PubHub, the Foundation Center's existing catalog of more than 7,000 annotated links to foundation-sponsored reports, will be combined with IssueLab's database to create a unified platform of more than 12,000 documents, representing one of the largest collections of social sector research for nonprofit practitioners, grantmakers, policymakers, and researchers. The integrated platform will retain the name IssueLab and will build on the core services offered by PubHub since 2004, while offering users new ways in which to find, filter, and share this valuable body of knowledge.
"Perceptions of foundations and nonprofits are often limited to the funding and services they provide, when in fact, they both are incredibly valuable sources of information and ideas," said Foundation Center President Bradford Smith. "Together, IssueLab and the Foundation Center will provide a far richer picture of the knowledge generated by the sector than exists today."
IssueLab, based in Chicago, has been archiving research about social issues, sharing it with a broader audience, and advocating for the use of open licenses and open access standards in the nonprofit sector since 2007. IssueLab co-founders Gabriela Fitz and Lisa Brooks have joined the Foundation Center's team of expert staff as director of knowledge management initiatives and director of knowledge management systems, respectively.
"Joining the Foundation Center facilitates much more than the creation of a larger collection," said Brooks. "It is an opportunity to take a shared vision for managing and mobilizing the knowledge of the third sector to the next level, enabling us to better serve our users."
The integration of PubHub and IssueLab aligns with the Center's Foundation Center 2020 strategic plan and reflects its commitment to providing nonprofits with the resources they need to succeed and empowering donors with knowledge tools for strategic decision making. The enhancements made possible by this acquisition will serve to fuel a wide range of knowledge sharing initiatives, including the establishment of Knowledge Centers for custom web portals and other communities of practice.
The new platform is due to launch in the coming months. Until then, both PubHub and IssueLab will continue to operate at www.foundationcenter.org/
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 450 funding information centers located in public libraries, community foundations, and educational institutions nationwide and around the world. For more information, please visit foundationcenter.org or call (212) 620-4230.
