This form reports on Wikimedia CH's results for 2024 (1 January - 31 December). Wikimedia CH has recently become financially independent and does not rely on an Annual Plan Grant (APG) from the Wikimedia Foundation. Therefore, this report provides an overview of the year without strictly adhering to the APG format.
Wikimedia CH is in the process of revising its complete impact logic, strategy and metrics with the help of the Value for Good programme and the Mercator Foundation through their Impact Academy. We will soon introduce a new system to more accurately measure our impact and output. The new metrics and the underlying evaluation methodology and strategy will be detailed in upcoming reports. We would be happy to explain our roadmap on this topic to interested parties.
Wikimedia CH Strategy 2022-2026
Wikimedia CH had a strong year in 2024 with new partnerships, a new community space and new programmatic strategies. We're advancing towards the goals set out in our five-year strategy despite significant changes within our team. Our focus on building a more inclusive future guided our work throughout the year as we strengthened our position as a key player in Switzerland's digital landscape and knowledge ecosystem. We continued to professionalise our operations while adapting to an evolving environment where topics like artificial intelligence and climate change increasingly impact our work.
The Wikimedia Movement is built upon the dedication and passion of volunteers who generously contribute their time and expertise across all our programmes. We extend our deepest gratitude to all volunteers who contributed to our mission in 2024. Our impact around advancing free knowledge in Switzerland and beyond wouldn't be possible without them.
Our programmes saw significant achievements across the board. We strengthened our GLAM partnerships, particularly with the Swiss National Library and KBCB, leading to new community spaces and collaborative events. In Education, we expanded our reach through initiatives like translating Wikeys and launching new student training programmes. Our Community programme developed its first-ever strategy while supporting numerous community-led workshops and edit-a-thons. Innovation continued exploring AI applications and advancing the WikiKlima project, while Public Affairs & Partnerships strengthened our advocacy work and expanded our outreach.
A highlight of the year was our successful Wikipedia Day and General Assembly in Bern, which brought together around 100 Wikipedians, association members and partners. The event, which focused on Wikipedia and AI, helped strengthen our role as a thought leader around the impact AI has on free knowledge.
The speakers panel with Jenny Ebermann at Wikipedia Day 2024Our team grew significantly in 2024— from 12 to 15 team members, totalling more than 13.5 full time employees. There were several new hires and shifts in responsibility throughout the year. These include welcoming a new Operational Team Lead and a new Education Lead, expanding our Innovation and GLAM teams, and restructuring our Community team to better serve Wikipedians and volunteers. These changes strengthened our operational, educational and technical capabilities while improving our ability to serve Wikipedians and volunteers.
At the board level, we saw changes in leadership as Matthias Nepfer – Head of Innovation and Information Management at the Swiss National Library and long-time Wikipedian – was chosen as the new Board President following Muriel Staub's departure. Meanwhile, Catherine Janssens became Vice-President, and Mauro Cassina continued the role of Treasurer.
Throughout 2024, we focused on organisational development, sustainability and impact. We revised our salary system, updated our Travel Policy with a stronger environmental focus and completed a Carbon Footprint Analysis that informed a new sustainability strategy. The "Value for Good" programme with the Mercator Foundation helped us to create an impact logic to better measure and ensure our impact, efficiency and return on investment.
We also strengthened internal collaboration and team dynamics through quarterly in-person staff meetings and an end-of-year gathering that included board members. These events helped reinforce our commitment to strong internal relationships that help multiply our impact.
Looking ahead, we will continue implementing our new Community strategy and Education plan while advancing Innovation projects, particularly around AI. We will deepen our partnerships and co-create more events with partners. The Mercator Foundation's "Value for Good" programme will help us further improve our impact measurement and efficiency.
We will also begin preparations for two significant milestones in 2026: Wikimedia CH's 20th anniversary and Wikipedia's 25th anniversary. Throughout these preparations and beyond, we remain committed to ensuring free access to unbiased knowledge as a cornerstone of democratic society.
Strategy at a glance
[edit]As Wikimedia CH, we:
The GLAM programme made significant strides in 2024, despite changes to the team and ways of working. A major achievement was creating a new community space at the Kunsthaus Biel Centre d'art Bienne (KBCB), which quickly became an active hub for workshops and collaborative events. This complemented ongoing partnerships with institutions like the Swiss National Library and the Swiss Archive of the Performing Arts (SAPA), the latter of which resulted in over 11,000 new images being added to Wikimedia Commons.
