Donate to the
Wikimedia Foundation
Wikipedia is the world’s largest encyclopedia — and it’s yours! Every donation helps keep Wikipedia free and open for people across the globe.
Ways to give
More ways to support our work
Give by mail
Because we know that not everyone prefers to donate online.
Donate via bank account
Find out how to donate via your bank account from anywhere in the world.
Donor-advised fund (DAF)
Unlock tax benefits by directing your donation via your Donor-Advised Fund (DAF).
Stock donation
Maximize your impact and benefit from tax savings.
Legacy gift
Make a difference for generations to come.
Individual Retirement Account (IRA)
Qualified Charitable Distributions from a tax-efficient eligible IRA.
CGA
Charitable Gift Annuities (CGAs) can offer steady income and philanthropic impact.
Workplace giving
Involve your employer and increase the impact of your donation
Endowment gift
Ensure free knowledge for future generations with a gift to the Wikimedia Endowment.
Visit the Wikipedia store
From apparel to home goods, stationery, and more—find the perfect item to show your support.
Donors from around the world support our work. You can find information on ways to give in additional languages here.
Already a donor?
Thank you for your generous support. It really makes a difference. For information on how to manage your recurring donation, please click below, or contact donate@wikimedia.org.
What your donation makes possible
Wikipedia is not funded through advertising, and we don’t sell your data for profit. Instead, we rely on donors — people who find value in the free knowledge and resources we provide. This means Wikipedia remains neutral, trusted, and free from commercial interests. Watch our video to learn more.
Where your donation goes
Accountability and transparency are core values at the Wikimedia Foundation. We manage funds and resources to ensure that every contribution supports our mission. We have earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid (formerly GuideStar), and Charity Navigator awarded us its highest rating. You can read our most recent annual report for more information about our financial health.
Nearly half of our budget goes toward supporting the technology that powers Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects. We are constantly working to enhance the user experience for both contributors and readers, improve site security, and ensure reliable access to our websites globally. This infrastructure and product support sustain one of the top ten most visited websites in the world, all at a fraction of the cost of popular for-profit websites.
The global reach of Wikimedia projects is made possible by the hard work of volunteers from across the globe. We provide grants, legal support, and other resources to help build vibrant volunteer communities. Additionally, we promote community engagement through outreach initiatives and advocate for the growth and protection of free knowledge.
Operational costs are essential for the smooth management and governance of the Wikimedia Foundation. These expenses help us recruit top talent and support staff around the world, empowering them to carry out the mission of the Wikimedia Foundation.
Donor support is crucial to sustaining Wikipedia and our other free knowledge endeavors. Our team is committed to efficient and effective fundraising throughout the year, ensuring that every contribution helps advance our mission.
Thank you
We appreciate each and every person who chooses to become a Wikimedia Foundation donor! You are the key to making this important work possible. Thank you. We also offer a special acknowledgement to our Benefactors — people who give $1,000 or more. We proudly list our Benefactors here.
Still have questions?
Please find answers to our most frequently asked questions below. If you’re unable to find what you are looking for there, you can browse our general FAQs, or get in touch using donate@wikimedia.org.
The Wikimedia Foundation has 501(c)(3) tax exempt status in the United States. Our tax-exempt status varies according to the laws of each country. Donations to the Wikimedia Foundation are likely not tax-deductible outside the USA. Please see our tax deductibility page for more details.
We are committed to protecting the privacy rights of our supporters and will never sell, trade, or rent your nonpublic personal information. Please see our Donor privacy policy for full details.
The Wikimedia Foundation donation pages are extremely secure and powered by GlobalSign. After clicking on a fundraising banner or following a donation link, the page you’re taken to is on a secured site (https); all information is encrypted and handled following the highest standard of data protection.
We would also like you to know that we neither process nor store credit card details or bank information. Instead, we work closely with third party payment processors affiliated with banks to process donations. Please also note that when you transfer to a partner site – if you are donating via Apple Pay, Google Pay, or PayPal, for example – we do not store your login credentials and the full donation process is done from your account on their secure site.
To update your donation amount, frequency or payment method, or to cancel, please contact our donor relations team at donate@wikimedia.org and include the following:
- The type of change you would like to make to your donation;
- The email address that was used when the donation was made;
- The full name used; and
- The amount and currency of the donation.
You will receive an email confirmation when the change is completed. Please do not include your credit card number or any other financial information when contacting us.
Don’t just take our word for it
Accountability and transparency are core values at the Wikimedia Foundation. We have earned the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid (Formerly Guidestar), and Charity Navigator has awarded us its highest rating of four stars.
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