GOLD2023

INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL POLICY AND UNDERSTANDING

Research Making an Impact

aka ISPU   |   Dearborn, MI   |  http://www.ispu.org

Mission

ISPU provides objective research and education about American Muslims to support well-informed dialogue and decision-making. Since 2002, ISPU has been at the forefront of discovering data, trends and opportunities related to American Muslim communities. Our research aims to educate the general public and enable community change agents, the media, and policymakers to make evidence-based decisions. In addition to building in-house capacity, ISPU has assembled leading experts across multiple disciplines, building a solid reputation as a trusted source for information for and about American Muslims.

Notes from the nonprofit

ISPU's research principles ensure that our research is relevant and useful. These are:
• Collaborative: We actively seek to work with, not in competition against, others in the field.
• Actionable: We conduct research to find solutions that are realistic and implementable.
• Rigorous: Our research is objective, thorough, and evidence-based.
• Responsive: We conduct research on what is relevant to the American Muslim community.
• Visionary: We continuously look for emerging challenges and opportunities.

Ruling year info

2004

Executive Director

Meira Neggaz

Director of Research

Dalia Mogahed

Main address

3200 Greenfield Rd Suite 300

Dearborn, MI 48120 USA

Show more contact info

EIN

38-3633581

NTEE code info

Research Institutes and/or Public Policy Analysis (V05)

Social Science Research Institutes, Services (V20)

IRS filing requirement

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

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Communication

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

ISPU was founded in the wake of the tragic September 11, 2001 attacks, a time that generated much commentary about Muslims both in the United States and abroad. Our founders recognized that journalists, government officials, and the general public increasingly sought to educate themselves about Muslims. However, the scarcity of reliable data or sound policy analysis often made it challenging to get data on Muslim attitudes, institutions, or practices, a challenge that persists today. ISPU was created to fill this major information gap.

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?

Discovering through Research

Through rigorous and timely research, we discover new data, trends and opportunities. Our publications, including our regular American Muslim Poll, provide much-needed insight into issues impacting not just Americans who are Muslim but all individuals working toward the promise of pluralism.

Population(s) Served
Adults

We share what we learn through our research and findings to educate the general public and raise awareness. We reach millions of people every year through in-person and digital education events, exhibits, convenings, media coverage, and more.

Population(s) Served
Adults

We provide evidence based resources, workshops and toolkits for journalists, policymakers, community leaders, teachers, advocates, and others to use in their own important work. Our strategy of equipping others multiplies our impact as the data lives on in the work of those who catalyze change.

Population(s) Served
Adults

Where we work

Awards

2020 Board Leadership Award 2020

Center for NonProfit Advancement

Our results

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.

# of national, state, and local policymakers and community leaders with new resources and information

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Equipping Decision Makers

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Number of media appearances/mentions of ISPU research

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Informing the Public

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Number of research studies conducted

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Discovering through Research

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Holding steady

Number of institutions that we train on our research

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Equipping Decision Makers

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

# of people directly reached with original research and analysis

This metric is no longer tracked.
Totals By Year
Related Program

Informing the Public

Type of Metric

Output - describing our activities and reach

Direction of Success

Increasing

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

Today, through research and education activities, ISPU aims to generate a foundation of fact, educate the general public and equip community change agents, the media, and policymakers to take evidence-based actions and decisions.

And this is vital, urgent and necessary because facts are fuel. Sound research informs the public on national and local policies made in their name. It enables smart activism, advocacy and community development programs. It enables fact-based versus fear-based policymaking and nuanced and accurate media reporting. It combats fear and misunderstanding and encourages dialogue.

Discover:
First, we discover new data through rigorous research. Our publications, including our annual American Muslim Poll, provide much-needed insight into issues impacting not just Americans who are Muslim but all individuals working toward the promise of pluralism.

Educate:
Next, we use what we learn to educate the general public and raise awareness. We reach millions of people every year through in-person and digital education events, exhibits, convenings, media coverage, and more.

Equip:
Finally, we provide resources, workshops and toolkits for journalists, policymakers, community leaders, teachers, advocates, and others to use in their own important work. Equipping others multiplies our impact as the data lives on in the work of those who join us in catalyzing change.

Our high capacity board and staff have nearly two decades of experience with a laser focus on our area of work. In addition to building in house capacity, ISPU has assembled leading experts across multiple disciplines, building a solid reputation as a trusted source for information for and about American Muslims.

At ISPU, we take our tagline of Research Making an Impact seriously. We rigorously and meticulously count and log the ways in which our work makes a difference, furthering well-informed dialogue and decision-making.

During the 2021 calendar year, ISPU had...
847 mentions of ISPU research in media outlets–that’s more than 2 per day!
1,354 institutions—including schools, mosques, media outlets, and more—trained with ISPU research.
28,271 followers connected with on various social media channels, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
1,521 national, state, and local policymakers and community leaders equipped with new resources and information.
63 ISPU Scholars active in our network.
2,025 partners engaged across the nation and industries.

Since 2002, ISPU has produced…
1,052 Total Publications
169 Reports and Policy Briefs
828 Articles and Op-eds

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 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 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?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    It is difficult to get the people we serve to respond to requests for feedback, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time

Financials

INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL POLICY AND UNDERSTANDING
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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

Subscribe

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.

INSTITUTE FOR SOCIAL POLICY AND UNDERSTANDING

Board of directors
as of 12/07/2023
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Marwa Zohdy

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? Yes
  • 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? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 3/22/2021
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

The organization's co-leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
Decline to state
Gender identity
Female

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

No data

Disability

No data

Equity strategies

Last updated: 03/22/2021

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

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • 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.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.