Statistical analysis of Wikimedia Foundation financial reports

By Lionel Scheepmans

This page is a research providing English charts about Wikimedia foundation finance evolution from 2004 to 2017.

All data used for this analysis came from the Wikimedia foundation Web site page named "Financial reports pointing to all financial statements by fiscal year. Since 19 September 2018‎, informations moved to the new Wikimedia foundation Web site, same title of page.

Details sources for 2004 and 2005

2004 : Income - Outcome

2005 : Income - Outcome

Financial statement by fiscal year (June 30) from 2004 to 2016 (Audited by KPMG)

2004-2005-2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020.

Spreadsheets and graphs

Wikimedia Foundation's liabilities, assets, support, revenue and expenses evolution in US dollars

Wikimedia Foundation's liabilities, assets, support, revenue and expenses evolution in US dollars

Rubric	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Total liabilities and net assets	56,666	283,487	1,066,785	1,696,569	5,664,606	8,602,135	15,425,177	26,165,567	37,206,891	48,146,893	60,560,774	82,753,985	97,642,735	120,524,697	145,850,778	176,019,709	191,414,010
Total support and revenue	80,129	379,088	1,508,039	2,734,909	5,032,981	8,658,006	17,979,312	24,785,092	38,479,665	48,635,408	52,804,246	75,797,223	81,862,724	91,242,418	104,505,783	120,067,266	129,234,327
Total expenses	23,463	177,670	791,907	2,077,843	3,540,724	5,617,236	10,266,793	17,889,794	29,260,652	35,704,796	45,900,745	52,596,782	65,947,465	69,136,758	81,442,265	91,414,010	112,489,397

Wikimedia Foundation's liabilities/assets, support/revenue and expenses evolution chart

Wikimedia Foundation's allocation of expenses evolution in US dollars

Wikimedia Foundation's allocation of expenses evolution in US dollars

Rubric	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Programs / Projects	19,892	151,857	569,357	1,599,36	2,239,524	3,614,349	7,850,000	12,121,410	19,838,516	23,739,215	31,472,924	34,604,995	47,863,596	51,386,750	61,019,029	68,245,092	84,396,547
General and administrative	495	13,835	168,638	343,308	1,076,371	846,859	1,064,842	3,626,167	6,271,656	8,158,421	10,410,400	12,469,905	10,464,238	9,651,030	10,674,978	12,251,990	16,173,112
Fundraising	3,076	11,978	53,912	135,170	224,829	1,156,028	1,351,951	2,142,217	3,150,480	3,807,160	4,017,421	5,521,882	7,619,631	8,098,978	9,748,258	10,916,928	11,919,738
Total	23,463	177,670	791,907	2,077,84	3,540,724	5,617,236	10,266,793	17,889,794	29,260,652	35,704,796	45,900,745	52,596,782	65,947,465	69,136,758	81,442,265	91,414,010	112,489,397

