1. Foundation for
International Understanding
Business Plan
April 2006
Jeffrey Thomas
Submitted to the Department of State
Bureau of Education and Cultural Programs
Grant Agreement: S–IIPIP–05–GR–900 (DH)
April 24, 2006
CENTER FOR THE STUDY OF THE
PRESIDENCY & CONGRESS
1020 19th Street, NW, Suite 250 • Washington, DC 20036 • 202-872-9800• www.thePresidency.org
3. 1
Executive Summary
The Foundation for International Understanding (FIU) will be established as an independent
grant-making organization with 501(c)(3) status. Through grant awards, the FIU will support the
use of media productions and interactive digital technologies to promote mutual understanding,
participatory learning, and peer-to-peer collaboration across national and cultural boundaries. As
part of this mission, the FIU will support media initiatives that advance positive social aims, such
as public health, sustainable development, learning in science and technology, good governance
and civic engagement, and interfaith dialogue.
To reach broad and diverse audiences worldwide, the FIU will support the full range of media
tools. Along with television and radio productions, the FIU will sponsor new digital media
formats such as educational video games, virtual worlds, mobile content, and Web-based social
networking. The FIU will place special—but not exclusive—emphasis on three key areas: (1) co-
productions between American producers and their counterparts abroad, (2) interactive media that
foster direct people-to-people engagement, and (3) combined multi-media initiatives that employ
several different media tools to reach participants and target audiences.
As a grant-making organization, the FIU will not produce, broadcast, or distribute media
productions. Instead, through its grant awards, the FIU will marshal talent and expertise from
the media, entertainment, and other creative industries around the world. The FIU will remain
flexible and responsive to new opportunities that arise in today’s technology-driven media
markets and to international events that raise new challenges to understanding and tolerance.
The FIU will operate as a public-private partnership, utilizing a combination of public and
private financial support to leverage talent and resources from the private sector. To draw in
additional sources of funding, the FIU will provide matching grants and build co-funding
partnerships with other donors to jointly support media initiatives. This approach will allow the
FIU to serve as a resource multiplier, marshalling external financial resources alongside the
grants it awards.
The FIU will have a 48-member staff and a 12-member Board of Trustees. A Board of Advisors,
comprising professionals from the media and entertainment industries, will provide advice and
guidance as needed to the FIU staff and the Board of Trustees.
4. 2
Mission and Description
Mission
The Foundation for International Understanding (FIU), an independent grant-making
organization, will support the use of media productions and interactive digital technologies to
promote mutual understanding, participatory learning, and collaboration across national and
cultural boundaries. To this end, the FIU will award grants for media initiatives that counter
misperceptions and stereotypes, encourage learning about other peoples and cultures, and foster
people-to-people engagement and problem-solving. To advance common goals for a better life,
the FIU will also support media initiatives that advance positive social aims, such as public
health, sustainable development, learning in science and technology, ethics, good governance
and civic engagement, and interfaith dialogue
Strategy
To reach broad and diverse audiences, the FIU will support the full range of media tools. Along
with print media and television and radio productions, the FIU will provide grants for
educational video games, online virtual worlds, mobile content, and Web-based social
networking. As a grant-making organization, the FIU will not produce, broadcast, or distribute
media productions; rather, through its grant awards, the FIU will marshal talent and expertise
from the media, entertainment, and other creative industries around the world.
Through targeted market research and a comprehensive proposal evaluation process, the FIU will
identify best practices and new opportunities to advance its mission. Along with proven methods
of using media as a learning tool, the FIU will search for new ways to utilize traditional and new
digital media. All FIU-funded projects will undergo performance evaluations to determine their
impact on audience members and participants. A continuing goal of the FIU will be to learn
from its experiences and strengthen the effectiveness its grants.
The FIU will place special (but not exclusive) emphasis on three types of projects:
1. Co-Productions
Media productions are most effective if they are produced with participation by local
producers who are familiar with the cultures, languages, and preferences of target
audiences. By supporting co-productions between American producers and their
counterparts abroad, the FIU will help ensure that the final products are effective with
audiences overseas. Such collaboration will also help develop dual-use productions that
are suitable for both American and overseas audiences. In locations where production
capacities are underdeveloped, such co-productions will also facilitate training and
capacity building.
5. 3
2. Interactive Media
The FIU will sponsor initiatives that use interactive media to foster peer-to-peer dialogue
and problem-solving to address common challenges and achieve shared goals across
borders and cultures. It will also support distance learning efforts that link classrooms
and other learning environments for collaborative learning.
3. Combined Multi-Media Initiatives
The FIU will commission multi-media initiatives, which employ several different media
tools to explore a common theme or set of themes with a target audience. This approach
will present themes to audience members and participants through different media
formats, engaging them more intensively and keeping them engaged over longer periods
of time. It will also reach wider audiences by using diverse media to attract people who
favor—or only have access to—certain media (e.g. radio in remote regions).
