The WikiCred Initiative is a project aimed at strengthening the credibility and reliability of information on the internet. The Initiative invites researchers, Wikimedians, credibility enthusiasts, and members of the open knowledge community to apply for grants to explore and prototype software, research projects, and event ideas. The initiative also hosts WikiCred Demo Hours, a monthly online meetup that brings together members of the Wikimedian community, open-data and open-knowledge enthusiasts, academics, journalists, researchers, and professionals from the online credibility space.

The WikiCred Initiative also offers microgrants ranging from $250 to $10,000 to individuals and teams for pilot projects on how to support credibility on the internet using Wikimedia, and from insights from the Wikimedia community. The initiative encourages experienced teams working in the open-knowledge movement and newcomers with fresh ideas to apply for these grants. The focus of the initiative is on inclusivity, supporting projects that have the potential to reach out and onboard new and diverse members to the Wikimedia movement, and efforts to support credibility and information trust in North America in languages spoken in North America, particularly Spanish.

The WikiCred Initiative funds projects that strengthen credibility on the internet. Some of the projects funded in 2022-2023 include the ‘Women’s Health on Wikipedia’ project, which aims to map and reduce knowledge gaps related to women’s health on Wikipedia, and the WiSCom project, which will generate and assess actionable metrics for source controversiality in Wikipedia. The Initiative supports software and research projects that improve the community’s understanding of how news is consumed and linked to credible information on open-knowledge platforms. The WikiCred Initiative is on a mission to connect causes to the people who care the most, thereby creating a sustainable future for quality journalism.