Finances 2016

Revenue

After the final accounting, the amount of revenue in 2016 fell slightly to 5.2 million euros (by comparison: last year the amount was 5.4 million euros). While revenue from donors declined to 3.2 million euros (previous year: 3.5 million euros), there was an inheritance in the previous year of around 500,000 euros. Revenue from membership fees increased markedly to 1.6 million euros (previous year: 1.2 million euros), since the number of members as of December 31 rose to 35,758 (previous year: 24,107). The externally funded “Mapping OER” project ended last year. Therefore, the revenue line item “Other revenues” decreased by around 180,000 euros.

Expenditures

The amount of expenditures increased to 5.2 million euros (previous year: 4.9 million euros). There were increases both in personnel expenses of 3.1 million euros (previous year: 2.9 million euros), as well as in operating expenses of 2 million euros (previous year: 1.9 million euros). The use of funds is more precisely laid out in the summary “Use of funds”.

Unused donations/reserves

Wikimedia Deutschland applies the HFA 21 accounting standard. A special feature of this standard is that revenue from donations is only recognized in the profit and loss statement at the time of the donations’ disbursement. Therefore, the item “Unused donations” located on the liabilities side of the balance sheet is an important benchmark for assessing the financial condition of Wikimedia Deutschland. This amount increased to 4.3 million euros (the previous year: 4.2 million euros) and is available to the organization in the following year.

Use of funds

Wikimedia Deutschland applies the HFA 21 accounting standard. A special feature of this standard is that revenue from donations is only recognized in the profit and loss statement at the time of the donations’ disbursement. Therefore, the item “Unused donations” located on the liabilities side of the balance sheet is an important benchmark for assessing the financial condition of Wikimedia Deutschland. This amount increased to 4.3 million euros (the previous year: 4.2 million euros) and is available to the organization in the following year.

The non-profit Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft mbH (WMFG)

The organization has a 100% subsidiary, whose exclusive purpose it is to procure donations for forwarding to the organization and the Wikimedia Foundation (fundraising). Donation revenue declined this year to 10.4 million euros (previous year: 10.9 million euros). This is due to the fact that the fundraising this year with known donors was carried out by the organization and not the WMFG, so that these donations directly benefited the organization. The personnel and operating expenses decreased to 0.7 million euros (previous year: 1.1 million euros). This allowed 6.8 million euros (previous year: 7 million euros) to be forwarded to the Wikimedia Foundation in the US and 2.6 million euros (previous year: 3 million euros) to the organization in Germany. The distribution of funds is based on an agreement concluded between Wikimedia Deutschland and the Wikimedia Foundation.

Auditing

Wikimedia Deutschland voluntarily allows audits of its internal operations, allocation of donations, along with its assets, earnings, and financial position. The audit of Wikimedia Deutschland – Gesellschaft zur Förderung Freien Wissens e. V. and the non-profit Wikimedia Fördergesellschaft mbH was conducted by the KWP Revision GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft Berlin and carried out in December 2016 and February/March 2017. An unqualified audit certificate was issued. It confirmed that the accounting of Wikimedia Deutschland and its affiliated organizations was carried out completely and conscientiously and that the audit did not result in any objections.