Reporting Commitment
About the Reporting Commitment
The Reporting Commitment is an initiative aimed at developing more timely, accurate, and precise reporting on the flow of philanthropic dollars, in an effort to more effectively address the issues facing our communities and our world.
Initiated by a group of the largest U.S. foundations and publicly launched in October 2012, the Reporting Commitment is grounded in the belief that accurate and accessible information is critical to effective collaboration, strategic decision making, and a more engaged philanthropy sector. Since the public launch, one additional foundation has joined the Reporting Commitment.
The Foundation Center was selected as a partner to support the participants' reporting goals, with the Center's Glasspockets web site serving as a hub for the data and knowledge tools coming out of the Reporting Commitment.
Commentary
Rob DiLeonardi,
VNA Foundation
“I knew there would be value in participation by foundations of VNA's size.”
—Rob DiLeonardi in Transparency Talk,
January 23, 2012
Darin McKeever,
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
“We hope this effort lays the groundwork for further improvements in the precision and availability of information about grantmaking in the U.S.”
—Darin McKeever in Transparency Talk,
October 9, 2012
Participate in the Project
Foundations around the world — large and small — are encouraged to join the Reporting Commitment, contributing to the transparency of the field and the knowledge resources that drive philanthropic impact.
Participants in the Reporting Commitment agree to make grant information available to each other and the public at least quarterly in a machine-readable, open format and coded to a geographic standard developed by the Foundation Center known as GeoTree.
The Foundation Center, which is available as a resource for all interested foundations, can provide guidance and supporting materials on various aspects of the initiative, including:
- Understanding the options available to foundations that want to participate in the Reporting Commitment;
- Evaluating which reporting method is best for each foundation, and;
- Outlining next steps.
For more information on how to become a Reporting Commitment participant, contact the Foundation Center.
Participating Foundations
