Wikimedia Foundation elections/2027/Proposed eligibility criteria

Following the 2025 elections, the Wikimedia Foundation Board of Trustees committed to reviewing the selection process of new Trustees, soliciting and receiving feedback and suggestions and proposing changes. The Board received extensive comments posted on Meta, which helped inform this approach.

The Board has discussed the following goals for reforms:

• Clarity and consistency of the electoral process
• Clarity of roles and responsibilities
• Transparent communications and timeline
• A slate of candidates who strengthen the board through the experience they bring
• Reduced need for shortlisting
• Strong voter participation

The Board is now ready to publish its draft eligibility requirements for feedback from the community. The requirements are more specific and detailed than in years past to both inform the community of what the Board needs and to create multiple pathways to the Board for Wikimedians. They are also presented as requirements for candidates, not desirable qualities.

The Board is also emphasizing the need for previous governance experience, including these key elements of experience:

• Understanding the role of oversight vs. governance vs. management
• Understanding Fiduciary Duties
• Understanding the "Group Dynamics" of a board or committee (and other collective decision-making bodies): working well with others to ask probing questions, voice different views and contribute to informed decisions for the good of the whole, not an individual agenda

Proposed eligibility criteria

The Board is now looking for specific feedback on the proposed eligibility criteria.

Minimum requirements

As of [Date of the applications opening], candidates must:

1. Be fluent in English
2. Be at least 18 years old
3. Have a Wikimedia account that is at least 4 years old
4. Be eligible to vote (2025 voter eligibility criteria for reference)
5. Have not been removed for cause or departed after inappropriate conduct as a staff or Board member of the Wikimedia Foundation, Wikimedia Endowment, or other Wikimedia affiliates
6. Fulfill at least one of the categories of governance or community experience
7. Complete the WikiLearn WMF Board of Trustees Candidate Pre-Onboarding module before publishing their application

Categories of Governance or Community Experience

There are several categories of community or governance experience that demonstrate knowledge of the Wikimedia projects and trust in one's ability to effectively work with other Wikimedia volunteers.

Candidates must fulfill at least one of the following criteria by having a total of at least 2 years of experience within the last 6 years, as of the [Date of the applications opening]:

1. Served as a member of the Board of the Wikimedia Foundation or Wikimedia Endowment
2. Served as a member of the governing board of an organization at least 10% of the size of the Wikimedia Foundation (by annual budget or staff count)
3. Served in one of the following positions on a Wikimedia project:
   1. A member of one of the Arbitration Committees
   2. Global Sysop
   3. Steward
   4. Bureaucrat
   5. CheckUser
   6. Oversighter
4. Served in one of the following governance positions for a Wikimedia affiliate registered as a legal entity and employing full-time staff, that is in good standing (in compliance with grant and reporting guidelines and without any unresolved proceedings with the Affiliations Committee during the candidate's tenure):
   1. Chairperson
   2. A member of a Wikimedia affiliate's governing body for two consecutive terms
   3. A member of the governing body of a recognized regional or thematic hub for two consecutive terms
5. Served in one of the following Wikimedia committee positions:
   1. An advisor to one of the Wikimedia Foundation Board Committees (Currently: Executive, Audit, Governance, and Product & Technology) or the Wikimedia Endowment Board Committees (Currently: Finance, Community & Grantmaking, Audit, and Governance)
   2. A member of the Elections Committee (EC), given that at least 18 months have elapsed since the end of their term (per the EC charter)
   3. A member of one of the Wikimedia Movement committees (Currently: Language Committee, Product & Technology Advisory Council, the Global Resource Distribution Committee, Affiliations Committee, and Universal Code of Conduct Coordinating Committee)
   4. A member of the Wikimedia Foundation Grant Committees (Regional, Conference, Research Funds)

We welcome people's interest in becoming members of the Board of Trustees. We encourage those who do not meet the criteria to express their interest, consider leadership training and ways to gain relevant experience in order to be eligible in the future.

Questions

Eligibility Criteria

• Are the proposed eligibility criteria clear?
• Are there other criteria the Board should consider? Are there things the proposed criteria have missed?
• The Board welcomes thoughts on the types and length of governance experience and how candidates can show demonstrated experience.
• The Board is still discussing who will enforce eligibility criteria. This could be done by the Elections Committee (whose charter and scope would be appropriately amended) or the members of the Board. Please share your thoughts on who should enforce the requirements.

Candidate Filtering

The Board received feedback about a "filter" to reduce the need to shortlist the candidates. Shortlisting is the process of narrowing the list of eligible candidates to a more manageable number of highly qualified candidates so as not to overwhelm the ballot. Shortlisting has previously been deployed when the number of eligible candidates passes a particular threshold (the threshold varies based on the number of seats available in a particular election). The proposed eligibility requirements could act as a filter.

• Is there an ideal number of candidates for voters to review? With four open seats in 2027 and two open seats in 2028, at what point is filtering or shortlisting needed?
• What is a good way to "filter" (or shortlist) the candidates without having to run two separate community votes?
• Should the process continue to include shortlisting done by the Affiliates? If not the Affiliates, then who?

Vetting

Before the 2025 selection process, candidate vetting happened after the community vote. In 2025, the Board moved candidate vetting to before the community vote. We will continue vetting candidates early in the election process, including the 2027 process and beyond. Once the candidates have been verified to be eligible by the Elections Committee, the vetting by the Board will take place. Candidates will be informed privately first, and then the final list of candidates will be published. Later, the vote will open so that voters know that the candidates on the ballot are eligible to be appointed by the Board.

The vetting process will continue to include the requirement to complete a background check, a media check, and at least one interview with members of the Board Governance Committee. During the vetting process, the Board is affirming with candidates that they understand the role of the Board, have the necessary skills to be an effective Trustee, and are able to uphold the legal, fiduciary and confidentiality responsibilities of the Board.

The Board has also received feedback – and acknowledges – that it is important to have clarity and consistency in the election process once it has begun. This is important so that candidates and voters know what to expect. As part of this, the Board will communicate to all candidates what is included in a background and media check. Publicly available material, like the Wikimedia Foundation Board Handbook and Meta pages, will also be updated accordingly.