The LocalWiki project was founded by DavisWiki creators Mike Ivanov and Philip Neustrom[1] and is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization[2] based in San Francisco, California.

In 2004, Ivanov and Neustrom started DavisWiki, an experimental project to collect and share local information about the town of Davis, California, editable by anyone.

[8][9] After winning the grant to develop the software, they ran a Kickstarter project to raise $25,000 to help fund outreach,[10] which was successful.

[12] Its second focus community was the Triangle region of Durham, North Carolina, with initial contributions about transportation infrastructure and parks,[13] and a goal of compiling information about historic events.

[15] The LocalWiki project for Oakland, California is supported by volunteers meeting in person to collaborate on historical information.