Fundraising

Page for fundraising resources.


 * course development
 * sponsoring schools
 * in-kind support
 * cash
 * (online) auctions
 * grant proposals
 * sponsorship
 * wiki parties
 * Guide to Community and Research-Based Organizations
 * Online Outreach Tools Guide, Cause Communications
 * Fundraising Flamingos

What is the legal entity for fundraising?
the OER Foundation is the legal entity for our fund raising. We are registered as a non-profit company for charitable education purposes in New Zealand. The WikiEducator domains belong to the OER Foundation and we have the responsibility for raising funds for the support of WikiEducator's global mission.

Do you use Paypal for donations?
Yes.

Our online donations will be processed through PayPal (very similar to the Wikimedia Foundation who oversee Wikipedia.) We are not registered with Justgiving.com -- largely because their administration fees are a tad higher than we will get with PayPal.

How shall I campaign, for sponsorships?
I would recommend a focused campaign -- for example, a gift of knowledge for teachers in sub-Saharan Africa to share knowledge freely. WikiEducator runs the world's largest training initiative in helping teachers develop the ICT skills to share their knowledge as free teaching materials. Thinking out loud -- it may be better to have a more focused campaign, where for example we target support for Open Education in a particular country. This way we will be able to facilitate "personal" connections between the donors and the schools and teachers they are helping through your efforts. However this is your choice, and we will be guided by your preferences.

How can I track progress?
You can track your project dynamically on the wiki -- with daily progress reports and build connections between the schools/teachers we are helping, those donating money, and you who is doing all the hard work. Internationally -- we generate a significant among of web traffic and your project will be a huge inspiration to others who would like to raise money for free education in the developing world.

Who can I speak to for more information

 * Randy Fisher and Wayne Mackintosh are available to share thoughts and ideas on how you would like us to put your amazing gift to good use in education.

What is the commitment to education?
Our driving force is a deep seated commitment to the core values of education of sharing knowledge freely and the fundamental rights of educators to participate in this endeavour without the need to purchase software licenses to participate.

How do I refer to copyright in the wiki?
CC-BY-SA is the default license in WE, but content can also be released in WE that doesn't have either the SA or BY restrictions. CC-BY is one possibility, as is a CC0 waiver, as is a public domain dedication, which means entirely free.

When starting a new page, one can add the Public Domain Template (below) template to it if that page is to remain in the public domain. Obviously, one couldn't do this to pages where others had already worked on them.

When was the Open Education Foundation established?
As of 1 July 2009, WE is funded by the OER Foundation -- and independant non-profit entity.

Where is it physically located?
It is co-located with Otago Polytechnic, in New Zealand, a world leader in Open Education.

What does the OER Foundation do?
Also known as the International Centre for Open Education, the OER Foundation supports worthy open education projects such as WikiEducator and WikiResearcher. It pays for the hosting of servers, our two full-time staff members and consultants, for example the lead facilitators who assist with our free training workshops. For example, under the Commonwealth of Learning, it would not have been possible to install a localisation for Japanese.

Where are its funding sources?
The OER Foundation receives funding from:


 * The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
 * A financial contribution from the Commonwealth of Learning towards the hosting costs of the WE servers
 * Donations -- (i.e., Canada's Athabasca Universityis hosting our servers.)
 * Contract work, for example the New Zealand Ministry of Education OERNZ projectto build a national commons in support for reusable and portable content for NZ Schools.


 * Membership contributions from tertiary education institutions
 * Corporate sponsorships (globally, and in-country)
 * Government contributions
 * Individual campaigns, sponsorships and wiki-parties
 * Individual contributions, including bequests and estate planning

OER Foundation FAQs

 * OER Foundation Frequently-Asked Questions

Links & Resources

 * Community Project Resources, Community Empowerment
 * OER Foundation