The Nielsen Foundation is the private grantmaking foundation of Nielsen, a global data and analytics company. The nonprofit has a giving focus on the media and technology but supports numerous socially left-of-center causes and groups. ¹

Background

The global data and analytics company Nielsen created the Nielsen Foundation in 2016. ²

The organization’s focus is to contribute to media and technology projects that seek to increase the inclusion of racial minorities in media and technology, support climate change awareness, and improve mental health. ³

2020 Racial Unrest

In June 2020, the Nielsen Foundation announced that it was donating $1 million over three years to support Black-owned small businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and rioting following the police-involved death of George Floyd. The money went to the left-leaning Local Initiatives Support Corporation which distributed the funds in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. ⁴

The nonprofit also launched a $100,000 campaign to match donations by Nielsen employees which benefited the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, the National Urban League, the United Negro College Fund, and Human Rights Watch. The nonprofit announced it would also match employee donations to the International Rescue Committee, the United Nations World Food Programme, and Global Giving. ⁵

The nonprofit also gave another $1 million to combat “inequalities that have been heightened as a result of COVID-19.” The nonprofit donated to groups who modified their U.S. Census campaigns as a result of COVID-19 and to “anti-xenophobia and anti-hate speech efforts.” ⁶

Teach For America

In 2021, the Nielsen Foundation announced that it was going to give Teach For America $375,000 over three years to recruit “equity-oriented, talented leaders from diverse backgrounds” and have them teach in low-income public schools across the United States. Teach For America introduced a new teacher admissions model to find “equity-oriented” potential teachers that the Nielsen Foundation funded. ⁷

Asian Americans Advancing Justice Los Angeles

In 2022, the Nielsen Foundation gave $5,000 to Asian Americans Advancing Justice- Los Angeles for a  research study on anti-discrimination messaging. ⁸

Immigrant Causes

In 2022, the Nielsen Foundation gave $25,000 to Upwardly Global to boost the employability of immigrants, including refugees and asylees. ⁹

“Latinx” In Animation

In 2022, the Nielsen Foundation gave $10,000 to the Latino Film Institute Youth Cinema Project to support, in the foundation’s words, “Latinx” in Animation. ¹⁰

Trevor Project

In 2022, the Nielsen Foundation gave $50,000 to the Trevor Project for a campaign to tell the stories to transgender and non-binary young people. ¹¹

Anti-Fatness Research

In 2022, the Nielsen Foundation gave $50,000 to the University of Southern California’s Norman Lear Center Media Impact Project research project on representations of fatness and anti-fat bias in medical dramas. ¹²

Women Of Color Unite

In 2022, the Nielsen Foundation gave $5,000 to Women of Color Unite, a feminist activist group focused on racial minority women. ¹³

Leadership

The Nielsen Foundation’s president and executive director is Andrea Bertels. She is Nielsen’s vice president for corporate citizenship. ¹⁴

Finances

According to the Nielsen Foundation’s 2022 tax return, the nonprofit had $1,010,431 in revenue, $2,325,527 in expenses, and $33,137,628 in assets. ¹⁵

1. “Nielsen Foundation Inc, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/475513015/202342279349100024/full.
2. Nielsen Foundation. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://nielsen-foundation.org/.
3. Nielsen Foundation. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://nielsen-foundation.org/.
4.  “Nielsen Foundation Contributes $1 Million to Support Black-Owned Small Businesses.” Nielsen Foundation, June 16, 2020. https://nielsen-foundation.org/2020/06/16/nielsen-foundation-contributes-1-million-to-support-black-owned-small-businesses/.
5.  “Nielsen Foundation Contributes $1 Million to Support Black-Owned Small Businesses.” Nielsen Foundation, June 16, 2020. https://nielsen-foundation.org/2020/06/16/nielsen-foundation-contributes-1-million-to-support-black-owned-small-businesses/.
6. “Nielsen Foundation Contributes $1 Million to Support Black-Owned Small Businesses.” Nielsen Foundation, June 16, 2020. https://nielsen-foundation.org/2020/06/16/nielsen-foundation-contributes-1-million-to-support-black-owned-small-businesses/.
7. “Nielsen Foundation Commits $375,000 to Teach for America to Support the next Generation of Equity-Oriented Education Leaders.” Nielsen Foundation, December 10, 2021. https://nielsen-foundation.org/2021/12/10/nielsen-foundation-commits-375000-to-teach-for-america-to-support-the-next-generation-of-equity-oriented-education-leaders/.
8. “Nielsen Foundation Inc, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/475513015/202342279349100024/full.
9. “Nielsen Foundation Inc, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/475513015/202342279349100024/full.
10. “Nielsen Foundation Inc, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/475513015/202342279349100024/full.
11. “Nielsen Foundation Inc, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/475513015/202342279349100024/full.
12. “Nielsen Foundation Inc, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/475513015/202342279349100024/full.
13. “Nielsen Foundation Inc, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/475513015/202342279349100024/full.
14. “About Us.” Nielsen Foundation. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://nielsen-foundation.org/about-us/.
15. “Nielsen Foundation Inc, Full Filing – Nonprofit Explorer.” ProPublica. Accessed April 22, 2024. https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/475513015/202342279349100024/full.