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Funding Principles

Population Reference Bureau (PRB) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization registered as a 501c(3) in the United States. We are grateful for the generous support of the numerous donors who make it possible for us to advance our mission. Our work reflects our values of collaboration, equity, inclusivity, integrity, and learning and innovation.  These values and the following principles guide our engagement with our donors and partners.

  • PRB solicits and accepts funding only for activities that are consistent with our mission and strategy. PRB engages with public and private sector organizations for the common purpose of harnessing the power of population data to inform and advance solutions to critical issues facing our world and improve the well-being of people globally. The pursuit of financial support should not divert PRB from our mission.
  • PRB retains discretion and final decision-making authority regarding the programs and projects it pursues. PRB welcomes comments or views from donors to enhance the quality of our work—including research topics, speakers, participants in activities, and the contents of reports—but we will not be unduly influenced by them. PRB will not pursue or accept funding that would require the resulting research, findings, conclusions, or other publications to be inconsistent with PRB’s mission or principles.
  • PRB respects the ability of its experts (staff, fellows, and consultants) to reach conclusions based on evidence independent from donors. Our experts are encouraged to share the substantiated implications of PRB’s research, as well as the findings of other researchers, in ways that are accessible to broader audiences.
  • PRB believes research should be shared publicly. We provide donors with reproduction and distribution rights for research reports they have funded. In cases where PRB does not exclusively retain intellectual property rights, we work with donors to ensure that we can communicate the insights and conclusions publicly; for example, through essays, interactive features, data visualizations, or blog posts.
  • Each year, PRB publicly acknowledges all contributions to support our work. We list donors for each year. PRB will consider granting anonymity to individual donors who request it, subject to evaluation of the best interests of PRB and the donor with regard to transparency, reputational risk, and the limits of the law. Where products or events are made possible by a particular donor, the funding relationship shall be disclosed in connection with that product or event.
  • PRB staff may not engage in activities that constitute lobbying. At our leadership’s discretion, PRB can at any time and for any reason reject or return support from an individual, corporation, or foundation, or decline to enter a partnership with another organization.
  • PRB will guard the appropriate use of our name, logo, and reputation.