diversity

I think WikiProjects as they currently exist are daunting to outsiders. What currently exists is not what I'm talking about, and maybe I shouldn't have used the word "WikiProject."

Nothing is daunting when you already know someone on the inside who says "This is our clubhouse. Here's the secret knock." And I think that's the beauty of WikiProjects doing outreach. You bring someone right in and surround them with warmth and Wikilove. Right now your new editors walk into a somewhat sterile environment where they don't know anyone. Of course coming into Wikipedia and immediately being confronted with WikiProject Assessment tables and to-do lists would put any new editor off, but put together right, a group of Wikipedians with expertise in a particular area tasked with outreach to non-Wikipedians with interest/expertise in that same area would do really well. You could actually run it in parallel with an existing WikiProject (in the current sense of the term). Call the outreach side a WikiClub (or something). WikiClub Quilting brings in quilters, gets them interested and acclimated, then when they are ready, they can cross the threshold into WikiProject Quilting and do the more advanced stuff, but they're always welcome to hang out at WikiClub Quilting and help the new folks, or talk with the old ones who are doing outreach.

Regarding approval, respectfully, Sue, how would you know whether Wikimedians are more motivated by approval/thanks from each other, rather than by approval/thanks from the Wikimedia Foundation? You're on the inside. I'm out here with everyone, and I can tell you that the Foundation is seen by many editors as a ghost-like entity whose presence is felt, but who is rarely seen. We interact with admins, not Foundation staff (which is how it should be, but creates a feeling like seeing a Foundation employee is like seeing a supernatural creature, or bigfoot). Whether WMF likes it or not, there is a perception of hierarchy, and above admin, bureaucrats, and stewards, there are WMF staff. None of which I had ever interacted with (to my knowledge) before engaging in discussion here.

I think you'd prefer Wikimedians to be more motivated by approval/thanks from each other than from the Wikimedia Foundation. As a CEO myself, so would I if I was in your position; its less WMF resource intensive. But I can tell you that whether they would admit this or not, any Wikimedian given a special citation only awarded by the Foundation, for work that was of special significance to the Foundation, would likely be more proud of that award than any other they received. I'm not saying you should have staff start photoshopping awards...just be aware that a WMF Award would be a powerful motivator, if the time comes for WMF to mobilize the troops for something.