Why would you donate to wikipedia?

You're right, in a sense. There are dozens of charities out there, and if *everyone* donated $5 or £5 or whatever, they'd instantly have the funds to do major good.

However, not everyone donates to charity, and not everyone donates to particular charities. People presumably donate because they feel that the cause is worthwhile. It's been publicized that over 500,000 people have donated to Wikipedia during the latest fundraiser. Presumably, these people think that Wikipedia is worthwhile. If you don't feel it's worthwhile enough to justify giving up some of your hard-earned cash, so be it. As long as there's money for Wikipedia to run well, it doesn't matter too much whether anyone in particular donated. I myself prefer to donate my time (in editing and other support) rather than giving Wikimedia* money.

*(The Wikimedia Foundation is the charitable organization that keeps the servers running and runs outreach and stuff; that's what you donate to when you "donate to Wikipedia".)

You are correct in your suspicion that your donated pounds and pence would be better spent elsewhere. The Wikimedia Foundation ("WMF"), owner of the Wikipedia domains, may be a "charity" under US tax law, but it is not a charity in the usual meaning of that word. Also, the WMF is in better shape now than it has ever been with huge cash reserves in the millions (US $). This is despite the fact that the WMF's spending has exploded to over 2,400% of total expenditures just five years ago! Despite all the "urgent" begging and guilt-tripping, the WMF does NOT need your money, it simply wants it. As can be seen from its exponentially expanding fundraising targets of the last few years, the WMF could have more money than Bill Gates, but it would STILL want MORE! And remember, all of this is to support a website whose content is created AND administered by UNPAID VOLUNTEERS. Outside of the $2 million or so it takes to cover Wikipedia's yearly hosting and technical requirements, it really makes you wonder where all that money (current budget: $20.4 MILLION) is going, doesn't it?

All of that should be enough reason to place your donation in worthier hands, but for more, click on the second link below. Believe me, I am only scratching the surface here.

I'm not saying that if all the money that went to the WMF instead went into SA kettles that poverty would thereby be eliminated. However, that money would do worlds of good that the WMF is incapable of and does not intend.

If everyone donated £5 to any specific charity, yes there's a chance something good would happen but not before it made a lot of millionaires. Check it out, a lot of charities take more than 90% of donations for 'admin fees'. Dont believe me? Look up Cancer Research UK for one.

So no, throwing money at charities IMO is a terrible thing to donate to compared to donating to wikipedia. I'm sure a lot of people find wikipedia useful and hopefully enough donate to keep it running

basically they ask for donations because wikipedia doesn't really make a whole lot of profite due to the fact everything on the site is free so they ask for the donations because thats what keeps them up and running to be able to give people information on basically what ever they need for long. in other words the donations is basically what keeps wikipedia on the internet

Because your accountant is bugging you to get rid of some sum of money so it doesn't go to taxes (heaven forbid any fat cat's ill-gotten gains get spent on basic infrastructure) and you can't think of any other tax-exempt charity.

money is what makes the world go 'round dude. if they have no money, they cant do squat.

Who does? :D