Wikimedia Foundation's functional allocation of expenses graph

Wikimedia Foundation's expenses evolution by rubrics in US dollars

Wikimedia Foundation's expenses evolution by rubrics in US dollars

Rubric	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Salaries and wages	-	16,930	107,122	415,006	1,147,679	2,257,621	3,508,336	7,312,120	11,749,500	15,983,542	19,979,908	26,049,224	31,713,961	33,731,089	38,597,407	46,146,897	55,634,912
Awards and grants	-	-	-	-	-	-	208,662	471,060	2,106,752	2,791,378	5,704,791	4,522,689	11,354,612	11,214,959	13,555,339	12,653,284	22,893,806
Other operating expenses	495	18,067	47,777	310,334	952,019	1,259,161	3,846,420	5,761,273	9,198,892	10,017,121	3,861,708	4,449,764	4,777,203	6,307,987	7,033,513	9,005,744	10,047,127
Professional service expenses	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	7,117,519	7,645,105	6,033,172	6,972,048	7,059,832	8,998,261	11,670,125
Donations processing expenses	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	1,505,654	2,484,765	3,604,682	3,809,286	4,512,139	4,977,583	4,857,199
Depreciation and amortization	10641	41018	143,394	349,390	233,314	419,947	524,341	1,000,400	1,888,856	2,706,841	2,722,007	2,656,103	2,720,835	2,762,175	2,903,910	2,856,901	1,951,405
Travel and conferences	293	27798	76,545	264,361	307,679	223,193	476,663	1,159,200	1,533,150	1,395,013	1,965,854	2,289,489	2,296,592	1,954,772	2,389,279	2,867,774	2,309,068
Internet hosting	-	40,273	189,631	389,417	537,204	822,405	1,056,703	1,799,943	2,486,903	2,549,992	2,529,483	1,997,521	2,069,572	2,169,861	2,342,130	2,335,918	2,400,286
In-kind service expenses	8958	22,493	114,589	316,723	333,125	578,279	502,558	349,516	296,599	260,909	370,602	235,570	1,065,523	214,581	2,781,234	1,361,958	407,711
Special event expense, net (Wikimania)	-	-	-	-	-	-	70,407	36,282	-	-	143,219	266,552	311,313	-	267,482	209,690	317,758

Evolution of the Wikimedia Foundation's expenses by category and as a percentage of its total expenses

Years	Salaries and wages	Awards and grants	Other operating expenses	Professional service expenses	Donations processing expenses	Depreciation and amortization	Travel and conferences	Internet hosting	In-kind service expenses	Special event expense
2004			2 %			52 %	1 %	0 %	44 %
2005	1 %		12 %			27 %	18 %	27 %	15 %
2006	16 %		7 %			21 %	11 %	28 %	17 %
2007	24 %		18 %			2 %	15 %	22 %	18 %
2008	33 %		27 %			7 %	9 %	15 %	9 %
2009	41 %		23 %			8 %	4 %	15 %	10 %
2010	34 %	2 %	38 %			5 %	5 %	10 %	5 %	1 %
2011	42 %	0 %	33 %			6 %	7 %	10 %	2 %	0 %
2012	40 %	7 %	31 %			6 %	5 %	8 %	1 %
2013	45 %	8 %	28 %			8 %	4 %	7 %	1 %
2014	44 %	12 %	8 %	16 %	3 %	6 %	4 %	6 %	1 %	0 %
2015	50 %	9 %	8 %	15 %	5 %	5 %	4 %	4 %	0 %	1 %
2016	48 %	17 %	7 %	9 %	5 %	4 %	3 %	3 %	2 %	0 %
2017	49 %	16 %	9 %	10 %	6 %	4 %	3 %	3 %	0 %
2018	47 %	17 %	9 %	9 %	6 %	4 %	3 %	3 %	3 %	0 %
2019	51 %	14 %	10 %	10 %	5 %	3 %	3 %	3 %	1 %	0 %
2020	49 %	20 %	9 %	10 %	4 %	2 %	2 %	2 %	0 %	0 %

Evolution of the Wikimedia Foundation's expenses by category and as a percentage of its total expenses