Public-Private Partnership
The FIU will operate as a public-private partnership, utilizing a combination of public and
private financial support to mobilize talent and resources from the private sector. This approach
will enable the FIU to perform an important public service without many of the limitations faced
by government agencies. As an independent non-profit grant-provider, the FIU will draw on the
large pool of talented producers, writers, entertainment software developers, and other media
providers from around the world, including many who are reluctant or unable to work directly
with governments. The FIU’s independence will also mitigate the dangers of FIU-supported
productions being labeled as U.S. government efforts to influence foreign publics.
The FIU will also use the public and private funding it receives to leverage additional resources
from the private sector. By building co-funding partnerships with other donors to jointly support
media initiatives, the FIU will draw in additional sources of funding. Through matching grants
and targeted financial assistance, the FIU will also support the efforts of media providers to
attract additional funding from other contributors. This approach will allow the FIU to serve as a
resource multiplier, marshalling external resources—in addition to the grants it awards—to
advance its mission.
Using its independence and relatively small size to maximum advantage, the FIU will remain
flexible and responsive to new opportunities that arise due to innovations in media technologies
or changes in media markets. Its flexibility will also enable the FIU to respond quickly to
international events that raise new challenges to understanding and tolerance.
7. 5
Development Plan
The Foundation for International Understanding will rely primarily on public financial support,
supplemented by private contributions, to cover its revenue needs. To marshal additional
financial resources from the private sector, the FIU will give producers and other media
providers targeted assistance to help them secure funding from other donors. In some cases, the
FIU will award large matching grants, which producers can use to leverage additional support.
At other times, the FIU will award smaller grants to fund stages of production that are especially
difficult to finance. When practical, the FIU will help match media providers with other
sponsors and will form co-funding partnerships with other donors to jointly finance media
productions. This approach will allow the FIU to serve as a resource multiplier, using a portion
of its grant-making resources to leverage additional contributions from other donors with similar
or compatible missions.
Prospective Financial Supporters
The FIU will seek to mobilize financial support, in the form of contributions and co-funding
partnerships, from a wide range of foundations that support objectives complementary to its
mission. Prospective supporters include foundations that provide grants to promote international
tolerance and understanding, international and interfaith dialogue, international and cross-
cultural exchange, and distance learning. In 2004, approximately 150 corporate and independent
foundations in the United States contributed to these causes, providing nearly $1.5 billion in
financial support.1
The FIU will provide donors with new opportunities to pursue these and
similar goals through media initiatives.
The FIU will also seek contributions and co-funding partnerships with foundations that support
media productions, providing them with opportunities to sponsor the full range of video, audio,
print, and other media products. In 2003, based on a sample of 1010 of the largest foundations in
the United States, donors provided 639 grants (worth almost $90 million) to support film, video,
and radio productions. In the same year, donors from the same sample of 1010 foundations
provided 938 grants (worth $85 million) to support publications.2
Along with foundations, corporations give significant support to providers of educational and
public service productions. In 2003, national programming from the Public Broadcasting
Service—which includes such programs as Frontline, The American Experience, NOVA, and
Sesame Street—was underwritten by more than 70 corporations, 25 of which provided $1 million
or more.3
During the same year, National Public Radio received support from approximately 60
corporations, with more than 40 providing $100,000 or more.4
1
The Foundation Center, The Foundation Directory, 2005.
2
The Foundation Center, Foundation Giving Trends, 2005.
3
Public Broadcasting Service, PBS Programming Underwriters, 2003, <www.pbs.org>.
4
National Public Radio, NPR Annual Report, 2003.
8. 6
In partnership with Citigroup’s Public Sector Group, which has agreed to provide assistance in
attracting sponsors, the FIU will build a support base among U.S.-based and international
corporations. Drawing on Citigroup’s experience as a multinational firm operating in more than
100 countries, the FIU will seek support from corporations interested in sponsoring—and being
identified as sponsors of—productions that promote education, mutual learning, and good will
between Americans and other peoples.
Fundraising Instruments
The FIU will rely primarily on five instruments to raise financial support. These instruments
consist of three sponsorship options designed to bring in direct contributions to the FIU and two
types of targeted grants designed to help media providers leverage funds from other donors.
To bring in direct contributions to meet its revenue needs, the FIU will offer three sponsorship
options:
1. Sponsorship of Media Productions
The FIU will seek sponsors to underwrite media productions and associated costs
incurred by the FIU. Sponsors of a specific project will fund, in part or in full, the FIU’s
grant award to the media provider (or providers), as well as the FIU’s costs of
administering the grant and evaluating the final product. Sponsors will be prominently
identified in the credits of productions they support. Such sponsorships will allow
contributors to support individual projects and associated educational and learning goals.
They will also provide donors with opportunities to gain recognition among specific
geographic and demographic groups.
2. Sponsorship of Leading-Edge Research and Evaluation
The FIU will seek support for research and evaluation initiatives that identify best
practices for using media as a learning tool. These initiatives will draw on the FIU’s
ongoing work in assessing the impact of media productions it funds. The FIU will also
seek funding to publish and disseminate lessons learned from its research and evaluation
findings. All such publications will prominently identify contributing sponsors.
