RationalWiki:RationalWiki Foundation
The RationalWiki Foundation (RWF) owned and operated the RationalWiki.org website and operated the EvolutionWiki.org website before its integration into the former. The Foundation was a non-profit corporation under the laws of New Mexico and a tax-exempt public charity under Section 501(c)(3)[1] of the United States Internal Revenue Code (see Financial status).
The mission of the Foundation was to promote science, critical thinking, and rational discourse through open and collaborative media. The Foundation sought to develop and publicize free educational and collaborative content, create community-focused software, and to connect and advance the global community of rational thinkers.
The Foundation was run by a Board of Trustees made up of and elected annually by RationalWiki users. The main jobs of the Trustees were to hire the Operations Manager, monitor the financial state of the RationalWiki website, and to pursue and promote projects that furthered its mission. The structure and rules of the Foundation could be found in the by-laws.
However, the Foundation did not directly control the content of RationalWiki.org. For a deeper explanation of the Foundation and its management of the RationalWiki website please see our article on the Foundation's role.
Board of Trustees
The Board was charged with electing a Chair and Vice Chair from its own members. The Board also had to appoint an Operations Manager and Secretary, neither of whom needed to be a Trustee. The officers' duties, authority, and tenure were set out in the Foundation's by-laws.
By unanimous Board vote in November 2016, Trustees and the Operations Manager served 2-year terms. Trustees served staggered terms, such that about half were up for election each year. Prior to 2017, Trustees served 1 year terms.
Financial status
All donations made to the Foundation (a 501(c)(3) public charity) could be deducted from your federally taxable income to the extent permitted by law. Contact your financial consultant for more information. More information about the tax status was available here.
The 1023 application for official determination of public charity status could be viewed once it was filed.
The documents below outlined the financial status of the Foundation.
- RationalMedia Foundation 2019 990-N tax return
- RationalMedia Foundation 2018 990-N tax return
- RationalMedia Foundation 2017 990-N tax return
- RationalMedia Foundation 2016 990-N tax return
- RationalMedia Foundation 2015 990-N tax return
- RationalMedia Foundation 2014 990-N tax return
- RationalMedia Foundation 2014 April cash report
- RationalMedia Foundation 2014 March cash report
- RationalMedia Foundation 2013 990-N tax return
- RationalWiki Foundation 2012 990-N tax return
- RationalWiki Foundation 2011 990-N tax return
- RationalWiki Foundation 2011 Financial report
- RationalWiki Foundation Report on 2011 Q1 fundraiser
- RationalWiki Foundation 2010 990-N tax return
- RationalWiki Foundation 2010 Q4 budget
Meetings
The following was public information about the Board of Trustee meetings for the Foundation:
- 20 October 2024: minutes
- 15 December 2023: minutes
- 13 April 2014: agenda, minutes
- 6 July 2012: agenda, minutes
- 14 August 2011: agenda, minutes
- 3 April 2011: agenda, minutes
- 28 August 2010: agenda, minutes
- 24 July 2010: agenda, minutes