When it comes to money, “we are about as unsophisticated as we could possibly be,” says Sue Gardner, executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation, operator of the popular almanac website. From left: Brion Vibber, Veronique Kessler, Cheryl Owens, Mike Godwin, Erik Moller, Gardner, Cary Bass and Erica Ortega gather in the nonprofit’s new San Francisco headquarters. (Robert Durell / Los Angeles Times)
The Wikimedia Foundation recently moved its offices from St. Petersburg, Fla., to San Francisco. Selling ad space on its Wikipedia website would be “threatening to Wikipedia’s neutrality,” a contributor said. (Robert Durell / Los Angeles Times)
Office manager Erica Ortega works in Wikimedia’s spartan offices, 3,000 square feet of rented space furnished with inexpensive desks and chairs bought from EBay and Craigslist. (Robert Durell / Los Angeles Times)
Cary Bass, volunteer coordinator, at his desk in the San Francisco headquarters. Wikipedia, the “encyclopedia anyone can edit,” is run largely by volunteers. (Robert Durell / Los Angeles Times)