3. General/Unrestricted Donations
The FIU will also seek unrestricted donations, ranging from small contributions to large
gifts. Through these unrestricted donations, the FIU will draw support from individuals
who want to give relatively small amounts, as well as from organizations that want to
contribute larger amounts to support the FIU’s mission without assuming responsibility
for administering grants designated for specific media productions.
9. 7
To help media providers leverage contributions from other donors, the FIU will provide two
types of grants:
1. Joint Funding through Matching/Challenge Grants and Co-Funding Partnerships
The FIU will issue matching and challenge grants, which provide partial funding for
productions while giving media providers financial leverage to gain additional sponsors.
Such grants constitute a common instrument for leveraging additional funding in the non-
profit community. In 2004, more than 2300 foundations provided matching and
challenge grants. Based on a sample of 1010 of the largest of these foundations, donors
provided a total of 1145 such grants (worth more than $318 million).5
The FIU will retain the option, should the recipient of a matching or challenge grant fall
short in raising additional funds, to restructure a project so that it can be completed with
less funding. For example, a matching grant to cover 50 percent of a twelve-episode
educational television series may be redesigned as a grant to cover 100 percent of a six-
episode series. When practical, the FIU will assist recipients of matching and challenge
grants in finding additional sponsors. The FIU may also form formal co-funding
partnerships with other donors to jointly finance media productions.
2. Enabling Grants
To support promising production concepts, the FIU will provide enabling grants to push
media productions through difficult-to-finance stages of the production process.
Enabling grants will fund such stages as setting up co-production arrangements and
recruiting local talent in overseas locations, re-designing programming produced for
American audiences to meet local overseas needs, and developing pilots for television
and radio series. Through such grants, the FIU will enable media providers to focus their
fundraising efforts on production stages that other sponsors are more likely to support.
Reaching Financial Supporters
To communicate its mission and its role in advancing this mission to potential donors, the FIU
will utilize the following marketing tools:
1. Personal Contact with Donors
The FIU will maintain contact with other grant-making organizations that have goals
complementary to the FIU’s mission. As the FIU develops upcoming initiatives and
grant-giving plans, it will consult with other donors to determine if opportunities exist to
take advantage of synergies in missions and priorities. The FIU will also inform other
donors about grants it awards and about opportunities for them to participate, as co-
funding partners or separate contributors, in supporting media productions.
5
The Foundation Center, Foundation Giving Trends, 2005.
10. 8
2. Outreach to the Press
The FIU will communicate its mission and success stories more broadly through a media
and press outreach strategy consisting of the following tools:
• Press releases and video news releases – Through press releases and video news
releases, the FIU will announce major achievements. Releases will be streamlined (to
generate interest without exhausting it) and will encourage journalists to contact the
FIU directly or through the FIU Web site for more detailed information.
• Press kit – The FIU will maintain an updated press kit to quickly explain its mission,
scope of operations, and impact. The press kit will contain more information than
press releases, but will also be brief and concise. Its principal function will be to
generate interest and entice readers to contact the FIU for in-depth information.
• Online press room – The FIU will maintain an online press room that can be
accessed easily on its Web site. This online press room, while remaining easy to
navigate, will contain more detailed information than press kits, including summaries,
press releases, photos (which can be easily downloaded), and streaming video and
audio that showcase segments of media productions supported by the FIU.
• Press conference – The FIU will hold press conferences to highlight especially
noteworthy achievements with broad implications and appeal.
3. Recognition in FIU-Supported Productions
All media productions supported by the FIU will prominently acknowledge the FIU as a
sponsor. All such acknowledgements will display the FIU’s Web site address to
encourage more in-depth exploration of the FIU’s activities.
4. Publications
The FIU will also advertise its mission and its role in advancing this mission through
three types of publications:
• Annual Report – The FIU will issue annual reports detailing its grant awards and
highlighting the impact of the media productions it supports. When advantageous,
annual reports will be organized around themes drawn from the FIU’s ongoing
initiatives, such as reaching children through educational media or using different
media to foster inter-faith and cross-cultural dialogue.
• Brochure – The FIU will maintain an updated and streamlined brochure that
succinctly explains its mission, mode of operation, and performance. This brochure
will be designed to generate interest among potential sponsors, while encouraging
them to contact the FIU or to visit the FIU’s Web site for more detailed information.
11. 9
• Special Reports – On a periodic basis, the FIU will disseminate brief reports
highlighting lessons learned or major research and evaluation results. These reports
will highlight the FIU’s ongoing work, without requiring FIU staff to devote
significant additional time, and will emphasize the FIU’s contribution to the field.
Publications will be disseminated to potential donors and will be placed on the FIU Web
site for broader distribution. All publications (and other printed materials designed for
distribution) will display the FIU’s contact information and Web site address.
5. Web Site
For many potential contributors, including those who become interested in the FIU after
receiving a brochure or other marketing tool, the Web site will provide the first in-depth
introduction to the FIU. Accordingly, the Web site will concisely communicate the FIU’s
mission and ongoing initiatives, while providing more extensive information about the
organization’s history and the scope of its activities. The Web site will also provide
potential contributors and co-funding partners with information about upcoming initiatives
to encourage their participation.
