IRF Data Book: A New Benchmarking Tool for Foundations

The new CASE IRF Data Book is designed to be a one-stop shop for institutionally related foundation executives and professionals interested in comparing data related to their foundation's structure, staffing and operations with their peers. The data book will also allow CASE staff to explore trends in IRF management on an annual basis.

Foundations participating in the IRF Data Book will be able to:

• Compare their foundation's funding and operations with their peers,
• Pull comparison data at any time for foundation staff or board meetings,
• Choose specific foundations to benchmark against and
• Learn about the latest trends in IRF management and operations.

Who Can Participate?

Only CASE members are eligible to participate in the IRF Data Book. Since all data and information will be open to participating foundations, CASE asks that members do not share survey data beyond their foundations.

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How Can My Foundation Join the IRF Data Book?

Register: Foundations interested in accessing the IRF Data Book must register to use the CASE Benchmarking Toolkit. You can register today by completing two easy steps:

1. Select an individual to complete data surveys. Given the financial nature of most surveys, your foundation may want to choose a financial staffer. This person will also be your foundation's designee for accessing data in the data book.
2. Email the full contact information for this individual to research@case.org with "IRF Data Book" in the subject line.

The CASE research department will send login information to the registered individual. The registered individual will then be able to log in to the CASE Benchmarking Toolkit. While there is no registration fee, only CASE members are eligible to participate in IRF Data Book surveys.

FY11 IRF Data Book Survey: This survey has been temporarily re-opened (from May 7 through June 1). If you registered to complete the survey but were unable to do so by the original March 16 deadline, this is your chance to do so.

So far, 90 foundations have completed the survey. Only foundations that completed the survey will receive access to benchmarking data. Take advantage of this CASE member benefit and complete your survey by June 1.

CASE plans to announce webinars on how to benchmark using the IRF Data Book in the coming weeks. The webinars will only be open to foundation professionals who have completed the FY11 survey.

Next IRF Data Book Survey: We plan to conduct future surveys in the data book at the end of each fiscal year. The FY12 survey will open in September 2012.

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What Data Will IRFs Need to Complete the Survey?

Registered foundations should have the following documents handy when completing the IRF Data Book Survey:

• CAE Voluntary Support of Education Survey response
• NACUBO-Commonfund Endowment Study response
• Audited Financials for fiscal year
• Form 990

If you would like to review a hard copy of the survey, please email Heather Harmon at hharmon@case.org.

Questions?

Contact Heather Harmon (hharmon@case.org or +1-202-478-5622) or Brian Flahaven (flahaven@case.org or +1-202-478-5617).