The Ian Potter Foundation is joining the ranks of the Gates, Ford and Getty Foundations to become the first non-US foundation included in Glasspockets. 

What is Glasspockets? 'Glasspockets is a Foundation Center initiative that champions philanthropic transparency in an online world. Launched in 2010, but with roots dating back to the Center’s founding in 1956, Glasspockets provides the data, resources, examples, and steps foundations need to understand the value of transparency, be more open in their own communications, and help shed more light on how private organizations are serving the public good'. (About Glasspockets, glasspockets.org) 

Glasspockets director, Janet Camarena, is excited about our addition, stating, 'I hope that your participation inspires other global participants.'
 
To be included in the Glasspockets directory of philanthropic foundations, The Ian Potter Foundation had to demonstrate how we disseminate our mission statement, methods of contact, finances, processes and learnings. There are 25 elements that comprise the 'Who Has Glass Pockets?' assessment, there is no score associated with how many elements a foundation has achieved. The point of the assessment is for each foundation to have a road map to guide an internal discussion about what level of transparency makes sense for the foundation. Essentially it is a window into our internal and external communications strategy. 

In the process, we have received valuable feedback and in response created a Knowledge Centre on our website which brings together the learnings, analysis and insights on our grantmaking.
 
The Ian Potter Foundation Knowledge Centre contains our Annual Reports, Case Studies and Grants Database and now also includes:

• Learnings: general and program-area specific learnings from our grantees perspective and  the Foundation's learnings as a philanthropic organisation
• Blog posts discussing evaluation, outcomes measurement, grantmaking strategy and NFP sector-specific issues
• The Ian Potter Foundation Evaluation Pool (TIPFEP): an annually updated list of evaluators and their area of specialisation.

This Knowledge Centre will continue to evolve as further resources are developed. On balance, it was a very fruitful exercise, both enabling us to increase the transparency of our operations via our website as well as setting an international trend. The Foundation encourages other Australian Foundations to consider participating.