To demonstrate the breadth of the FIU’s activities, the Web site will display streaming
video and audio that showcase segments of media productions made possible by FIU
grants. The Web site will also provide online versions of all major FIU publications, each
with an easy-to-print option, along with more detailed and timely information, such as the
FIU’s latest research and evaluation findings.
The FIU’s Web site will provide far more information than its publications and printed
marketing materials. Nevertheless, it will be easy to navigate, with an intuitive design and
text options for all graphic displays to avoid distractions and delays. The Web site will
also have an address (URL) that is easy to remember and will contain appropriate key
words and hyperlinks so that it can be easily located through online search engines and
secondary Web sites.
12. 10
Research and Evaluation Plan
The Foundation for International Understanding will employ a comprehensive research and
evaluation strategy focused on four primary tasks:
• Market research and planning
• Proposal evaluation
• Project monitoring
• Performance evaluation
Market Research and Planning
The FIU’s ability to identify and support media productions that reach intended audiences will
depend largely on its knowledge of market demand and patterns of media use across geographic
regions and demographic groups. Also, the FIU’s flexibility and adaptability in responding to
new opportunities will depend on its access to timely information about trends and developments
in fast-changing and technology-driven media and entertainment markets around the world.
To track media trends and opportunities, the FIU will commission market surveys and analyses
from professional market research firms. Regions in which the FIU is active will be surveyed on a
regular basis (usually every three to four years) to keep information accurate and up-to-date. This
information will play a central role in the FIU’s decision making as it designs individual projects,
drafts Requests for Proposals (RFPs), formulates its broader grant-making strategies, and responds
to promising ideas from producers and other media providers.
The FIU will also have a nine-person Research and Evaluation Team on its staff to maintain an
internal capacity to conduct secondary market research (using previously conducted studies) and
to evaluate market research data. This internal capacity will allow the FIU to participate in
drafting and interpreting market surveys (rather than relying exclusively on analysis from outside
firms) and will help ensure the FIU’s capability to identify and respond to new opportunities.
Proposal Evaluation
The FIU will employ a thorough, but expeditious, evaluation process to assess the likely reach and
impact of proposed media initiatives. Proposal evaluations will take into account the following
factors:
• Ability of proposed media production to reach target audiences and have intended impact
• Proposed budget
• Time estimate for project completion
• Applicant eligibility and capability
• How well a proposal corresponds to RFP guidelines
• How well a proposed project advances the FIU’s mission and strategic priorities
13. 11
Major grants (more than $100,000) will be awarded three times a year, following review and final
approval by the Board of Trustees. The Board will consider grant requests during its formal
meetings every four months. Before reaching the Board of Trustees for final decision, proposals
will be evaluated by the Grant Awards Team, which will assess proposals for compliance with the
FIU’s requirements, and the Research and Evaluation Team, which will assess proposed media
productions for their potential effectiveness. As needed, proposals will also be reviewed by the
FIU’s Advisory Group and, in special cases, may be sent to other outside experts for review. This
process will support the efficient evaluation of funding requests for large-scale media productions,
with final decisions usually being made in four months or less.
The FIU may award smaller grants ($100,000 or less) at any time during the year without final
review by the Board of Trustees. After proposals are evaluated by the Grant Awards Team and
the Research and Evaluation Team (with assistance from the Advisory Group, if necessary), the
FIU may award Officer’s Grants (for $50,000 or less) or Executive Officer’s Grants (for up to
$100,000). This flexibility will enable the FIU to respond rapidly to new opportunities and timely
ideas from media providers in the field. It will also allow the FIU to respond quickly to new
challenges that threaten tolerance and understanding.
Project Monitoring
To ensure that grant awards are used as specified in grant agreements and that FIU-funded
projects are implemented as planned, the FIU will require grant recipients to submit:
• Short quarterly financial reports
• More comprehensive final project reports
Both quarterly and final reports will provide essential details on project activities and finances, but
will be designed for efficiency to avoid delays and unnecessary burdens on grant recipients.
Quarterly financial reports will generally be one page long and final reports will usually not
exceed two pages. (As models for its reporting requirements, the FIU will use the quarterly
financial status reports and final reports required by the State Department’s Bureau for Education
and Cultural Affairs.) Program Officers will also conduct occasional on-site visits to observe the
work of grant recipients.
Performance Evaluation
To assess the impact of the media initiatives it supports, the FIU will incorporate performance
evaluations into its grant awards. Depending on the goals of individual projects, media
productions will be evaluated to measure their effectiveness in promoting:
• Knowledge acquisition – learning and retaining information about other nations, peoples,
and cultures
• Attitudinal change – positive changes in how other people are perceived, including
increased desire to learn about and interact with people across cultures
14. 12
• Behavioral change – positive changes in personal and group behavior (e.g. actions to
improve health and safety, to increase personal education and skills, and to resolve
personal and group conflicts peacefully)
• Long-term outcomes – improvements in knowledge, attitudes, or behavior that persist
over time
• Community-wide effects – improvements in knowledge, attitudes, or behavior that extend
beyond audience members, usually due to transmission by individual media consumers to
their peers and family members
Performance evaluations will use a range of methodologies to measure these factors, including
standard cross-sectional surveys to quantify changes in audience knowledge and perceptions, as
well as extended interviews and focus groups to gain more in-depth understanding of audience
responses. Longitudinal surveys will also be employed to measure the impact of media
productions over time (long-term outcomes). Broader surveys, extending beyond the immediate
audiences of FIU-supported media productions, will be used to measure the effects of projects on
the wider community (community-wide effects). Most often, these broader surveys measuring
community-wide effects will be integrated into market research surveys commissioned by the FIU
to reduce costs of additional polling.
