Advancement Officer of the Wikimedia Foundation, leading the Advancement Department and its work to support the Wikimedia community and develop the revenue and partnerships that sustain Wikipedia and its sister projects.

Sheetal brings nearly two decades of experience in nonprofit fundraising, marketing, communications, and organizational strategy, as well as deep experience at the Wikimedia Foundation. She joined the Foundation in 2022 to lead its global digital fundraising program and has helped strengthen recurring giving, expand donor engagement, and create new opportunities for readers around the world to support the long-term future of Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects.

Approval of the FY2026–27 Budget

The Board approved the Wikimedia Endowment’s FY2026–27 budget, consisting of $13.7 million in forecast net revenue and $6.8 million in forecast expenses. This represents a measured increase from FY2025-26, when the approved net revenue and forecast expenses were $12.3 million and $5.7 million respectively.

A key driver of the increase in spending is the Endowment’s support for Wikimedia projects. The Board plans to fund $4.3M for Wikimedia projects in FY 2026-27, compared to $3.5M in FY2025-26, an increase of approximately 23%.

Specifics about the Endowment’s finances and activities are available on the Wikimedia Endowment website via the Endowment’s Form 990s and summarized here on Diff after the conclusion of each fiscal year.

The approved budget supports the Endowment’s continued growth and long-term purpose: helping ensure that Wikipedia and the Wikimedia projects remain strong, independent, and available for generations to come.

$3.5 million disbursed to support Wikimedia projects 

As noted above, the Community & Grantmaking Committee recommended $3.5 million in funding for the following projects in FY2025-26, supporting technical innovation across Wikimedia projects and the broader free knowledge ecosystem: 

• Abstract Wikipedia 
• Wikimedia Commons 
• Kiwix 
• Improving our machine learning infrastructure 
• Improving Wikimedia’s infrastructure against scrapers 

About the Wikimedia Endowment

The Wikimedia Endowment is a U.S.-based 501(c)3 nonprofit charitable organization (Tax ID: 87-3024488) providing a permanent safekeeping fund that supports the long-term sustainability of Wikimedia projects, including Wikipedia. Established in 2016, the Endowment ensures that free knowledge remains available to everyone, everywhere, for generations to come. To learn more, please visit www.wikimediaendowment.org. 

The Wikimedia Endowment Board provides governance, strategic direction, and stewardship of the Endowment’s assets. Board members bring expertise across philanthropy, finance, governance, and community service, and help secure the future of the Wikimedia movement through fundraising leadership and fiduciary oversight. Wikimedia Endowment Board members are selected based on active involvement in philanthropic endeavors, prior nonprofit board experience, fundraising and investment expertise, and a strong commitment to the Wikimedia Foundation’s mission. The Wikimedia Endowment Board consists of Endowment donors and Wikimedia community members. All serve as volunteers.