Wikimedia Foundation
San Francisco, CA · EIN 200049703 · FY2023 is the latest filing on record · pre-cached
Wikimedia Foundation's 49% compensation share isn't a red flag; it's a sign of investing in its mission.
Wikimedia Foundation reported total revenue of $180.2M and total expenses of $168.3M in its latest fiscal year, resulting in a 7% operating margin. Over 13 years, its average operating margin has been 22%. The organization holds 18.2 months of operating reserves, which is a 1.6 month increase since its earliest record.
Myth
A good charity spends very little on staff salaries.
Reality
Wikimedia Foundation allocates 49% of its spending to compensation, which is common for organizations that rely on skilled professionals to deliver their mission. This is in the 81th percentile among its peers, suggesting a significant investment in human capital.
Myth
A charity with a healthy operating margin is hoarding money.
Reality
Wikimedia Foundation's latest operating margin of 7% is modest, and its 18.2 months of operating reserves place it in the 41th percentile among Education organizations. This indicates a responsible approach to financial stability, not excessive accumulation.
Multi-year trend
Operating reserve months
Net assets ÷ monthly expenses — how long the org could run on savings alone.
Operating margin
(Revenue − expenses) ÷ revenue, per fiscal year.
How it compares to peers
Percentile rank among 73 Education organizations. Higher is framed as better on every bar here — including reserves and staff investment, which conventional overhead-ratio scoring would penalize.
Dashed line = peer median (50th percentile)
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