Illuminating the work of the world s CSOs GuideStar International Annual Review and Report 2009
Table of contents Page Message from the CEO... Trustees... Working towards our vision... 1 2 3 Principal achievements... 4 Emerging GuideStars... 4 India Israel...... 4 4 Belgium... 4 Building new relationships for growth... 5 GuideStar UK and GuideStar Data Services transfered to the Directory of Social Change... 5 GuideStar International combines its operations with TechSoup Global... 7 Financial review... 9 Income and expenditure... 10
Message from the CEO Dear Friends, 2009 was a very challenging year for society in general, and Guide- Star International (GSI) was not spared the pain of the economic downturn. Despite securing basic funding early in 2009, the board was faced with the difficult decision to reduce our staff considerably and cut operating expenses. Over the first half of the year we reduced staff in both the charity and its wholly owned Community Interest Company, GuideStar Data Services CIC, by more than 50% through both attrition and redundancies. The overall monthly budget was reduced by more than 40% by year end. There is, however, far more positive news regarding our institutional progress. At year s end we had nearly we completed transactions that have subsequently (1) placed GSI activities in the UK in the hands of a collaborative UK charitable partner, Directory of Social Change, a strategy that aligns our UK initiatives with GSI national strategies throughout the world, and (2) linked GSI s global operations closely with those of TechSoup Global, another more substantial and well-resourced, global charitable partner, which provides complementary services through the same national partners to the same charities throughout the world. Our efforts position the organisation properly to meet the challenges of the future. So despite our survival-enabling cost reductions, at the close of 2009 GSI has stabilised and is ready to take on multiple opportunities for growth in 2010 and beyond. Tinsley Goad Chief Executive Officer GuideStar International Page 1 Message from the CEO
Trustees Buzz Schmidt Chair GuideStar International Rebecca Masisak Co-CEO TechSoup Global Anne Wade Senior Vice President Capital International Marnie Webb Co-CEO TechSoup Global Brian Smouha Trustee Institute for Philanthropy Mathew Cherian Chief Executive HelpAge India Trustees Page 2
Working towards our vision Our work is premised on the belief that every national society gains from a diverse population of innovative, energetic, well-resourced and responsive civil society organisations. GSI envisions a robust civil society of the future that is in fact a vibrant marketplace where resource providers, policy researchers and regulators respond to and support innova tive, high-performing initiatives that attend directly to society s needs and opportunities. We believe that transparency achieved through the provision of clear and thorough reports about each CSO at a public website is vital to ensure the strength and success of each civil society and its organisations. These convictions form the basis for, and heart of, the GuideStar proposition. In helping to build a national GuideStar, GSI works most closely with leading CSOs, government agencies and philanthropists to develop an indigenously managed, governed and owned information service, tailored to the requirements of that country. The national GuideStar service offers a common, open and free information environment to satisfy the various demands of donors, regulators and intermediaries for information. This feature streamlines both the information acquisition requirements of these users as well as the information provision requirements of CSOs. To achieve our vision, GSI is working with national partners around the world to build a global network of national websites, which assemble and display detailed reports on a country s CSOs. Through these national GuideStars CSOs can explain their organisation s aims, activities, accomplishments, structure and finances. By providing a common technology platform and technology and know-how support, GSI radically lowers the cost of starting and operating a national GuideStar. It will permit convenient cross-border access to reports resident at each affiliate national GuideStar from a central GuideStar Global search page. Page 3 Working towards our vision
