Our Funding Perspective

FinRegLab is a nonprofit, nonpartisan innovation center that tests new technologies and data to inform public policy and drive the financial sector toward a responsible and inclusive financial marketplace. With our research insights, we facilitate discourse across the financial ecosystem to inform public policy and market practices.

Our fact-based research and independent, impartial analyses are essential to our integrity and credibility in advancing the safe adoption of technology and data in financial services. The following principles help to guide our research projects and fundraising efforts and demonstrate how we maintain our integrity.

• Our core values are rigor, independence, transparency, engagement, and humility.
• FinRegLab is committed to conducting rigorous independent research that is informed by and shared widely with our diverse set of stakeholders. Stakeholders include financial services firms, consumer advocates, academics, and public policymakers.
• We disclose our data sources, methods, and findings with sufficient detail to permit outsiders to understand and scrutinize our results. We encourage inquiries about our research methods and practices and endeavor to answer requests for information promptly.
• The integrity of our work is core to our credibility and the value of FinRegLab as a research organization. While we welcome and actively seek input and feedback from all relevant stakeholders, FinRegLab has the final word on its research, working groups, events, and editorial content.
• The following describes principles that govern our gift acceptance and general operations to ensure the independence and integrity of our research.

FinRegLab’s principles are reviewed annually by its Board of Directors and the CEO.

Principles on Funding/Gift Acceptance

1. We only accept support for research and projects that are consistent with our mission.
2. We welcome meaningful engagement from all informed parties to enhance the quality of our work, but the CEO and Board will ensure the independence of our work, even if funders disagree with the findings or conclusions.
3. Where projects and events are supported by a particular funder, the funding will be disclosed along with language that reaffirms that our research and voice are independent.
4. No funder of the organization will determine our research findings or steer our market and policy reports.
5. We strive to disseminate our research findings and discourse insights broadly and to actively engage all stakeholders so that our work is of value for the collective interest.
6. All funding will be publicly acknowledged annually and supporters will be listed on our website.
7. FinRegLab will seek to diversify its funding base to demonstrate the value of the organization’s work across a range of stakeholders. Diverse funders may include philanthropic organizations, corporations and corporate foundations, federal and state governments, and individuals.
8. We are grateful to our funders and partners who make it possible for us to advance fact-based research and a shared dialogue across the ecosystem.

Governance

FinRegLab’s Board of Directors has a fiduciary responsibility to the organization. FinRegLab is led by the CEO who reports to the Board. The CEO and the Board work to ensure that FinRegLab is operating and adhering to its mission and values as expressed above. Expectations for FinRegLab’s Board of Directors include:

• Avoiding or appropriately managing any conflicts of interest or the appearance thereof through disclosure, recusal or other means consistent with the organization’s bylaws and conflict of interest policies;
• Overseeing the performance of the CEO with respect to her fulfillment of the organization’s mission and goals;
• Ensuring that the CEO and appropriate staff provide the board with timely and comprehensive information about the organization’s research and fundraising efforts so that the board may effectively carry out its duties;
• Ensuring FinRegLab conducts its activities with integrity and transparency and in furtherance of its mission;
• Ensuring FinRegLab’s resources are responsibly and prudently managed; and
• Ensuring FinRegLab has the capacity to carry out its mission effectively.

Information about additional operating and program supporters here