Size: 65 cu. ft./173 reels of 35mm microfilm
Contents:
The collection includes program files, correspondence, reports, manuscripts, minutes, Congressional tax reformation, audio/video tapes and 6 boxes of books and other material that was kept and not filmed.
Arrangement: The records are divided into three series:
- Series 1, Administrative Files, 1922-2004
- Series 2, Programs and Projects Files, 1924-1999
- Series 3 Non-Related Foundation Center Files, 1947-1990
Photograph Collection: Yes
Organizational History:
The Foundation Center was created in 1956 by a group of foundations leaders that felt a need to create an organization as an independent agency that was not connected with any particular foundation but as a non-profit fact finding agency that has been helping grant seekers, both corporate and private foundations, do a better job in asking for money. On May 25, 1956 The Foundation Library Center was incorporated as an educational institution under the authority of the Board of Regents of the University of the State of New York. The organization was to gather comprehensive information about foundations, stimulating adequate reporting where such does not yet exist, and making its collection freely and generally available.
In 1956, a small group of foundation leaders incorporated The Foundation Library Center: "The Center will provide a convenient place where any person may find accurate information about foundations."
- F. Emerson Andrews, Foundation Center President, 1956-1967
To help the Foundation Center begin acquiring the appropriate material they received as gift or depository loan, the related books, reports and files of the Russell Sage Foundation that they had been collecting since 1915. They also purchased photographic transcripts of financial and other data on approximately seven thousand organizations. The last step they took to begin their collection was to solicit complete reports files from all foundations known to publish reports. Doors opened to the public on December 10, 1956 with a large part of their collection available for public use.
The first president of the foundation was F. Emerson Andrews, 1956-1966, and was previously the president of the Russell Sage Foundation. As president of the Russell Sage Foundation he saw the need for this type of organization, a central information collecting agency. In its first year (1956-1957) The Foundation Center has over 1400 people visit the library.
The Foundation Center publishes its own materials about their collections holdings. First to be published was the Foundation Directory, 1960, which was a directory that contained information on all of the foundations and organizations that they obtained material on.
In 1968 they decided to change their name to the Foundation Center.
As being the leader in helping philanthropic foundations seek grants, they also were instrumental in introducing new technology to these foundations. In 1974, the center computerized their data creating their first electronic database.
The Foundation Center was created in 1956 and headed by F. Emerson Andrews, who previously had been the president of the Russell Sage Foundation. The mission of the Foundation Center was to collect information about philanthropic and non-profit organizations around the world, though primarily concentrating on the United States to be housed in one place. By collecting this information the Foundation Center was able to produce directories and other research tools about these organizations to help researchers and other organizations locate information on a multitude of organizations in one place. The Foundation Center is still helping researchers today with grant and other information about philanthropic organizations. http://fdncenter.org/
F. Emerson Andrews had taken an interest in the area of philanthropic and non-profit organizations. Starting in the 1940's he began writing several books and papers on this topic. He was the head of The Foundation Center from 1956-1966, and then succeeded by Manning M. Pattillo (1967-1970), Thomas R. Buckman (1971-1991) and Sarah Engelhardt (1992-present).
There is a variety of material within the collection, revealing the history of The Foundation Center's through correspondence, annual reports, and fund raising programs, through a large collection of organizational pamphlets, a brief history of governmental influence on non-profit organizations (tax-reformation), and the special projects and programs that they ran: the directories, Foundation News, and various seminars in technology and other areas of interest.
Areas of interest in the collection include manuscripts and articles by F. Emerson Andrews on the world of philanthropic organizations, which include his book "The Foundation Watcher", photographs, a video produced by Foundation Center "Foundations: People and The Money", a scrapbook containing articles on the Congressional tax reformation, and the accompanying transcripts from those hearings.
See, Philanthropy in the 21st Century: The Foundation Center's 50th Anniversary Interviews
Related Collections at the Rockefeller Archive Center:
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