GOLD2023

The Right Question Institute, Inc.

A Catalyst for Microdemocracy

Somerville, MA   |  www.rightquestion.org

Mission

The mission of The Right Question Institute (RQI) is to develop simple and powerful educational methods that all people in low and moderate-income communities can use to advocate for themselves, navigate complex systems and participate in decision-making processes that affect them. RQI makes its methods easily available to staffs of organizations, programs and agencies working in low and moderate-income communities all over the country. When they teach RQI's methods to the people with whom they work, they are building new capacity for effective individual action, for strengthening communities and for making democracy work better

Ruling year info

1991

Executive Director

Betsy Smith

Main address

P.O. Box 440431

Somerville, MA 02144 USA

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Formerly known as

Right Question Project

EIN

04-3099027

NTEE code info

Community Improvement, Capacity Building N.E.C. (S99)

Civil Rights, Social Action, and Advocacy N.E.C. (R99)

Management & Technical Assistance (B02)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

Sign in or create an account to view Form(s) 990 for 2020, 2019 and 2018.
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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

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Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Teaching + Learning (Education)

We learn with and from educators to create free resources and powerful learning experiences so that all learners have access to a fundamental skill for thinking and learning: question formulation. We also support faculty members and researchers at a range of institutions to foster question formulation in their own research and with students inside and outside the classroom.

Population(s) Served
Students
Academics

We supply training and resources to legal professionals who serve low-income clients — fostering stronger partnerships with clients and building their ability to navigate the legal system and advocate for themselves in other settings.

Population(s) Served

We provide free resources and consulting to direct service organizations in low-income communities — sharing a strategy that allows individuals to see the value and urgency in voting.

Population(s) Served
Parents
Families
Low-income people
Parents
Families
Low-income people

Where we work

Videos

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome

Financials

The Right Question Institute, Inc.
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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lock

Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

The Right Question Institute, Inc.

Board of directors
as of 01/18/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Mary Wendell

Macky Buck

David A. Guberman

Dan Rothstein

Diane Englander

Shonak Patel

Leslie Jimenez

John Campbell

Stephen Quatrano

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Not applicable
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Not applicable
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Not applicable
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Not applicable

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 8/24/2022
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
White/Caucasian/European
Gender identity
Female, Not transgender (cisgender)
Sexual orientation
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, or other sexual orientations in the LGBTQIA+ community
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

No data

Gender identity

No data

 

No data

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 08/24/2022

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Policies and processes
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.