Through these evaluations, the FIU will identify media content and formats that yield the same or
similar results 1) across audiences and over time (replication of results) and 2) when different
evaluation methodologies are employed (convergence of evidence). Lessons learned about what
types of media are most effective with different regional and demographic groups will be used to
improve the FIU’s grant-award strategy and overall performance.
The FIU will commission professional evaluators to conduct most project evaluations. In some
cases, grant recipients will be responsible for conducting or commissioning evaluations of their
media productions. Each grant award will include the cost of an evaluation, whether
responsibility for conducting or commissioning the evaluation is assigned to the grant recipient or
left to the FIU’s Research and Evaluation Team. The Research and Evaluation Team will review
evaluation plans for all projects and, periodically, will participate in the design and
implementation of project evaluations carried out by outside firms.
15. 13
Management Plan and Organization
The Foundation for International Understanding will begin with a 28-member staff, divided into
the six teams listed below:
Management and Administration Information Systems
Executive Director Chief Information Officer
Chief Operating Officer Information Systems Administrator
Controller Webmaster/IS Administrator
General Counsel
Executive Assistant
Office Manager
Administrative Assistant
Communications Research and Evaluation
Director of Communications Director of Research and Evaluation
Public Relations Associate Research Associate
Publications Associate Research Associate
Grant Awards Development
Director of Grant Awards Director of Development
Program Officer Development Officer
Program Officer Development Officer
Program Officer
Program Officer
Grants Administrator
Grants Administrator
Grants Administrator
Grants Administrator
16. 14
Staff Descriptions
Management and Administration
Executive Director – Responsible for overall management, including formulating and directing
plans to accomplish objectives established by the Board of Trustees, developing program policies
and procedures, and interacting with Congress and FIU stakeholders.
Chief Operating Officer – Directs day-to-day operations, including human resources
management, staff performance evaluations, support services, and office operations. Manages
strategic planning and interaction with the Board of Trustees, including Board meetings.
Controller – Performs principal accounting and budget functions, including managing all FIU
funds and employee payroll (including salaries, benefits, and tax withholdings). Analyzes and
interprets fiscal trends, prepares financial management reports and procedures, and arranges
annual independent audits.
General Counsel – Provides legal counsel and guidance to FIU executives and staff to ensure
legal protection and to maintain FIU operations within limits prescribed by law. Responsible for
identifying and analyzing legal issues, drafting key documents, and assuring legal compliance.
Executive Assistant – Supports the Executive Director in management and administrative tasks.
Office Manager – Assists the Chief Operating Officer in coordinating and directing
administrative support for the FIU. Implements policies and procedures for workflow, filing,
maintaining office supplies, records maintenance, and other clerical services. Performs
receptionist duties and manages mailings.
Administrative Assistant – Supports the Chief Operating Officer and the Chief Financial Officer.
Information Systems
Chief Information Officer – Provides vision and leadership for developing and implementing
the FIU’s information architecture. Directs planning and implementation of information
technology systems in support of the FIU’s business operations.
Information Systems Administrator – Assists the Chief Information Officer in maintaining
computer systems, Internet access, and other aspects of the FIU’s information infrastructure.
Web Master/Information System Administrator – Assists in overseeing the FIU’s information
infrastructure. Maintains the FIU’s Web site (in coordination with the Director of
Communications and the Publications Associate).
17. 15
Development Team
Director of Development – Directs fundraising, builds and maintains relationships with current
and potential contributors, develops co-funding partnerships with other donors.
Two Development Officers – Assist the Director of Development in building relations with
donors and co-sponsors, conduct research on funding sources and trends, and maintain a database
of potential donors and partners.
Grant Awards Team
Director of Grant Awards – Oversees RFP development, proposal review and management,
project implementation and financial accountability, and interaction with grant recipients.
Four Program Officers – Direct individual applications through the grant awards process and
monitor individual grant awards through the implementation and evaluation processes.
Four Grants Administrators – Perform administrative tasks related to grant applications.
Review applications and grant awards to ensure that grant requirements are met.
Communications Team
Director of Communications – Oversees communications to the public, Congress, the press,
potential grant recipients, and other stakeholders. Works with the Director of Development to
coordinate communications to current and potential donors.
Public Relations Associate – Assists the Director of Communications in managing
communications with the press and the broader public. Maintains database on journalists, media
outlets, and public communications.
Publications Associate – Responsible for all publications, including Annual Reports, issue
briefs, and the FIU’s Web site content (with assistance from the Web Master).