As the year progressed, the programme increasingly focused on archives and decolonisation projects, setting the stage for these to be key themes in 2025. This included work on archiving objects and 3D projects, as well as multiple decolonisation initiatives in collaboration with partners like Supsi and the National Museum Zurich. The programme also strengthened its international presence through successful campaigns like International Museum Day 2024, which brought together the International Council of Museums (ICOM), multiple Wikimedia chapters, and GLAM partners in a comprehensive series of contests, panel discussions, and educational video releases.
Highlight activity
[edit]New Community Space and GLAM Meetups
One of the significant achievements of 2024 was establishing a new community space at the Kunsthaus Biel Centre d'art Bienne (KBCB). The space quickly became a vibrant hub for collaborative knowledge-sharing through monthly GLAM meetings held on the last Friday of each month. These meetings bring together artists, Wikimedians, and cultural professionals to co-create and co-edit Wikipedia content, fostering a unique environment where artistic and digital cultures intersect.
Museo del sitio, Teotihuacán. Mask and original mould.A highlight of this meeting series was the ninth gathering on November 29, which focused on the theme of faces and masks. The event featured a presentation by curator and artist Ila Wingen, who studied in Paris and has expertise in facial representation in art. What made this meeting particularly special was its role in launching a new cooperation project with Nairobi, connecting Swiss GLAM initiatives with African art perspectives.
The event exemplified the potential of the KBCB space to facilitate multilingual and cross-cultural dialogue. Nearly 50 participants joined both in person and virtually, including Rose Musyoki from Nairobi (who writes for ArtNetwork Africa) and Ivonne Gonzalez, along with members of the French and German Wikipedia communities.
This successful collaboration sets the stage for future cross-cultural projects, with plans to present the results at the next Wikimania. The KBCB community space, secured through 2025, will continue to serve as a vital platform for such partnerships that bridge cultural gaps while expanding free knowledge on Wikimedia projects.
Key programme activities
[edit]Key accomplishments
[edit]In 2025, the GLAM Programme will continue to focus on museum transformation in alignment with ICOM’s new museum strategy, which focuses on civil society, sustainability, disruption and digitalisation. The ongoing wars, uncertainties and environmental disasters have highlighted the importance of heritage and open knowledge. Through a series of events and video releases, the GLAM programme will address the challenges for museums in the future, as well as new forms of archiving and creative knowledge bases. We will also continue our focus on decolonising collections and encouraging inclusive narratives. We aim to broaden the cultural network by reaching out to smaller GLAM institutions and artists' collectives for more diverse knowledge creation processes.
Programme Education
[edit] Wikimedia CH Education Strategy 2022-2026Programme Education saw important developments in early 2024 with the hiring of a new Programme Lead and the development of a three-year implementation plan aligned with our education strategy for 2022-2026.
The programme made significant strides in reaching future educators through new partnerships, such as the signing of the MoU with MIA21, as well as strengthened collaboration with various higher education institutions, such as training for lecturers and students at HEP Vaud and HEIG-VD. We also concentrated on making our educational tools more accessible across Switzerland's language regions and user groups, notably through a new development of Wikeys for children (junior version).
Highlight activity
[edit]Memorandum of Understanding with MIA21
One of Programme Education’s most significant achievements was signing a Memorandum of Understanding with MIA21, a collaborative project uniting twelve pedagogical universities and specialised agencies across German-speaking Switzerland. The partnership marks an important step forward in our mission to prepare teachers for working with media and computer science (Medien und Informatik) in their classrooms.
Lehrplan 21 LogoMIA21's objectives align perfectly with our goal of equipping teachers with the skills and resources they need to effectively implement the Lehrplan 21 curriculum in German-speaking Switzerland. The project develops subject-specific didactic materials and pedagogical frameworks that form the foundation for both initial teacher training and continuing education programmes.
The partnership was strengthened through our participation in Rigitagung 2024, a conference bringing together university staff and cantonal specialists in media and information technology. While currently focused on German-speaking Switzerland, the conference provided an invaluable platform for discussing the future of media and computer science education, with potential for expansion to other language regions.
