The Foundation Center

“Form 990, part iii, line 1 the foundation center's mission is to strengthen the social sector by advancing knowledge about philanthropy in the u.s. And around the world. The center accomplishes its mission by: - operating library/learning centers in five locations - new york city; washington, dc; atlanta; cleveland; and san francisco - that offer free access to information resources and educational programs. - maintaining unique databases of information on more than 140,000 foundations, corporate donors, and grantmaking public charities worldwide and over 4.1 million of their recent grants. Its foundation directory online subscription service is the most popular means for searching these databases. - providing a content-rich web site with a variety of free search tools, tutorials, downloadable reports, and other information updated daily, including philanthropy news digest, its daily news service, and pubhub, its searchable online collection of thousands of reports published by foundations and nonprofit organizations. - conducting research and publishing reports on the growth of the foundation field and on trends in foundation support of the nonprofit sector. - publishing books ranging from basic primers on fundraising and nonprofit management to comprehensive reference works. - coordinating a network of funding information centers nationwide and around the world - more than 460 funding information network (fin) partners that offer free local access to core center resources and training. Established in 1956, the foundation center is the leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide. Through data, analysis, and training, it connects people who want to change the world to the resources they need to succeed. The center maintains the most comprehensive database on u.s. And, increasingly, global grantmakers and their grants - a robust, accessible knowledge bank for the sector. It also operates research, education, and training programs designed to advance knowledge of philanthropy at every level. Thousands of people visit the center's web site each day and are served in its five regional library/learning centers and its network of more than 460 fin partners located in public libraries, community foundations, and educational institutions nationwide and around the world.”

“FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4A DATA COLLECTION AND PUBLICATIONS (EXPENSES $9,130,664 AND REVENUE $11,486,940) THE CENTER MAINTAINS UNIQUE DATABASES OF INFORMATION ON MORE THAN 140,000 FOUNDATIONS, CORPORATE DONORS, AND GRANTMAKING PUBLIC CHARITIES WORLDWIDE AND OVER 4.1 MILLION OF THEIR RECENT GRANTS. ITS FOUNDATION DIRECTORY ONLINE SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE IS THE MOST POPULAR MEANS FOR SEARCHING THESE DATABASES. THIS SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE IS MADE AVAILABLE FOR FREE USE IN OVER 460 LOCATIONS NATIONWIDE AND AROUND THE WORLD. THE CENTER ALSO PUBLISHES BOOKS RANGING FROM BASIC PRIMERS ON FUNDRAISING AND NONPROFIT MANAGEMENT TO COMPREHENSIVE REFERENCE WORKS. OTHER MAJOR DATA COLLECTION AND PUBLICATIONS PROGRAM ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN 2015 INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: INTERNATIONAL DATA ------------------ Strengthening existing partnerships has been integral to the Foundation Center's success in building a systematic base of knowledge on global philanthropy. Together with Donors and Foundations Network in Europe (DAFNE), the Center is working with select national associations of European countries to help systematize the types of member data they collect. It's partnership with Worldwide Initiative for Grantmaker Support (WINGS) to create a global data standard for philanthropy that will improve data collection worldwide is ongoing. The Center has been successful in importing more non-US foundation and grant records through partnerships with organizations including the Charity Commission of England and Wales, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator, Maecenata Institute in Berlin, the China Foundation Center, ASAN Institute for Policy Studies, Assifero (Associazione Italiana Fondazioni ed Enti di Erogazione) the Italian association of foundations, Donor Directory in Bermuda , Colombia AFE (Associacion de Fundaciones Empresariales), the Canadian Revenue Agency, New Zealand Charities Register, Alternativas y Capacidades, and ITAM (Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico). The Center's database now includes philanthropic data from 129 countries and territories, and recipient data from 213 recipient countries and territories, and it continues to seek potential new partners. These efforts to improve efficiency and accuracy by working with partners are proving effective. This gives the Center a better understanding of how organizations in various regions classify themselves and enables it to promote transparency, knowledge sharing, and impact in the sector. Foundation Center staff is also compiling information on foundation activity in relation to the 2015 sustainable development goals, ongoing water and sanitation donor data as well as human rights data. In total, the Center's database now contains: - Information on more than 220,000 grants from non-U.S. funders, - And 31,582 new non-U.S. grantmaker profiles. DATA PROCESSING AND TAXONOMY ---------------------------- In July 2015, Foundation Center successfully launched its new grants taxonomy, the Philanthropy Classification System (PCS), in its databases and subscription products, including Foundation Directory Online and Foundation Maps. This required re-coding the data related to 140,000 organizations and over 4,000,000 grants. Users can explore the new taxonomy at http://taxonomy.foundationcenter.org. The development of the PCS involved consultation with over 200 nonprofit organizations and foundations, and allows for the categorization of philanthropic activity by Subjects, Population Groups, Transaction Type, and Support Strategy. In addition, the Center launched the new Enterprise Database Management System (EDMS) in September 2015, which also includes mechanisms for automatically classifying data into these PCS facets. In past years, Foundation Center staff was able to code about 250,000 grants. Now with the new EDMS it will be able to handle over 2,000,000 grant records per year, automatically code the bulk of that data and connect its”

“FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4B LIBRARY/LEARNING CENTERS AND OTHER PUBLIC SERVICES (EXPENSES $5,912,256 AND REVENUE $ 1,488,907) The Center operates professionally staffed library/learning centers in five locations --New York City; Washington, DC; Atlanta; Cleveland; and San Francisco --that offer free access to the Center's online subscription databases and books, other resources on funders and all aspects of philanthropy and nonprofit management and free educational programs. The Center has an Online Librarian who responds to reference questions from people who prefer to use its resources online. The Center provides free in-person programs which give participants a comprehensive understanding of the grantseeking process. The Center also coordinates a network of funding information centers nationwide and around the world -- more than 460 FIN partners that offer free local access to core Center resources, including the Foundation Directory Online Professional and training. Other major library/learning center accomplishments in 2015 include the following: GrantSpace [www.grantspace.org] ------------------------------- This dynamic, interactive site serves nonprofits worldwide, offering access to fundraising and management know-how to anyone, anywhere. GrantSpace is an important platform for the Center's ongoing relevance, promoting a thriving learning community and reducing training and travel costs by providing free access to capacity-building resources. During 2015: - GrantSpace attracted more than 2.8 million sessions and more than 5.4 million page views. - The GrantSpace blog published 84 posts, and received more than 50,000 unique page views; to date, has more than 600 subscribers. - Knowledge Base Articles remain the most popular GrantSpace content, with more than 3 million unique page views. - In coordination with regional offices, GrantSpace also produced 24 new multimedia broadcasts (videos, podcasts, webinars, live chats, and live tweets of special events) with the goal of making Foundation Center's rich content available to a wider audience and bridging our physical and virtual services. - GRANTSPACE SENDS A MONTHLY 'NEW AT GRANTSPACE' E-NEWSLETTER TO ALERT READERS TO NEW UPCOMING EVENTS AND NEWLY POSTED CONTENT. TO DATE, IT HAS MORE THAN 26,000 SUBSCRIBERS. Free Access to Foundation Center Resources and Training Courses --------------------------------------------------------------- The first items cut from nonprofit budgets are often staff travel and training lines, preventing staff from learning about and accessing Foundation Center's capacity-building resources. The Center worked to build out a suite of online learning tools as well as sponsored in-person trainings and special events. To better correspond to sector needs and best practices in adult learning, the Center adopted an online learning system called Bridge, and its Capacity and Leadership Development Team began enhancing and restructuring its capacity building curriculum. The new framework for the curriculum focuses on three core competency areas: Fundraising, Organizational Sustainability, and Leadership & Management. New and/or improved classes and seminars aligning with this framework were launched throughout 2015. The new curriculum design will help Foundation Center better market its offerings by improving its outreach effort and establishing a clearer path and purpose to the end user, and providing a condensed, streamlined format that its time-limited users have been requesting. During 2015: - The Center provided free in-person programs to more than 21,000 participants through its free in-person classes across its five regional library/learning centers in New York City, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, Cleveland, and San Francisco, a series of special programs and special events at its libraries, and outreach trainings offsite. - An additional 15,000 people visited its library/learning centers to conduct research. - The Online Librarian service responded to”

