bassethound
05-01-12, 10:41
Wikipedia has finished its latest fundraising campaign after the non-profit website attracted $20m (£12.8m) from one million donors.
The fifth most popular website in the world has recently featured a series of testimonials in fundraising banners, urging people to donate money to keep the Wikimedia Foundation going.
Testimonials came from various editors who contribute to the online encyclopedia, along with a pledge from its founder Jimmy Wales.
While the disappearance of the fundraising banners will not disappoint most Wikipedia users, the campaign certainly did the trick, as around $20m has been raised.
Wikimedia Foundation executive director Sue Gardner said that the donations would be used to keep Wikipedia going for another 12 months.
"Over the past few months, more than one million people have come together from all over the world to keep Wikipedia and its sister sites alive and flourishing for another year," she said in a statement to donors on the Wikimedia website.
"Your support is how we pay our bills. People like you, giving five dollars, twenty dollars, a hundred dollars. Thank you for helping us."
Gardner added: "We're the #5 most-popular site in the world - we operate on a tiny fraction of the resources of any other top site. We will use your money carefully and well, I promise you.
"For everyone who helps pay for Wikipedia and all the Wikimedia projects, and for those who can't afford to help - thank you so much for making the world a better place."
In a message to MSNBC, Wikipedia said that the funds will particularly go towards technology, including servers, bandwidth and maintenance, as well as paying the wages of the around 100 people who work on the site.
Some of the money will also be used to fund the mobile Wikipedia service and other new projects.
Last month, Wikipedia launched a new initiative that will cover all aspects of life in the Welsh town of Monmouth, entitled Monmouthpedia.
The fifth most popular website in the world has recently featured a series of testimonials in fundraising banners, urging people to donate money to keep the Wikimedia Foundation going.
Testimonials came from various editors who contribute to the online encyclopedia, along with a pledge from its founder Jimmy Wales.
While the disappearance of the fundraising banners will not disappoint most Wikipedia users, the campaign certainly did the trick, as around $20m has been raised.
Wikimedia Foundation executive director Sue Gardner said that the donations would be used to keep Wikipedia going for another 12 months.
"Over the past few months, more than one million people have come together from all over the world to keep Wikipedia and its sister sites alive and flourishing for another year," she said in a statement to donors on the Wikimedia website.
"Your support is how we pay our bills. People like you, giving five dollars, twenty dollars, a hundred dollars. Thank you for helping us."
Gardner added: "We're the #5 most-popular site in the world - we operate on a tiny fraction of the resources of any other top site. We will use your money carefully and well, I promise you.
"For everyone who helps pay for Wikipedia and all the Wikimedia projects, and for those who can't afford to help - thank you so much for making the world a better place."
In a message to MSNBC, Wikipedia said that the funds will particularly go towards technology, including servers, bandwidth and maintenance, as well as paying the wages of the around 100 people who work on the site.
Some of the money will also be used to fund the mobile Wikipedia service and other new projects.
Last month, Wikipedia launched a new initiative that will cover all aspects of life in the Welsh town of Monmouth, entitled Monmouthpedia.