Institute for the Future (IFTF)

It works on behalf of its dues paying partners as well as for businesses and organizations that pay for once-off projects.

Among its prominent consulting efforts is “Climate Action In 2030,” a program which supports environmentalist efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

History

The Institute for the Future (IFTF) was founded in 1968 with a grant from the left-wing Ford Foundation by several Rand Corporation researchers with the intent of extending the military research methods used by Rand into public and business sectors. ¹

Originally located in Connecticut, the organization moved to Palo Alto, California in 1971. A small group of cross-disciplinary researchers was assembled to leverage evolving technologies and hybrid research methods to define and extend its purpose of addressing global climate change and the perceived crisis in health care. ²

Today

Founded as a non-profit with the intent of doing work for government agencies, Institute for the Future began to take a more corporate approach in the 1970s. Income is derived from over 50 IFTF Vantage “partners” and non-partner organizations in the business, education, government, and philanthropy sectors who then access services. The organization plots a ten-year future window for its “partners,” defines the insights gleaned, then builds a plan of short-term actions that build toward the long-term future. ³

Further, IFTF’s Foresight initiative provides training to organizations and individuals on shaping a vision of the future, building consensus around it, and defining planned actions intended to build to the agreed future. ⁴

One example of IFTF’s projects is “Climate Action In 2030” produced for Climate Investment Funds. Climate Investment funds is in the business of  providing long-term financing to accelerate climate change initiatives. IFTF published the results of their work in a paper titled “A New Story to Spark the Future of Climate Action.” The work starts from the premise that man is the primary cause of global warming and builds a roadmap of how to hold the rise of temperature below 2 degrees by 2030. It provides specific direction how to leverage the media and activate global youth and women while proposing abundant financial returns that will result from climate change remediation. ⁵

Leadership

Marina Gorbis has served as executive director since 2006. Futurist, social scientist and author of The Nature of the Future: Dispatches From the Socialstructured World, she has worked with hundreds of organizations in business, education, philanthropy and government to improve innovation, design new products and services and develop long-term strategies. ^{6 7}

Funding

Total Income for 2017 totaled $11,243,385 of which $11,184,349 was generated via service revenue while $43,049 was provided via contributions and grants. ⁸ The partnership program generated $3,759,139 of income with the rest coming from projects generated by non-partners. ⁹ Expenses totaled $11,183,741 consisting of  salaries and employee benefits of $6,397,539, consulting fees of $1,343,644, travel expense of $975,631 and rent of $858,458. ^{10 11 12}

At the end of 2017 total assets were $2,114,169. ¹³

Clients

The Institute for the Future has provided services for the following organizations:

• AARP
• Accenture
• Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• BASF
• BP
• Business Finland
• Cigna
• Extension
• GM
• Intel
• Mitsubishi Corporation
• Telstra
• Nestle
• Valeo
• WestRock
• Orsted
• RTI International
• Sanitarium Health & Well Being
• Merck
• Microsoft
• Cox Enterprises
• Dubai Electricity & Utility Authority