# Wikipedia appeal raises $430,000 in one day

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2009/12/19/wikipedia-appeal-raises-430000-one-day/
- Published: 2009-12-19T19:42:25+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

An appeal on the Wikipedia website from founder Jimmy Wales has raised over $430,000
in less than 24 hours.

 

The personal message asked users of the site to donate to the Wikimedia Foundation,
the nonprofit organisation which operates the global community-generated encyclopedia
website.

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Thirteen thousand individuals donated in the following 24 hours, almost double the
previous highest figure for that period. The total is the largest sum that Wikimedia
has raised in a single day.

 

In the appeal, Wales pointed out that “for ten million US dollars a year and with
a staff of fewer than 35 people, [Wikimedia] runs the fifth most-read website in
the entire world”.

 

The appeal [encouraged donations](http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Support_Wikipedia2/en?utm_medium=Appeal&utm_campaign=&utm_source=2009_Jimmy_Appeal)
via credit card and Paypal.

 

Wikimedia runs an [annual fundraising campaign](http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Fundraising_2009/Website_Design)
to help secure the future and independence of the resource. This year’s appeal aims
to raise $7.5 million.

 

http://wikimediafoundation.org/wiki/Appeal/en?utm_source=2009_Jimmy_Appeal

 

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