Évolutions des dépenses de la Fondation Wikimédia par rubriques

Tab. 5.1 Évolutions des dépenses de la Fondation Wikimédia par rubriques

Années	Salaires et traitement	Prix et subventions	Frais de fonctionnement	Frais de service professionnels	Traitement des dons	Amortissement et dépréciations	Voyages et conférences	Hébergement Internet	Frais de service en nature	Évènements spéciaux
2004		-	495	-	-	10.641	293		8.958	-
2005	1.693	-	18.067	-	-	41.018	27.798	40.273	22.493	-
2006	107.122	-	47.777	-	-	143.394	76.545	189.631	114.589	-
2007	415.006	-	310.334	-	-	34.939	264.361	389.417	316.723	-
2008	1.147.679	-	952.019	-	-	233.314	307.679	537.204	333.125	-
2009	2.257.621	-	1.259.161	-	-	419.947	223.193	822.405	578.279	-
2010	3.508.336	208.662	3.846.420	-	-	524.341	476.663	1.056.703	502.558	70.407
2011	7.312.120	47.106	5.761.273	-	-	1.000.400	1.159.200	1.799.943	349.516	36.282
2012	11.749.500	2.106.752	9.198.892	-	-	1.888.856	1.533.150	2.486.903	296.599	-
2013	15.983.542	2.791.378	10.017.121	-	-	2.706.841	1.395.013	2.549.992	260.909	-
2014	19.979.908	5.704.791	3.861.708	7.117.519	1.505.654	2.722.007	1.965.854	2.529.483	370.602	143.219
2015	26.049.224	4.522.689	4.449.764	7.645.105	2.484.765	2.656.103	2.289.489	1.997.521	23.557	266.552
2016	31.713.961	11.354.612	4.777.203	6.033.172	3.604.682	2.720.835	2.296.592	2.069.572	1.065.523	311.313
2017	33.731.089	11.214.959	6.307.987	6.972.048	3.809.286	2.762.175	1.954.772	2.169.861	214.581	-
2018	38.597.407	13.555.339	7.033.513	7.059.832	4.512.139	2.903.910	2.389.279	2.342.130	2.781.234	267.482
2019	46.146.897	12.653.284	9.005.744	8.998.261	4.977.583	2.856.901	2.867.774	2.335.918	1.361.958	20.969
2020	55.634.912	22.893.806	10.047.127	11.670.125	4.857.199	1.951.405	2.309.068	2.400.286	407.711	317.758

alt=Graphique illustrant l'évolution des dépenses de la fondation par rubrique et en dollars américains|vignette|700x700px|Fig. 5.4. Graphique illustrant l'évolution des dépenses de la Fondation par rubrique et en dollars américains (source L.S. : https://w.wiki/3Y4u)[37]|centré

Rubric explanation

Awards and grants

The Foundation has a program of awarding grants to support chapters, affiliates, user groups, and individuals in projects that further the mission of the Foundation. Chapters are independent organizations that share the goals of the Foundation and support them within a specified geographical region. In addition to this work, which is reflected above in the awards and grants line, an overwhelming majority of the Foundation’s project activities are carried out by an international network of volunteers, whose activity is not reflected in the table above.

For example (unaudited):

Wikipedia and the other projects operated by the Foundation receive more than 15 billion page views per month, making them one of the most popular Web properties worldwide. Available in more than 290 languages, Wikipedia contains more than 51 million articles contributed by a global volunteer community. For the year ended June 30, 2017, the educational content of the Foundation’s largest project, Wikipedia, grew by approximately 4.8 million articles to approximately 45.4 million articles.

For the year ended June 30, 2017, volunteers added approximately 7.5 million images, movies, and sound files to the Foundation’s multimedia repository, making the total 40.6 million files.

Volunteers also contribute in several ways to the Foundation’s wiki software: volunteer software developers add new functionality to the code base, and volunteer language specialists add to the code base by translating the wiki interface into different languages. During the year ended June 30, 2017, there were 41,742 commits merged, through the efforts of approximately 403 authors/contributors

During the year ended June 30, 2016, the Foundation entered into an agreement with the Tides Foundation to establish the Wikimedia Endowment as a Collective Action Fund to act as a permanent safekeeping fund to generate income to ensure abase level of support for the Wikimedia projects in perpetuity. The Endowment is independent from the Foundation. The Foundation provided irrevocable grants in the amounts of $5 million on June 29, 2016 and $5 million on June 27, 2017 to the Tides Foundation for the purpose of the Wikimedia Endowment.

Other Operating Expenses

Other operating expenses primarily include facility expenses, funding of the Wikidata project, staff related expenses, insurance and personal property tax expenses, and other general administrative expenses.

In-kind service expences

In-kind service revenue and expenses recorded on the statements of activities consist of contributed legal services, engineering services, and internet hosting.

Special Event Expense

Special event expense, net includes costs for the annual Wikimania Conference, such as venue rental and catering services, net of sponsorship income and registration fees.

Salaries and wages, Internet hosting, Professional service expenses, Depreciation and amortization, Travel and conferences, Donation processing expenses

These rubrics are not explained on financial statements.

Other graphs about Wikimedia Foundation's finance available on Wikimedia Commons with some translations in French

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