In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I just thanked Wikimedia Foundation for giving Wikipedia to me and the rest of the world.

Almost every day, I search some topic on-line. Often, the first search result I click on is Wikipedia. Usually I also move on to another page on the site, clicking on an embedded link to a related topic. And I always go to a footnoted primary source.  So it’s fair to say I’m a frequent Wikipedia user.

Today was the first time I’ve made a donation to Wikipedia’s sponsor, the Wikimedia Foundation. They asked me (via a thank you page) why I gave today. Smart question. One many fundraisers would be well advised to ask more often. Here’s what I said:

Please join me in supporting the amazing resource called Wikipedia. Click on the “Thanks, Wikipedia” button in the column to your right. And check out their strategic plan, too. It’s ambitious and makes me so hopeful for the state of our world. Knowledge is power, and Wikipedia makes me – and you – more powerful, more empowered, more capable of reaching my goals in life.

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