Principal achievements Emerging GuideStars India: GSI supports Civil Society Information Systems India, our Indian partner, with the development of the GuideStar India service. CSIS India was formally incorporated in India in August 2009 and has proceeded to develop both the GS India website and establish strong ties to government, the civil society sector and private stakeholders throughout India. Progress on the site and on data acquisition has been steady, and we anticipate the launch of GuideStar India in 2010. Israel: GSI continued to work closely with its Israeli partner, NPTech Ltd, to develop the GuideStar Israel site. GSI IT staff overcame significant challenges in language translation and page setup to accommodate the right-to-left script of Hebrew and Arabic and other issues. We expect the launch of GuideStar Israel sometime in mid- 2010. Belgium: In late November 2009, GSI executed a development contract with SocialWare, Ltd, a Belgian nonprofit organisation, for the development of the GuideStar Belgium site. Work was progressing well by the end of the year and the first round delivery target was successfully achieved in February 2010. A full launch is also expected mid-2010. NASSCOM Foundation s ConnectIT Day on 16 September in Mumbai - NGO participants trained on how to use GuideStar India Israeli Ministry of Justice signs agreement to take GuideStar forward In addition to these active development engagements, GSI continued to provide consultative support to partners in South Africa, Ireland, South Korea, Japan and Germany and introduced the model to Colombian leadership organisations. Page 4 Emerging GuideStars
Building new relationships for growth The value of the GuideStar model was demonstrated at the end of the year through two major transactions that moved quickly with the Directory of Social Change (DSC), a UK-registered charity based in London and TechSoup Global, a San Francisco-based 501(c)3 public charity. GSI began in-depth engagements with these two organisations during the autumn of 2009, and transactions with both organisations were completed by spring 2010. Final completion of the transactions in the first quarter of 2010 has positioned GSI for sustainable, growing operations and expanding impact in 2010 and well beyond. GSI transfer of GuideStar UK and GuideStar Data Services The Directory of Social Change is a well-known and highly regarded charity with a broad reach to over 20,000 charities throughout the UK. It is committed to providing support and training to medium and small-sized organisations throughout the country in order to realise its vision of an independent voluntary sector at the heart of social change. On 1 March 2010 the shares of GuideStar Data Services, CIC were transferred to the Directory of Social Change. This transfer included the CIC, its employees, ongoing business relationships and contracts and technical assets required to operate the entity. Further, the GuideStar UK programme was transferred, such that DSC now owns and operates the GuideStar UK website, has control over the data capture operations and serves the users of www.guidestar.org.uk, including the UK registered charities participating in Update My Charity. GSI will continue to support DSC technically as it builds its own capacity for operating both systems. DSC provides a very strong, compatible home for the UK operations. GuideStar UK s services complement DSC s existing offerings to the sector and now make DSC the largest provider of information services to the UK charitable sector. GSI is happy to have the UK service in such capable hands and is further encouraged by the alignment of GuideStar in the UK with its overall global strategy of independent country operations of each GuideStar system. "The potential here is immense. Today an entity was created, which can refresh and strengthen our vital sector at a crucial time. We are excited about how GDS' unique service supports our mission of connecting people and working towards social change. Together we can improve everyone's understanding of what charities are and do in 2010, including politicians and policy makers, academics and the wider public. Debra Tyler, CEO, Directory of Social Change GuideStar UK and GuideStar Data Services transfered to the Directory of Social Change Page 5
We are excited about this new venture. DSC has extensive experience and expertise, and GuideStar UK will enable us to analyse and share both specialised and general information for and about the sector. It fits perfectly with our charitable objects: we believe we will be able to improve everyone s understanding of the sector, we will be able to increase our impact as an organisation, and we will be able to increase our contribution to civil society. Nick Seddon, Chair, Directory of Social Change Directory of Social Change Page 6
