Wikimedia Foundation

The Wikimedia Foundation is like a super helpful friend for Wikipedia, the giant online encyclopedia you might use for school projects. It's a special kind of company called a nonprofit, which means it's not trying to make tons of money. Instead, its main job is to make sure Wikipedia and its sister websites are available for everyone to use and learn from.

Think of it as the behind-the-scenes helper that keeps the lights on and the computers running for this amazing collection of knowledge.

A long, long time ago, in 2003, a man named Jimmy Wales started the Wikimedia Foundation. Before that, Wikipedia was part of his other company, but he wanted a way to keep it free and open for everyone. So, he created this nonprofit to take care of it.

It all began in Florida, but now it's based in a big city called San Francisco. It’s like planting a tiny seed that grew into a giant, helpful tree of information!

The Wikimedia Foundation is super important because it helps share knowledge with the whole planet! It doesn't write the articles itself, though. That’s done by amazing volunteers who love to share what they know.

The foundation provides the tools and the place for these volunteers to share their stories and facts. It’s like a playground where everyone can build amazing things with words and pictures, and the foundation makes sure the playground is safe and open for all.

Have you ever seen a little banner on Wikipedia asking for donations? That's how the Wikimedia Foundation gets most of its money! Millions of people who use Wikipedia and love it give small amounts of money, like buying a small toy.

Sometimes, bigger companies or groups also give money. This helps pay for the computers, the staff who help run things, and all the technology needed to keep Wikipedia and its friends working smoothly for you and everyone else.