Wikimedia Foundation
San Francisco, CA · EIN 200049703 · FY2023 is the latest filing on record · pre-cached
Wikimedia Foundation's 49% compensation share is a sign of strength, not a red flag.
Wikimedia Foundation ended its latest fiscal year with a 7% operating margin, contributing to an average operating margin of 22% over 13 years. The organization holds 18.2 months of operating reserves, which is a 1.6 month increase since its earliest year on record. With 96% of its revenue coming from donations, its fundraising efficiency is notable, costing less than 1 cent per dollar contributed.
Myth
A high percentage of spending on compensation means less money for the mission.
Reality
Wikimedia Foundation spends 49% of its budget on compensation, yet it maintains healthy operating margins and strong reserves, suggesting effective use of its human capital to achieve its mission.
Myth
Charities should have very low operating reserves to maximize immediate impact.
Reality
Wikimedia Foundation's 18.2 months of operating reserves, placing it at the 41st percentile among its peers, demonstrates a responsible approach to financial stability, allowing for long-term planning and resilience.
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)
Ask about Wikimedia Foundation
Answers are grounded only in this org's filed financial data above -- it won't guess at their programs, leadership, or anything not shown on this page.