How do the foundations profiled in “Who Has Glass Pockets?” get selected to be profiled? Is it voluntary or by invitation?

Foundations can either voluntarily submit a “Who Has GlassPockets?” profile or be invited by our GlassPockets team to show the world their foundation’s GlassPockets.

Is there a particular score or number of elements that Glasspockets requires before accepting a foundation for a “Who Has Glass Pockets?” profile?

No, though there are 27 indicators on the assessment, the expectation is not that all, or even a majority, of these should be in place to participate in GlassPockets.Foundation transparency is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor, nor is it intended to be an activity that has an end point. Rather, it evolves over time, and ideally is a process your institution revisits on a regular basis.

Though there is no numeric score tied to each profile, to help foundations chart their transparency course, we have used the data we've collected related to transparency practices to identify core, advanced, and champion-level practices.

The levels represent an optional guide that can be helpful to follow but it is not intended to be viewed as a formal set of requirements. Any foundation at any stage of its transparency journey is welcome to participate. However, to motivate participation and progress, GlassPockets will award transparency badges based on the transparency level attained. Since it is not a one-size-fits-all, all participating foundations will automatically receive the Core GlassPockets transparency badge, and those who attain Advanced (10-18 indicators) or Champion level (19 or more indicators) will receive a badge denoting the appropriate designation.

How did Glasspockets select this particular list of transparency and accountability elements?

The indicators came about as a result of our team combing through hundreds of foundation web sites and extracting an inventory of current foundation transparency practices. For every indicator on “Who Has Glass Pockets?” there were several examples of foundations already sharing that data. We also derived inspiration and guidance from interviews with partners and stakeholders in the development of the assessment.

The “Who Has Glass Pockets?” profile asks about our foundation's use of social media. Does that mean Glasspockets equates tweeting and blogging with transparency?

The “Who Has GlassPockets?” profile is comprised of a total of 27 transparency and accountability indicators. These appear in the central area of the profile and are denoted by check marks if the foundation makes this information available. As a helpful reference, across the bottom of the profile we also list the foundation's communication vehicles, such as links to annual reports, blogs, or social media feeds, but these are not considered a formal part of the transparency and accountability indicators.

If my foundation participates, can we update the profile as we add more information to our web site?

Once your profile is added to Glasspockets, you are welcome to send us updates at any time. Please send yur updated information to GlassPockets@Candid.Org.

Once we complete the profile, what else can we do to achieve greater foundation transparency?

Once you complete the “Who Has GlassPockets?” profile, learn more about additional activities you can do from our Steps to Transparency.
And remember, foundation transparency should be considered an evolutionary process. We recommend that foundations revisit transparency practices at least once a year to see if changes in your approach are warranted.

And remember, foundation transparency should be considered an evolutionary process. We recommend that foundations revisit transparency practices at least once a year to see if changes in your approach are warranted.