“FORM 990, PART III, LINE 4C RESEARCH AND OTHER PROGRAMS (EXPENSES $5,191,731 AND REVENUE $1,637,089) THE CENTER CONDUCTS RESEARCH AND PUBLISHES REPORTS ON THE GROWTH OF THE FOUNDATION FIELD AND ON TRENDS IN FOUNDATION SUPPORT OF THE NONPROFIT SECTOR. TO MAXIMIZE THE IMPACT OF ITS RESEARCH, IT HOSTS BRIEFINGS AND PANELS TO DISCUSS KEY FINDINGS, AND "SPREADS THE WORD" THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA. TO MAKE KNOWLEDGE ACCESSIBLE TO ALL, IT MAKES ITS FULL REPORTS OR HIGHLIGHTS FROM THEM AVAILABLE FOR FREE DOWNLOAD AT ITS WEB SITE. SPECIAL EFFORTS IN RESEARCH AND OTHER PROGRAMS IN 2015 INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: GRANTCRAFT [WWW.GRANTCRAFT.ORG] ------------------------------- GrantCraft harnesses the practical wisdom of funders worldwide to provide free resources that improve the practice of philanthropy. During the past year, GrantCraft successfully increased its audience and the breadth and depth of its content, and attracted visitors from more than 200 countries spanning the foundation, nonprofit, academic, media, government, and business sectors. In 2015: - GrantCraft staff presented at more than 15 conferences, funder group meetings, and funder workshops with organizations including Philanthropy New York, Youth Philanthropy Connect, and the Annual General Assembly of the European Foundation Centre. - GrantCraft's site was visited by more than 66,600 different users and its resources were viewed more than 252,100 times. - GrantCraft published more than 150 videos, podcasts, blog posts, case studies, and guides addressing questions funders face across various strategies and issue areas. Publications included: Supporting Grantee Capacity; Strengthening Effectiveness Together; and Communication That Counts, which explores communications approaches and knowledge exchange in the South African context. - GrantCraft continued its partnership with the Andrea and Charles Bronfman Philanthropies (ACBP) to tell the story of the ACBP spend down through 28 written blog posts, two videos, and a podcast, which have collectively been accessed more than 24,000 times since the series began. CF (Community Foundation) Insights ---------------------------------- CF Insights, a service originally launched by FSG, is now operating under the auspices of The Foundation Center. This transition positions CF Insights for even greater impact as a service to its foundation members and a resource for the broader social sector. Collectively, CF Insights members serve 1/2 of the US population and represent 2/3 of total community foundation assets. Through of insights, community foundations improve performance and sustainability - individually and collectively. Advancing Human Rights ---------------------- In partnership with the International Human Rights Funders Group (IHRFG), the Center continues to develop Advancing Human Rights [humanrights.foundationcenter.org/], a first-ever initiative to track, report on, and open public access to foundation support for human rights worldwide. According to the latest key findings report, Advancing Human Rights: Update on Global Foundation Grantmaking, in 2012, 774 foundations in 45 countries made nearly 19,000 human rights grants totaling $1.8 Billion. The 2012 data have been added to the interactive website, which enables exploration of giving by issue focus, population focus, and region and includes top funder lists, sample grants, and case studies. In 2015, more than 5,600 users viewed nearly 28,500 pages. THE FOUNDATION REGISTRY I3 -------------------------- The Foundation Registry i3 [foundationregistryi3.org] was created by education funders to support the Investing in Innovation (i3) program of the U.S. Department of Education (ED). ED provides competitive grants to i3 applicants to expand groundbreaking practices that improve student achievement, close achievement gaps, decrease drop-out rates, increase high school graduation rates, or increase college enrollment or completion rates. The site helps facilitate matches by provid”

“Form 990, part vi, line 10a the center maintains and operates a network of 5 professionally-staffed library/learning centers in new york city, san francisco, washington d.c., cleveland and atlanta. These are unincorporated divisions that use the same tax identification number as the center. The library/learning centers are governed by the same written policies and procedures as the center to ensure their operations are consistent with those of the center's.”

“FORM 990, PART VI, LINE 11B The Center's form 990 is prepared by the Controller. The draft Form 990 is then reviewed by members of the tax department of the Center's independent accounting firm, KPMG LLP, and then by the organization's President. Subsequently, the Audit Committee of the Center's Board of Trustees and the full Board reviews the return. After responding to all inquiries and making any necessary changes, the final Form 990 is provided to all members of the Board prior to its filing with the IRS.”

“Form 990, part vi, line 12c a conflict of interest disclosure statement is obtained annually from all trustees, officers, managers and other key employees who are currently serving the center. A report summarizing the disclosure statements is provided to the board of trustees annually. It is the center's policy that in the event of a conflict the following is done: if there is a conflict relevant to a matter requiring action by the board of trustees, the interested person shall call it to the attention of the board of trustees, and the trustee concerned shall not vote on the matter. Moreover, the person having a conflict shall retire from the room in which the board is meeting and shall not participate in the final deliberation or decision regarding the matter under consideration. When there is doubt as to whether a conflict of interest exists, the matter shall be resolved by vote of the board of trustees or its committee, excluding from the room and the vote the person whose situation will be discussed. When a conflict of interest arises for any staff member except the president, that staff member shall report it to the president in writing. A conflict of interest relating to the president shall be reported in writing to the chair of the board.”

“Form 990, part vi, lines 15a and 15b the center's board of trustees, consisting of independent persons, establishes compensation for the president and reviews the compensation for the other officer(s) and vice presidents on an annual basis. Prior to making compensation decisions, the board, through the use of an independent consultant, obtains information on the compensation of functionally comparable positions for similarly qualified persons at similarly situated organizations and/or benchmark salaries for select positions obtained from salary surveys. Documentation of the deliberations and decisions made are maintained in the minutes in the corporate secretary's office. A full independent compensation review for all staff was completed in the fall of 2013. The organization completed a compensation review for more than a third of its staff positions in 2016.”

“Form 990, part vi, line 19 the center's audited financial statements and annual report for the past five years are posted on its website and are downloadable. In addition, governance and staffing policies are posted, including the code of conduct (which includes the conflict of interest policy), diversity statement and the executive compensation policy.”

“Form 990, part xi, line 9 as of december 31, 2015, the $(164,151) in other changes in net assets consists of $(46,220) pension and postretirement changes other than net periodic benefit cost for the current year, and severance payments and outplacement services for three terminated employees of $(117,931).”