Since 2007, the nonprofit Wikimedia Foundation has used banner ads to ask page visitors to donate money to support Wikipedia, the popular online encyclopedia it operates.
With page content written in 288 languages, Wikipedia is a resource to readers in countries around the world. Making sure each of those readers has the opportunity to donate using his or her preferred currency and platform is a priority for the foundation, says Lisa Gruwell, its chief revenue officer.
Different Appeals for Different Audiences
The foundation tailors requests for contributions in each language based on the parts of the world where it is spoken.
During the 2013-14 fiscal year, most money raised through online and other forms of fundraising came from North America ($31-million), followed by Europe ($15.4-million), Australia ($2-million), Asia ($1.5-million), South America ($180,000), and Africa ($82,000), as depicted by this map.
English-language pages display a fundraising message for three weeks each December, while pages in other languages display the campaign at different times, mostly to avoid inundating the foundation’s staff, according to Ms. Gruwell.
Although the timing varies, the messaging Wikipedia uses for each language is pretty similar, Ms. Gruwell says.
“It’s honestly not as different as you’d think,” she explains. “People tend to love it [Wikipedia] for very similar reasons. What’s different is the readership patterns: People in developing parts of the world are reading more on mobile.”
Ms. Gruwell estimates that 25 percent of online donations came via mobile devices in 2014, up from about 5 percent of donations in 2013.
A Variety of Payment Methods
Payment methods also differ from country to country.
“In the U.S., we’re pretty heavy credit-card users,” Ms. Gruwell says. “That’s not how people make purchases or donations around the world.”
To accommodate regional preferences, the foundation researched and adopted cards, e-wallets, and direct bank transfers that are popular in different countries.
The approach seems to work. Ms. Gruwell attributes a big uptick in donations from France in 2014 to Wikipedia’s move to allow French-page readers to donate via Carte Bleue, a debit card popular there.
In all, the foundation offers more than a dozen ways to give, the newest of which is bitcoin.
Go deeper: Learn how the foundation tests every appeal.
By The Numbers
Money raised by Wikipedia during the 2013-14 fiscal year:
North America: $31-million
Europe: $15.4-million
Australia: $2-million
Asia: $1.5-million
South America: $180,000
Africa: $82,000
Online fundraising total for the 2013-14 fiscal year: $37-million from more than 2.5 million donors
Portion of online gifts donated via mobile in 2013: 5 percent
Estimated portion of online gifts donated via mobile in 2014: 25 percent