By partnering with MIA21, we gain direct access to the institutions and individuals responsible for training future teachers, allowing us to support and promote digital literacy and free knowledge principles in Swiss schools. The partnership also creates opportunities to integrate Wikimedia projects into teacher training programmes, potentially reaching thousands of students through their future teachers.
The timing of this partnership is particularly valuable. As society undergoes rapid technological change, schools must adapt their curricula to prepare students for an increasingly digital world. Through this collaboration, we can help ensure that principles of free knowledge and digital literacy are embedded in teacher training from the start, creating a more sustainable approach to digital education in Switzerland.
The success of this initiative has already prompted discussions about expanding similar partnerships to other language regions, demonstrating how strategic collaborations can help us multiply our impact across the country.
Key programme activities
[edit] Participants of WIkipedia Day play WikeysKey accomplishments
[edit]In 2025, Programme Education will focus on implementing our Education Strategy 2022-2026, furthering our aim to become a reliable partner in education and digitalisation across Switzerland.
A key priority will be developing standardised training courses aligned with Lehrplan 21, ensuring our educational offerings are fully compatible with the Swiss education system. We will also expand and develop our educational tools portfolio, which will be supported by new infrastructure and enhanced features to improve user experience and accessibility.
Partnership development remains crucial, with special attention to the 10th anniversary edition of Media in Piazza. We will establish new criteria for educational grants and sponsorships, working closely with the other programmes to ensure alignment with our strategic goals.
The Community programme exists to support and empower the dedicated individuals who freely share their time and knowledge to advance Wikimedia projects. We are deeply grateful to all volunteers who contributed to our common mission in 2024, as their work is essential to everything covered in this report.
We made significant strides in 2024, focusing on strategic partnerships, community support and diversity initiatives that build and enhance our community and further our impact. The development of the first-ever Wikimedia CH Community strategy marked a significant milestone in early 2024. Implementation of this strategy will continue through 2026.
A major focus this year was supporting and empowering community-led initiatives through targeted project grants and workshops. The programme strengthened existing relationships while forging valuable new partnerships across Switzerland's language regions, emphasising sustainable community growth and engagement. Alongside these efforts, we strengthened our community infrastructure by updating policies and developing new mechanisms to understand and respond to community needs.
Highlight activity
[edit] A Wikipedia workshop about Women on Stage in partnership with SAPA for the Journées du MatrimoineBuilding Diverse Communities Through Strategic Partnerships
In 2024, Programme Community expanded its impact through strategic partnerships that helped reach new audiences and address content gaps on Wikimedia projects. These partnerships and events established in 2024 helped us attract new volunteers to the Wikimedia community.
A cornerstone achievement was our partnership with the Swiss Archives for the Performing Arts (SAPA), which led to three edit-a-thons across Switzerland's language regions, which in turn resulted in new partnerships with like-minded organisations and institutions:
We also established a new partnership with Hello 50:50 World, a movement to increase equality and diversity in the tech industry, as a result of our ongoing “For more visibility on Wikipedia” edit-a-thon series. The series’ focus on women in technology and "Bring a Friend" concept help attract new editors to Wikipedia and new volunteers to our community.
These partnerships have been key to encouraging new volunteers to join our movement while creating long-term relationships with organisations that share our commitment to free knowledge and diverse representation. We hope to strengthen these collaborations and create others in 2025.
Key programme activities
[edit] Women for Wikipedia edit-a-thon in MayFATart space in Schaffhausen
WMCH exposition at Wikicon 2024 in Germany
New Year's Brunch in Zurich
Children playing in the rice mill by Azimronnie, the winner of the 2024 Wiki Loves Folklore photo competition
Key accomplishments
[edit]In 2025, Programme Community will build upon successful partnerships while implementing our updated Community Strategy through four main directions: volunteer recruitment and empowerment, community health and retention, community management, and international coordination. We will use feedback from our Community Survey and Impact Academy participation to continuously improve our activities.
New partnerships are planned with organisations such as Benevol Schweiz and Professional Women of African Heritage (Prowah), while thematic networking will focus on diversity and sustainability through the Climate Alliance. The programme will also take on an important role in an international pilot project addressing hate speech, coordinating actions and increasing related resources.
