Video transcript · 5 min · 635 words

Thank-you messages from French donors to Wikimedia editors: transcript

Alejandra, fundraiser for Wikimedia France, shares three donor messages of gratitude in a lightning talk at Wikimania 2025 in Nairobi. The messages thank editors for their quality work, for making knowledge free, and for its impact on people's lives.

Key points

Wikimedia France receives hundreds of thank-you messages from donors, and Alejandra began saving them in a book after joining in 2021.
Sabine thanked the many anonymous volunteers behind a platform she called a source of historical information about humanity.
Jean-Pierre sent a check because he enjoys reading and copying from the projects and felt contributing should not be a one-way street.
Giselle renewed her donation after her husband's death in January 2024 and thanked Wikimedia for help with her research.
Alejandra concluded that editors' work is admired for its quality, that everyone can contribute in their own way, and that it transcends generations.

Chapters

0:00Opening donor message of encouragement
0:40Sabine's message on anonymous volunteers
1:51Jean-Pierre's check and the value of contributing
2:58Giselle's message and lessons from the three letters
4:33Closing thanks to editors and the movement

Full transcript

0:00Alejandra, please come and share what they said. Slightly addicted to Wiki, here's my proof of encouragement for the next year. Come rain or snow, keep going. This message was sent by Alan, a French donor. At Wikimedia France, we receive hundreds of thank you messages from donors. You may not get to read them very often, but the work you do as Wikimedia editors is greatly appreciated around the world.

0:40Jambo. Hello everyone, my name is Alejandra and I'm the fundraiser for Wikimedia France. Today, I want to share with you three messages from French donors that thank you, the Wikimedia editors, in three different ways. The first message I want to share was written by Sabine. Thank you for all your hard work and to the many anonymous volunteers who contribute to this incredible platform, a source of historical information about our humanity.

1:17This message highlights the foundation of Wikimedia projects, the work of thousands of volunteers. It is the kind of message we receive the most often. Thank you for the truly remarkable work, the well-documented information, and all the quality work that goes into it and that you generously make available to us. I joined Wikimedia France in 2021, and I am often moved by these messages of gratitude from donors.

1:51Each letter tells a story of why they support the Wikimedia vision, how Wikimedia projects are part of their daily life, and above all, they thank you for all the work that goes into it and that they wish to see continue for many years to come. So I started saving these messages by pasting them into a book. This second message was sent by Jean-Pierre. Dear Sir or Madam, I am following up on our telephone conversation, and I would like to send you a check, as I have no other means of payment.

2:28I am one of your readers, and as such, since I enjoy reading your work and have the ability to copy and paste, it is not only normal, but essential for me to contribute to your magnificent work. It is also important for ordinary people to be able to reach you by phone, even for a moment to simply thank you. The internet should not become a barrier between people. It should bring us together in friendship and community.

2:58I deeply appreciate your willingness to share, but it should not be a one-way street. The magic of the Wikimedia movement is that everyone can contribute the way they like. Jean-Pierre reminds us the importance of participating as we can but tower the same goal. This third message was sent by Giselle. Friends of Wikipedia, Wikimedia, the check my husband Henry sent you a year ago was signed Henry and Giselle. My husband passed away in January 2024, Sorry, but I am also a Wikipedia user.

3:43I am renewing my donation and would like to thank you for the help you provide me in my research. This last message always gets me. Giselle shares the impact that Wikimedia projects have on a person's life. Donors also say, long live your website. Thank you for existing. I hope Wikipedia continues for a long time. You are very valuable to me. What these three messages teaches is that the work of editors is admired for its quality, that everyone can contribute in their own way to the goal of free knowledge, and that it transcends individuals and generations.

4:33Thank you to all the donors to Wikimedia friends and to the Wikimedia movement. And thank you, the editors, volunteers, staff, and partners that make it possible for the Wikimedia movement to thrive well into the future. My name is Alejandra. I present the thank you messages from French donors, and I wish you a very happy Wikimania. Asante sana.

Source and licence

Recording: File:Thank you, Wikimedia editors, from the French donors - Lightning Talk - Wikimania Day 3 - Nairobi.webm by Alejandra (2025-08-08), via Wikimedia Commons. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0. The transcript, summary and chapters on this page are shared under the same licence (CC BY-SA 4.0).

The transcript is machine speech-to-text by the TidyTools Audio & video transcriber; the summary, key points and chapters were written by Claude from that transcript. Both may contain errors: check the recording before quoting it.