Research and Evaluation Team
Director of Research and Evaluation – Oversees market research, media effects research, and
performance evaluations of FIU-supported projects.
Two Research Associates – Assist in managing and conducting performance evaluations, assist
Program Officers in assessing proposals, conduct research on media markets and on the impact of
different media content and formats.
Legal and accountant services will be contracted to outside firms, when necessary, under the
direction of the General Counsel and Controller. Maintaining information systems hardware will
also be outsourced under the direction of the Chief Information Officer.
18. 16
Staff and Salaries
Title Expected Salary ($US)
Executive Director 175,000
Chief Operating Officer 130,000
Controller 120,000
General Counsel 120,000
Executive Assistant 60,000
Office Manager 50,000
Administrative Assistant 45,000
Chief Information Officer 120,000
Information Systems Administrator 65,000
Web Master/IS Administrator 65,000
Director of Development 105,000
Development Officer 65,000
Development Officer 65,000
Director of Grant Awards 95,000
Program Officer 65,000
Program Officer 65,000
Program Officer 65,000
Program Officer 65,000
Grants Administrator 55,000
Grants Administrator 55,000
Grants Administrator 55.000
Grants Administrator 55.000
Director of Communications 95,000
Public Relations Associate 60,000
Publications Associate 60,000
Director of Research and Evaluation 95,000
Research Associate 65,000
Research Associate 65,000
Total Salaries 2,200,000
19. 17
Board of Trustees
The FIU’s Board of Trustees will be comprised of 12 members who, on balance, represent the
critical interests of various stakeholders and provide substantial knowledge and expertise in
important fields, including media and entertainment, international communications, education,
fundraising, and financial management. Potential recipients of FIU grants will be barred from
serving on the Board of Trustees.
The Board of Trustees will be responsible for establishing the FIU’s strategic priorities, approving
grant awards exceeding $100,000, developing guidelines for the FIU’s operations, and
establishing financial and program oversight. The Board will meet three times per year (e.g.
January, May, and September).
The Board of Trustees will self-select its membership. Trustees will serve six-year terms. Upon
the retirement of a Trustee, other Board members will select (via unanimous consent) a
replacement. The first group of Trustees will serve staggered terms: four Trustees will serve two-
year terms, another four Trustees will serve four-year terms, and the final four Trustees will serve
full six-year terms. This staggered approach will ensure that the entire Board of Trustees does not
retire at once.
Board of Advisors
The FIU will form a Board of Advisors consisting of producers and others in the media and
entertainment industries. Members of the Board of Advisors will provide advice on global media
markets, including audience demand for different types of media content and formats, preferences
of broadcasters and distributors, and trends in new media development. The Board of Advisors
will be especially helpful in advising the Board of Trustees on the FIU’s strategic priorities.
20. 18
Operating Plan
The Foundation for International Understanding’s principal grant-making and grant management
operations will be divided into four categories:
1. Request for Proposal (RFP) Management
2. Application Review and Proposal Evaluation
3. Grant Award Management
4. Project Monitoring and Performance Evaluation
Management of Requests for Proposal (RFPs)
The Board of Trustees, during its September meeting each year, will determine the FIU’s budget
for grant awards and strategic priorities for the upcoming year. Strategic priorities will include the
regions, audiences, and themes on which the FIU will concentrate. The FIU’s Executive Director,
an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees, will forward the grant awards budget and strategic
priorities to all Directors and the Board of Advisors.
The Director of Grant Awards will assume responsibility for drafting Requests for Proposals
(RFPs) to meet the FIU’s strategic priorities. Based on the FIU’s grant awards budget, the Grant
Awards Team will develop RFPs, which may identify specific types of media content and formats
that the FIU wishes to sponsor, or may be open-ended to allow grant applicants flexibility in
deciding which media and programming types work best. All RFPs will have a suggested budget
range to serve as a guide for applicants.
The Development Team will provide advice on how RFPs can be structured to mobilize additional
resources from other donors through co-sponsored projects, matching grants, enabling grants, or
other means.
The Research and Evaluation Team will provide advice on which media best serve specific
regions and audiences (market research) and have the desired effect (media effects research). The
Director of Research and Evaluation will commission professional market research as needed.
The Research and Evaluation Team will also identify benchmarks and measurable indicators, to
be incorporated into RFPs, which can be used to evaluate FIU-supported projects. Grant
applicants will be required to discuss how they will meet identified benchmarks and indicators in
their proposals.
The Grant Awards Team will forward draft RFPs to the Executive Director for approval. After
receiving counsel from the Board of Advisors, the Executive Director will either approve RFPs
and forward them to the Communications Team for dissemination or send RFPs back to the Grant
Awards Team for revision.
21. 19
Application Review and Proposal Evaluation
Grants Administrators will conduct initial screening of all applications on a rolling basis. If an
application is incomplete, a Grants Administrator will provide guidance on how to complete the
application or decline the proposal and notify the applicant.
