.gif)
Wikipedia, the most popular pool of online collective wisdom, on Wednesday received a two-million-dollar cash infusion from leading Internet search engine Google.
The non-profit Wikimedia Foundation that operates Wikipedia announced that it received the donation in its first grant from the Google Charitable Giving Fund of Tides Foundation.
"Wikipedia is one of the greatest triumphs of the Internet," Google co-founder Sergey Brin said in a release.
"This vast repository of community-generated content is an invaluable resource to anyone who is online."
Wikipedia is a communally created and edited online encyclopedia that has become a cherished spot for seekers of up-to-date information on nearly any subject imaginable.
The donation will be used to make Wikipedia easier to use and more accessible, according to Wikimedia.
"This is a wonderful gift, and we celebrate it as recognition of the long-term alignment and friendship between Google and Wikimedia," said Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales.
"Both organizations are committed to bringing high quality information to hundreds of millions of individuals every day, and to making the Internet better for everyone."
Google and Wikimedia have a history of working together, most recently on translating Wikipedia entries into more languages.
Wikimedia Foundation relies on donations and volunteer efforts. More than 240,000 people donated a combined total of approximately eight million dollars in a Wikimedia fund-raising drive that ended in January.
"With this generous grant, we will be able to fund additional operations and development work to increase access and contributions to our free knowledge projects globally," said Wikimedia executive director Sue Gardner.
