Communication as Community Infrastructure: Growing a Wikimedia community from 25 to 100 members in two years
🎥 Session recording: [https://youtu.be/PnHW-dpyOGo?t=17732](https://youtu.be/PnHW-dpyOGo?t=17732)
Communication is often understood as a support function, a way to disseminate information, promote activities, or increase visibility. This workshop proposes a shift in focus: understanding communication as the infrastructure that sustains community.
Drawing on our experience at Wikimedia Chile, we will show how a strategic change in communication practices contributed to growing our base of volunteers from 25 to 100 people over a two-year period. Rather than focusing solely on campaigns and visibility, this process centered on communication as a tool for building a sense of belonging, trust and commitment.
We will explore elements such as the role of narratives, tone, channels, and active listening, and how these choices helped us grow as a community. The workshop will also address the challenges that can accompany rapid community growth, including expectations, boundaries, retention, and other key lessons learned along the way.
Beyond presenting results, this workshop aims to share replicable lessons and strategies for other Wikimedia groups in their own efforts: how to move from dissemination to community strengthening, how to turn complex ideas into simple narratives, and how to design communication strategies that actively support community well-being.