Public Affairs & Partnerships
[edit] Wikimedia CH's efforts to promote free knowledge are possible thanks to volunteers, donors and partners.Wikimedia CH is uniquely positioned to advocate for issues important to our Movement. As Switzerland is home to the United Nations and other international organisations and non-profits, as well as the European headquarters for many corporations and start-ups, our potential for impact at a political and social level is significant.
In 2024, Partnerships & Outreach focused on expanding our impact through advocacy work and strengthening relationships with partners and institutions. The successful launch of our first Wikipedia Day in Bern marked a significant milestone, bringing together our community around the timely topic of artificial intelligence. This event kicked off a year-long exploration of AI's implications for free knowledge through various formats and channels. We also increased our policy work at both national and European levels while developing new approaches to engage partners and support our mission.
Included in our public affairs efforts are our communication and fundraising activities, which support all of our programmes. This year, we continued to strengthen our outreach tools and increase our communications activities.
Highlight activity
[edit]Wikipedia Day
The speakers panel at Wikipedia Day 2024Our first-ever Wikipedia Day, held on 27 April in Bern, brought together around 100 Wikipedians, partners and like-minded organisations to explore the intersection of Wikipedia and artificial intelligence. Under the theme "Wikipedia & Artificial Intelligence: The race for free knowledge", the event created a space for meaningful dialogue about one of the most pressing topics facing our Movement.
The day featured impulse talks, panel discussions and networking opportunities that allowed participants to explore how AI impacts Wiki platforms and what that means for the future of free knowledge. Notable speakers included Patrick Karpiczenko, Nadia Fischer and Anna Jobin, who shared insights on AI's potential benefits and risks. The event also incorporated our General Assembly and celebrated scientific photography with the Wiki Science Competition awards ceremony.
Wikipedia Day afternoon: Marketplace for networkingThe success of Wikipedia Day catalysed a year-long exploration of AI's impact on free knowledge through a series of articles and editorials on our website. These ranged from practical considerations to broader philosophical questions about AI's impact on democratic societies:
This sustained focus on AI throughout 2024 helped position Wikimedia CH as a thoughtful voice in discussions about technology and free knowledge while demonstrating our commitment to addressing challenging topics that affect our community and mission.
Key programme activities
[edit] Jenny Ebermann at the Parldigi and Wikimedia CH event in the Federal Palace, Bern, 3 JuneParticipants at the Parldigi and Wikimedia CH event in the Federal Palace, Bern, 3 June
Participants of the Women for Wikipedia edit-a-thon in May. The events series is one of the ways Wikimedia CH supports gender equality in our community and platforms.
Key accomplishments
[edit]In 2025, we will significantly expand our engagement at both national and international levels, leveraging Switzerland's unique position as a host to international organizations, nonprofits and corporate headquarters. We plan to work more closely with the Wikimedia Foundation and other chapters to multiply our voices and impact. We will continue our active involvement with Parldigi and Alliance Digitale, while deepening our commitment to European initiatives by increasing our support for Wikimedia EU and helping establish Wikifranca's presence in Geneva. We will strengthen existing collaborations, such as with VSA-AAS and SRF, while seeking new partnerships to increase our visibility and impact.
We will once again combine Wikipedia Day with our General Assembly, where we'll launch the development process for our next five-year strategy. We will also strengthen our advocacy work by participating in relevant meetings, conferences and forums where we can advance our mission and contribute to discussions about the future of free knowledge.
Experimentation & Innovation
[edit] Wikimedia CH's Innovation Strategy 2022-2025In 2024, the Innovation programme moved into its consolidation phase, focusing on establishing well-working processes and delivering concrete results. Our key priorities included releasing our first incubated and reviewed projects, defining partnerships within the Movement, and realising two master projects. As laid out in our roadmap, this year marked an important transition from organisational setup to active implementation, with emphasis on creating efficient processes that will support innovation across Wikimedia CH.
The programme continued to operate through its core frameworks: the Incubator for new ideas, the Pit-stop for reviewing existing solutions, the Factory for project support, and our tech community initiatives. These worked together to fulfil our mission of being a learning organisation that anticipates societal changes while supporting our core purpose through experimentation and exploration.
