ANSI Foundations

Overview In December 2001, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Board of Directors established four ANSI Foundations to increase awareness of and participation in standards related activities.

ANSI Consumer Participation Foundation

The Consumer Participation Foundation facilitates participation by consumer interest groups in standards-related activities. The Foundation’s endowment provides reimbursement of travel expenses incurred for consumer representatives who attend ANSI governance meetings, and those who participate in other meetings as an authorized ANSI delegate.

The program has been successful in enabling consumer representatives employed by or affiliated with prominent consumer organizations to participate on the ANSI Board and in the Institute’s governance activities, as well as in the policy related activities of the International Organization for Standardization’s Committee on Consumer Policy (ISO COPOLCO).

In addition, Trustees of the Foundation have provided sponsorship to help enable representatives of consumer organizations to attend relevant conferences, such as the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization’s annual meeting and training symposium. [see related article]

The Foundation is managed by a Board of four Trustees: chairman of the ANSI Board of Directors, chairman of the ANSI Finance Committee, chairman of the Consumer Interest Forum, and the ANSI president/CEO.

ANSI Research and Education Foundation

The Research and Education Foundation facilitates special research projects and/or educational initiatives. The Foundation’s endowment facilitates numerous education and outreach activities and supports advancement of the ANSI Committee on Education’s goal to raise awareness of the standardization industry. The initiatives of the Foundation represent an important step in ANSI’s long-term commitment to the inclusion of standardization and conformity assessment information in university curriculum.

The Foundation has also sponsored outreach workshops and international conferences that addressed the development of a standards-based curriculum for higher education. It also developed a “Standards Resource Guide” for students involved in the Environmental Protection Agency’s P3 award competition. [see related article]

Presently, the Education Foundation is developing a series of case studies that will be used to promote standards and conformity assessment-related education and training activities among colleges and universities and within the global standardization community. The deliverable will satisfy a tactic of Strategy 10 of the United States Standards Strategy.

The Foundation is managed by a Board of three Trustees: chairman of the ANSI Board of Directors, chairman of the ANSI Finance Committee, and the ANSI president/CEO.

ANSI ISO General Assembly Meetings Foundation

The ISO General Assembly (GA) Meetings Foundation provides funding for the United States to host or facilitate one or more ISO GA meetings, as well as meetings of ISO Policy Committees held in conjunction with the ISO GA. The Foundation’s endowment is currently supporting ISO 2012, the ISO General Assembly to be held in San Diego, California.

The Foundation is managed by a Board of three Trustees: chairman of the ANSI Board of Directors, chairman of the ANSI Finance Committee, and the ANSI president/CEO.

USNC/IEC General Meetings Foundation

The United States National Committee (USNC) of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) General Meetings Foundation provides funding for the USNC to host or facilitate one or more IEC General Meetings and related concurrent meetings.

The Foundation’s endowment is currently supporting IEC 2010, the IEC General Meeting to be held in Seattle, Washington, from October 6-15, 2010. At least 1,500 delegates and more than 700 accompanying persons representing an anticipated seventy nations are expected to attend the event.

The Foundation is managed by a Board of four Trustees: chairman of the ANSI Board of Directors, chairman of the ANSI Finance Committee, the president of the USNC, and the ANSI president/CEO.