GSI combines its operations with TechSoup Global Working towards a time when every social benefit organisation on the planet has the technology resources and knowledge they need to operate at their full potential. On 26 March 2010, the combination of GuideStar International and Tech- Soup Global, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that provides technology resources and knowledge to NGOs around the world, was completed. Again, the GSI trustees were very excited about this combination, as it will not only ensure the long-term sustainability of GSI but also allow GSI to leverage TechSoup Global s worldwide reach to further pursue its mission. As a result of this combination TechSoup Global is now the sole corporate member of GuideStar International, which remains an independent UK-registered charity. TechSoup Global and GuideStar International share a commitment to a transparent, empowered and connected civil society. To that end, the combined operations will focus on developing and strengthening a coordinated and sustainable global platform to illuminate, promote, generate and distribute technology, information and capacity-building programs to those organisations working on the world s most pressing social issues. GuideStar International, together with Fundacja TechSoup, an independent foundation in Warsaw, Poland established in 2009, will strengthen European-based programmatic hubs and operations for TechSoup Global s Network of partner NGOs. The combined operations are expected to increase the efficiency and sustainability of the network partnerships as well as enhance the capacity-building programs offered through all regions of the TechSoup Global Network. The TechSoup Global network has served more than 112,000 civil society organisations in 33 countries with its technology capacity building programs and continues to grow. Page 7 GuideStar International combines its operations with TechSoup Global
This is an exciting time for the philanthropic sector and for our two organisations, both GuideStar International and TechSoup Global have created contribution economies networks of far-reaching partnerships with foundations and corporations, governments and NGOs and over the years we have developed a deep respect for one another s work. As our paths crossed and our approach naturally converged, it became clear that by formally combining our operations, we can work together more efficiently and powerfully for global good. Rebecca Masisak, Co-CEO, TechSoup Global TechSoup Global Page 8
Financial review GuideStar International As mentioned previously, the charity and its subsidiary undertook significant cuts to expenses early in 2009 to ensure the continued viability of both entities. Together with the funds generated through both voluntary income and data sales, the financial restructuring of the group achieved this goal and allowed both entities to end the year in a stable financial condition, with a group fund balance exceeding 190,000. Furthermore, given the acquisition of GuideStar UK and GuideStar Data Services by DSC in the first quarter of 2010, GSI discontinued its activities in both the CIC data sales and GuideStar UK programmes, concurrent with the transfer of these assets to the Directory of Social Change. The accounts note the income and expenses associated with these discontinued activities in 2009. The ongoing programmes of the charity generated 628,000 in income against 809,000 in expenses in 2009. A fund balance at year end of over 190,000 will be carried forward to support these continuing programmes. In addition, the combination with TechSoup Global will ensure the continued sustainability and growth of the charity in 2010 and beyond. GuideStar Data Services As mentioned previously, the management and operational structure of GDS was altered significantly during 2009. As the trustees analysed the cash position, expenses and sales forecasts in March, the decision was made to reduce GDS staff costs significantly in order to maintain the activity at a sustainable level. Over the next three months, staff was reduced by seven positions, including the CEO and business operations director. In June GDS management responsibilities were carried out within a combined GSI/GDS management structure. Despite these upheavals and the general economic malaise, GDS was able to generate 540,000 in sales for the year, a seven percent decrease from 2008. By the fourth quarter, GDS was approaching a monthly break-even trajectory. The list of institutional clients served included Sheffield Hallam and Southampton Universities, numerous local councils, the Social Enterprise Coalition, NCVO, the National Audit Office and numerous private service providers to the charitable sector. Page 9 Financial review
GuideStar International income and expenditure Incoming resources Resources expended Voluntary income GSI programme Investment income Governance costs Other eten grant (European) Information services Cost of generating voluntary funds Information services programme Data sales expenditure Incoming resources Voluntary income 568,494 Information services 538,953 Investment income 956 eten grant (European) 15,666 Other 43,804 Total incoming resources 1,167,873 Resources expended GSI programme 671,694 Data sales expenditure 656,112 Cost of generating voluntary funds 67,932 Information services programme 359,221 Governance costs 20,000 Total resources expended 1,774,959 Income and expenditure Page 10
GuideStar International Queens House, 55-56 Lincoln s Inn Fields London, WC2A3LJ United Kingdom www.guidestarinternational.org Tel: +44 207 269 6549 Fax: +44 870 112 3846 Email: info@guidestarinternational.org Charity Number: 1114615 Company Reg. Number: 5594889