Once an application is completed, a Grants Administrator will forward it to an assigned Program
Officer for evaluation. Proposal evaluations may involve discussions with the applicant and site
visits. Each proposal evaluation will take into consideration:
• Ability of proposed media production to reach target audiences and have intended impact
• Proposed budget
• Time estimate for project completion
• An applicant’s eligibility and capability
• How well a proposal corresponds to RFP guidelines
• How well a proposed project advances the FIU’s mission and strategic priorities
After completing a proposal evaluation, the assigned Program Officer will forward the application
with a recommendation to the Director of Grant Awards. The Director of Grant Awards will then
take one of four actions:
1. Decline the application and inform the Program Officer and Grants Administrator.
2. Approve the proposal and authorize an Officer’s Grant (if the application is for a grant of
$50,000 or less).
3. Forward the application to the Executive Director with a positive recommendation.
4. Send the application back to the Program Officer for further review. The Director of Grant
Awards will highlight any changes the applicant should make in the proposal to receive a
grant. The Program Officer will work with the applicant, as necessary, to revise the
proposal.
Upon receiving an application evaluation and summary, the Executive Director will either:
1. Approve the proposal and authorize an Executive Officer’s Grant (if the application is for
a grant of $100,000 or less).
2. Give the proposal a positive recommendation and send it back to the Grant Awards Team,
which will prepare it for review by the Board of Trustees (if the grant request is for more
than $100,000).
22. 20
3. Decline the application. In rare cases, the Executive Director may overrule the Director
of Grant Awards and decline a proposal that has received a positive recommendation. In
such cases, the Executive Director will clearly explain the reason for declining the
proposal and forward this decision to the Director of Grant Awards.
4. Send the application back to the Grant Awards Team for further review. In rare cases,
the Executive Director will highlight changes that the applicant should make to receive a
grant. In such cases, the assigned Program Officer will then work with the applicant to
revise the proposal.
During its meetings every four months, the Board of Trustees will discuss all grant requests for
more than $100,000 for which the Executive Director has given a positive recommendation. For
each proposal it reviews, the Board will take one of four actions:
1. Give final approval for a grant award
2. Approve a grant award with special conditions
3. Decline the grant request
4. Refer the proposal back to the Grant Awards Team for further study (in rare cases)
Officer Grants (for $50,000 or less) and Executive Officer Grants (for $100,000 or less) may be
awarded at any time during the year. Grants exceeding $100,000 will be awarded three times per
year (following each Board of Trustees meeting). The review process for grant requests of more
than $100,000 (from the time an application is received to the time a final decision is made by
the Board of Trustees) will usually take no more than four months. Throughout the application
review process, the assigned Program Officer and the Grants Administrator will communicate
decisions to the applicant.
Grant Award Management
Once the Board of Trustees has made a final decision on a grant application, the assigned Grants
Administrator will notify the applicant. Upon receipt of a signed agreement from the applicant,
the assigned Program Officer will forward the award notification to the Controller for payment.
The Program Officer will maintain the project file for the duration of the grant. The Controller
will maintain a parallel financial file for each grant award.
Project Monitoring and Performance Evaluation
The Program Officer will be responsible for interacting with the grant recipient for the duration
of the project and for reviewing the grant recipient’s project implementation, quarterly financial
reports, and final report. Should serious project implementation or financial problems arise, the
Program Officer will notify the Director of Grant Awards, who will be responsible for resolving
major problems with the grant recipient. The Director of Grant Awards will notify the Executive
Director and the Controller if problems cannot be resolved. The Executive Director will
determine if a grant should be terminated.
23. 21
The Program Officer will work with the Research and Evaluation Team to prepare each
project’s performance evaluation. The Research and Evaluation Team will manage the
performance evaluations and will notify the Executive Director, the Program Officer, and all
FIU Directors of evaluation results. Most evaluations will be outsourced to an external firm,
which will work closely with the Research and Evaluation Team.
27. 25
Financial Plan
The Foundation for International Understanding’s projected budget for its first three
years of operation will be $25.5 million annually (adjusted for inflation). Public funding
will account for 80 percent ($20 million) of this amount. The FIU will target $5.5 million
in annual contributions from the private sector during this period. Operating expenses
will remain steady at 16 to 17 percent of the overall budget.
This budget will enable the FIU to perform the following primary tasks:
• Sponsor diverse media productions (including Combined Multi-Media Initiatives)
for the Middle East, South Asia, the Asia-Pacific, Latin America, East Asia,
Africa, Europe, and the United States,
• Acquire specialized staff, equipment, and facilities needed to award and manage
grants totaling more than $20 million
• Commission market research in target media markets
• Commission (and participate in) performance evaluations to measure the
effectiveness of media productions it supports
Financial projections are presented on the next page.
