Nonprofit Data Project of the Aspen InstituteSince 2007, the Aspen Institute Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation has convened leading figures in the field of nonprofit research and data to discuss and assess our nation's nonprofit data collection system. These meetings have provided a unique and neutral forum for discussion, deliberation, information-sharing and consensus-building.Today, as government, civic and business leaders address a wide range of serious challenges, many will reach out to nonprofit groups for help only to find themselves hampered by a lack of up-to-date information on this important sector in our society. Those needing to understand and track trends in nonprofit revenue, spending, service provision, employment, volunteering and other critical aspects of philanthropic activity will find that most of this information, when available at all, is two-years-old or more. This is too late to deal with problems as they arise, or to signal to communities and policymakers that new challenges are emerging. What’s more, information that is available is sometimes inaccurate, due to problems with misclassification, inconsistent reporting and other data errors. In short, despite employing nearly 10% of our nation’s workforce and contributing at least 5% to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product, the nonprofit sector sorely lacks timely and accurate data.Aspen InstituteAI_b71a8ee6-ec77-11df-96f0-bf377a64ea2aProgram on Philanthropy and Social InnovationAbout PSI -- Grantmaking foundations, nonprofit organizations, social enterprises and public-private partnerships offer lasting solutions to societal challenges. They are at the heart of civil society. This program seeks to inform and maximize the impact of these social sector actors through leadership development initiatives, convenings, and communications so that each can contribute to the good society at home and abroad. The Program's theory of change rests on the premise that if their leaders have clarity about their values, are collaborative in their approach to problem-solving, and are aware of the strategies and potential partnerships available to them, they are more likely to succeed in advancing the social good. The Program hosts the Aspen Philanthropy Group, an agenda-setting body of foundation, nonprofit, and private sector leaders at the cutting edge of change. The issues its members identify are subsequently considered in cross-sector working groups, with the aim of gaining consensus where possible and spurring collaborative action when opportune. Among the current workshop series is an effort to ensure high-quality and accessible statistical data on social sector activity. The Impact Economy program strand is committed to using the convening power of the Aspen Institute to advance this nascent field and nurture a more sustainable, inclusive andd stable economy. The Program's leadership development initiatives include the American Express Foundation-Aspen Institute Fellowship for Emerging Nonprofit Leaders, the Aspen Philanthropy Seminar-Aspen, and the Seminar Series for Mid-America Foundation CEOs. Through communications and partnerships the Program works to showcase emerging leaders, effective programs and current trends in philanthropy and to share the knowledge gathered and generated by the Program's convenings.Nonprofit Data Project ParticipantsPrimary participants include representatives from GuideStar, the National Center for Charitable Statistics at the Urban Institute, the Foundation Center, the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, and the Center for Civil Society Studies at Johns Hopkins University. Together these groups play a critical role in informing our society of the size and scope of the nonprofit sector, the level of charitable giving and volunteering, the contribution of the sector to the nation’s economy, the level of employment in the nonprofit sector, nonprofit performance, and other important aspects of social sector activity.GuideStarNational Center for Charitable Statistics at the Urban InstituteFoundation CenterCenter on Philanthropyat Indiana UniversityCenter for Civil Society Studiesat Johns Hopkins UniversityCinthia Schuman OttingerFor more information on the Nonprofit Data Project, contact Cinthia Schuman Ottinger at cschuman@aspeninst.orgTo discuss and assess our nation's nonprofit data collection system.Nonprofit Employment DataPublish up-to-date nonprofit wage and employment information1Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)Johns Hopkins UniversityThe Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) regularly collects and releases employment statistics on major industries in the United States. Even though nonprofit groups participate in this data collection, they are not categorized separately; as a result, critical data on nonprofit employment trends are not easily accessible. In response to outreach by the Nonprofit Data Project, the Division of Administrative Statistics and Labor Turnover at BLS, working with Johns Hopkins University, is engaged in a pilot program to test the best and most accurate ways to breakdown Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages information for the nonprofit sector. The goal is to publish up-to-date nonprofit wage and employment information, data that are currently not readily available or accessible to researchers and the public.Federal Grant & Contractor DataImprove tracking of federal grants and contracts2Federal GranteesFederal ContractorsGovernment Accountability OfficeGovernment Accountability and Transparency BoardNonprofit OrganizationsThe federal government is a major source of nonprofit revenue, yet it is extremely difficult to get accurate, up-to-date information on federal grants and contracts to the nonprofit sector. According to a 2009 Government Accountability Office study, “the data presently collected provide an incomplete, unreliable picture of the federal government’s funds reaching the nonprofit sector through various mechanisms, although they suggest that these funds were significant.” The Nonprofit Data Project has made recommendations to improve www.USAspending.gov, a website of the US Government that tracks all federal grant and contracts, including those provided to nonprofit organizations. The project is now monitoring a newly-created body, the Government Accountability and Transparency Board, which is charged with recommending new and better ways of tracking government spending data.Form 990Improve form 990 and make the data from it available electronically3Timely public access to the Form 990 is crucial to understanding the size and scope of the nonprofit sector, its role in our economy and trends in private and public sector giving. Public availability of these forms also leads to greater compliance with the law, improved form accuracy and better accountability, as donors, prospective donors, and regulators all make use of this information. In short, the efficient, timely, and accurate submission of Forms 990 is of paramount importance to non-profit organizations, the public, researchers, and policymakers at all levels. Several years ago, the IRS began requiring electronic filing, or e-filing, of Forms 990 and 990-PF for certain classes of tax-exempt organizations; it also made e-filing an option for all filers. Though increasing numbers of nonprofits are taking advantage of electronic filing (which should improve access to the form) in fact, public access to the Form 990 is often delayed by several years. In addition, even when the IRS does release 990s, only images of the forms are provided. This means that the nonprofit organizations and state charity offices making these forms and data available to the general public must spend millions of dollars re-digitizing the information received from the IRS, delaying public access to this information even further and increasing the potential for errors and omissions. The Nonprofit Data Project is also working to make improvements to the Form itself. For example, the new Form 990 obscures government funding to the nonprofit sector by, among other things, failing to separately and clearly report on Medicare and Medicaid vouchers. Because these vouchers account for such a large portion of nonprofit income, the government revenue data that often emerges from the 990s is not correct. The Nonprofit Data Project recently submitted comments to the IRS seeking to address this and other issues, and is reaching out to many within the sector to explore ways to create a more timely, efficient and accurate Form 990 system.2013-08-22http://www.aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/nonprofit-philanthropy/Nonprofit%20Data%20Project%20of%20the%20Aspen%20InstituteOwenAmburOwen.Ambur@verizon.net