Highlight activity
[edit]Anticipating social changes
A key focus for Programme Innovation in 2024 was developing and supporting initiatives that anticipate, understand and address future societal and technological challenges through expert and community insights. Rather than attempting to predict the future in isolation, we actively seek input and foster dialogue to prepare Wikimedia CH for what’s to come. This approach focused heavily on how AI and other technological disruptors can impact and enhance our work.
Cité Unseen in actionIn 2024, we launched the Wikimedia CH AI Project. Working closely with the Wikimedia community and Wikimedia Foundation, this project aimed to understand community needs and identify areas where AI could enhance Wikimedia projects while promoting AI awareness. The project kicked off by establishing a preliminary scientific committee to guide the programme. Through meetings, working groups and interviews, the team developed a Research Direction document to guide research centres and technical partners in developing AI solutions in key areas. This strategic framework aims to address critical challenges within Wikimedia projects using AI to improve content quality, accessibility and fairness. The initiative demonstrates Wikimedia CH's commitment to thoughtfully incorporating emerging technologies while staying true to Movement values.
In 2024 we supported several projects using AI to improve Wikipedia:
Our work around AI and a changing society sets the stage for the Next20 project, which complements AI projects by addressing current technological changes. This initiative looks 20 years ahead, exploring how Wikimedia CH and the world might evolve. By organising events and engaging experts from various fields, Next20 investigates future societal and technological trends, helping us identify the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.
Key programme activities
[edit] The Wiki Science Competition Switzerland Awards CeremonyKey accomplishments
[edit]In 2025, Programme Innovation will focus on moving from planning to active implementation, prioritising impactful and resource-efficient projects. Key initiatives will include expanding the three successful Incubator projects around visual content, citation reliability and Wikidata optimisation. The Factory will advance several major projects including the Climate Observatory, Project AI's white paper on ethical AI integration, and Project Lingo's AI-driven approach to multilingualism. Through the new "Learn & Connect" initiative and expanded tech community events, we aim to foster stronger collaboration and skill-building across the Movement. These efforts align with our goal of positioning Wikimedia CH as a forward-thinking organisation that embraces technological innovation while maintaining our commitment to open knowledge and community engagement.
Looking ahead as a chapter
[edit] The winning image for the Astrology Category of the Wiki Science Photo Competition in Switzerland from photographer Giles LaurentLooking ahead, 2025 will build upon our growing recognition as a prominent partner and stakeholder in Switzerland's digital landscape. We will build on the foundation we’ve created over this strategic period to continue delivering high-quality programmes whilst tackling important contemporary challenges through several major initiatives.
The Impact Academy programme, providing 15 months of sponsored coaching, will help further strengthen our impact management capabilities. We are also embarking on a francophone pilot project with Wikimedia France, the Wikimedia Foundation and Wikifranca to address hate speech and harassment on Wiki projects. Following our carbon footprint analysis, we will develop a comprehensive sustainability strategy aligned with the Wikimedia Sustainability Covenant that will impact all programmes.
2025 will see preparations begin for two significant milestones in 2026: Wikimedia CH's 20th anniversary and Wikipedia's 25th anniversary. Plans include a roadshow highlighting the association's key achievements and various celebratory events. Throughout these activities, we will maintain our focus on ensuring and supporting free access to unbiased knowledge as a cornerstone of a democratic society.
Importantly, we will begin developing our next five-year strategic pathway. This process will incorporate learnings from our current strategic period while setting ambitious yet achievable goals for the future while remaining agile and flexible to be able to rapidly respond to new challenges, opportunities and threats. The strategy development will consider evolving challenges in the digital landscape, our growing role in Switzerland's knowledge ecosystem and Wikimedia CH’s role within the wider Wikimedia movement.
With strengthened impact measurement, enhanced sustainability practices and clear strategic direction, we will be well-positioned to further support free knowledge while safeguarding and promoting platforms like Wikipedia that advocate for open information.
Revenues received during this 12-month period[edit]Table 2 Please report all spending in the currency of your grant unless US$ is requested.
* Provide estimates in US Dollars
Spending during this 12-month period[edit]Table 3 Please report all spending in the currency of your grant unless US$ is requested.
* Provide estimates in US Dollars
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