28. Financial Projections
Foundation for International Understanding
Projected Revenues: YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3
Public Funding 20,000,000$ 21,000,000$ 22,050,000$
% of Funding 78% 78% 78%
Growth Rate 5% 5%
Private Funding 5,500,000$ 5,775,000$ 6,063,750$
% of Funding 22% 22% 22%
Growth Rate 5% 5%
Total Projected Revenues 25,500,000$ 26,775,000$ 28,113,750$
Projected Expenses:
Grant Awards 20,650,000$ 22,160,000$ 23,230,000$
Outsourced Market Research 375,000$ 350,000$ 350,000$
and Macro Evaluations
Total Program Expenses 21,025,000$ 22,510,000$ 23,580,000$
% of Expenses 83% 84% 84%
Administration
Employee Payroll 2,200,000$ 2,310,000$ 2,425,500$
Payroll Taxes 176,000$ 184,800$ 194,040$
Benefits 440,000$ 462,000$ 485,100$
Contract Fees: A/P, A/R, Banking, Payroll 30,000$ 31,500$ 33,075$
Consulting Fees 100,000$ 105,000$ 110,250$
Board Expenses 129,000$ 135,450$ 142,223$
Publications/Marketing 150,000$ 200,000$ 250,000$
Meetings/Conferences 30,000$ 31,500$ 33,075$
Travel 200,000$ 210,000$ 220,500$
Audit/Legal Fees 60,000$ 48,000$ 50,400$
Facilities
Rent/Utilities 225,000$ 236,250$ 248,063$
Office Supplies 112,000$ 117,600$ 123,480$
Insurance $20,000 $21,000 $22,050
Start-Up Equipment 196,000$
IT/Web Site/Telephone/Mail 367,000$ 156,000$ 163,800$
Equipment Depreciation (28,008)$ (48,000)$ (34,280)$
Total Overhead Costs 4,406,992$ 4,201,100$ 4,467,275$
% of Expenses 17% 16% 16%
Total Projected Expenses 25,431,992$ 26,711,100$ 28,047,275$
Net Projected Surplus 68,008$ 63,900$ 66,475$
29. 27
Explanation of Financial Projections
Estimated annual inflation rate = 5.0%.
Private Funding: Before the FIU begins operations, the Center for the Study of the
Presidency (CSP) will develop relations with corporations, foundations, and other
sponsors interested in supporting the FIU’s mission. Based on CSP’s efforts, the FIU’s
Development Team will target $5.5 million in support from the private sector during the
first year of operation. The FIU will attempt to maintain this level of private support
during the following two years.
Grant Awards: During its first three years, the FIU will increase the dollar amount of
grants provided, which will rise from about $20.6 million to $23.2 million in three years.
Outsourced Market Research:
• Year One – The FIU will commission market research for the Middle East
($150,000), South Asia ($200,000), and the United States ($25,000) to identify
types of media content and formats favored by various demographic groups in
each region.
• Year Two – Commissioned market research will cover Southeast Asia ($200,000)
and Europe ($150,000).
• Year Three – Commissioned market research will cover Africa ($200,000) and
Latin America ($150,000)
Employee Payroll: The FIU will begin operations with a staff of 28. COLAs of 5.0%
are projected for the Washington, D.C. area.
Payroll Taxes: Payroll taxes are equal to 8.0% of compensation.
Benefits: Employee benefits are calculated as 20% of compensation [health benefits =
9.0%, 403(b) = 5.0%, benefit contract fees and miscellaneous costs = 6.0%].
Payroll, A/P, A/R, Bank Contracts: These expenses cover contract fees for the
administration of payroll services, accounts payable services, accounts receivable
services, and banking transaction fees.
Consulting Fees: The FIU will commission, as needed, specialized technical assistance
from professionals with executive production experience to assist in problem solving.
Board of Trustee Expenses: Expenses for Trustees and Trustee Board meetings are
calculated at $10,000 per Trustee and $3,000 for Board meetings.
30. 28
Publication and Marketing: Expenses will increase steadily each year for the first three
years as the FIU increases the volume of printed, video, and audio materials for
fundraising and outreach.
Meetings/Conferences: These expenses cover receptions and Advisory Board meetings.
Travel: Travel is estimated at $10,000 annually for each staff member that travels.
Travel expenses will not be distributed evenly, as the Executive Director and Project
Directors will travel more often than other staff.
Audit and Legal Fees: These expenses cover fees incurred for financial audits and legal
contract expense for operations. They do not include audit costs for FIU-funded projects.
The audit costs for individual FIU-funded projects are included in the grant award costs.
Initial expenses are higher due to the legal costs of incorporating the FIU.
Rent and Utilities: Assuming a cost of $45 per square foot, the FIU’s office space of
5000 square feet will cost $225,000 per year.
Office Supplies: Projections are $4,000 per person.
Insurance: Expenses cover property liability ($3,500), workers’ compensation ($7,000),
directors’ and officers’ liability ($9,000), and employee misconduct liability ($500).
Start-Up Equipment Purchases: Projections are based on $7,000 per person.
IT, Web site, and Telephone: Expenses in Year One include initial equipment purchase
($250,000) and consulting to design the FIU’s information management architecture,
Web site, and telecommunications system ($15,000). Each subsequent year includes
costs related to maintenance of IT equipment and the FIU Web site ($100,000), as well as
telephone service ($2,000 per person).
Office Equipment Depreciation: Projections are based on an assumed seven-year life
span for office equipment (as allowed by the IRS).
