Donate by mail
Donate by mail
Thank you for considering a donation to the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit that keeps Wikipedia and its sister projects running smoothly and growing. Every gift helps sustain our mission to provide free, reliable, and accessible knowledge to people everywhere.
Our Mission
The Wikimedia Foundation is dedicated to creating a world where everyone can freely access the sum of all human knowledge.
- We believe that every person, everywhere, deserves the joy of learning and the power of information.
- This vision is made possible by millions of people who contribute to Wikipedia and its sister projects—whether by volunteering as editors or supporting our mission financially.
- Your gift today helps ensure that this invaluable resource remains free and accessible for all, bringing us closer to a world where knowledge knows no boundaries.
Why donate by mail?
We know that not everyone prefers to donate online. Whether for privacy, convenience, or personal preference, donating by mail is another way to support our mission. Every reader is a valued member of our community, and we want to make giving as easy as possible for those who prefer this method.
To donate by mail, please:
- Download and print the donation form or use the form and envelope you received at home.
- Fill out your information and include your check or money order. If you want to receive a tax receipt via email, please note your email address in the form.
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Mail to:
Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.
P.O. Box 98204
Washington, DC 20090-8204
USA
A few words from fellow donors
Thank you for filling my childhood with wonder and my adulthood with answers.
I hope to preserve that for the next generation of kids.
I continue to recognize the enormous value that Wikipedia and Wikimedia have, for all of humanity. I will say it many times, as a teacher I received magnificent help from Wikipedia, in mathematics, geography, history, physics, computing, general culture, and much, much more. I am very happy to have been able to support such an important organization.
Without Wikipedia I wouldn’t be the person I am now. After 63 years on this planet, Wikipedia made me fall in love with learning for the first time. I am now 70 and still studying, still learning, and still loving it. Who can put a price on that?
Your encyclopedia has had an immeasurable impact on millions worldwide and, even now at the age of 30, I can still recall relying on it during my early teenage years in high-school and later on throughout medical school. In a day and age where reliable knowledge is key to saving lives and allowing us to see past our own differences, your encyclopedia is an invaluable resource.
Frequently asked questions
If you cannot find an answer to your question, please contact us at donate@wikimedia.org and our team will get back to you promptly.
Why is Wikimedia using direct mail for fundraising?
Direct mail fundraising helps us support our mission by diversifying our funding sources. This ensures we can continue to provide free access to knowledge while maintaining our independence. In addition, direct mail is a low-cost, effective way for us to communicate outside of crowded email inboxes, providing a more personal touch and detailed updates on how donations are making a difference. It allows us to share deeper information about our programs and impact, so our community of supporters can better understand the full scope of our work.
Isn't direct mail wasteful and costly?
Direct mail is a cost-effective method for reaching our supporters. While there are upfront costs, the return on investment is typically strong, allowing us to allocate more resources to our core mission of spreading free knowledge. We also share concerns for any environmental impact – and that's why we're committed to using recycled materials in our direct mail campaigns. Additionally, we will continue to offer multiple ways for donors to engage with us digitally.
How often will I receive mail from Wikimedia?
We aim to balance keeping our supporters informed with respecting their preferences. Typically, you might receive a few mailings per year. However, you can always adjust your communication preferences by contacting our Donor Relations team at donate@wikimedia.org.
How long should it take my donation to process, and a receipt to be received?
It can take up to a week for your donation to reach us and then up to 2-3 more weeks for it to process and for you to receive a receipt if an email address was included with the donation. If we do not have an email address, you will receive a mailed receipt about a week after the donation is processed.
How is my data handled?
We put the highest importance on the privacy of our donors and the security of their data. We do not trade or sell donor information and work closely with secure payment providers who are fully PCI compliant to process donations.
Please know you will never receive a paper mail or email solicitations from any other organization as a result of donating to the Wikimedia Foundation.
For more information, please visit our donor privacy policy, which details how we use your information and your rights over that information.
How secure is my donation?
Our donation processor is fully PCI compliant. Once we process a credit card transaction, all credit card information is either purged entirely or the first 12 numbers of the card are redacted, so we hold the last 4 digits in our records. The paper forms returned by donors that detail card information are shredded as part of this process.
How do I opt out of postal mailings?
You can unsubscribe from postal mailings at any time by emailing donate@wikimedia.org. Alternatively, you can mark the opt-out box on the remit slip when you return it in the mail. We ask for your patience, as it may take some time for changes to be fully processed in our system. You might receive one more mailing in the interim due to production timelines.
How do I get a refund?
Please reach out to donate@wikimedia.org with your full name, mailing address, date and amount of the donation and our Donor Relations team will be happy to handle your request. Please note that due to the limitations of our payment processors and of our refund policy, we are unable to refund donations over 90 days old.