irs program accomplishments · form 990 part iii · fy2024
What they reported doing
- #1 primary $2.61MCONDUCTED CONFERENCES, WORKSHOPS AND SYMPOSIUMS. PRINCIPAL MISSION IS TO DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN A CONTINUING PROGRAM OF ACTIVITIES AND PUBLICATIONS FOR THE ADVERTISING RESEARCH INDUSTRY.
- #2 $3.89MCURATED RESEARCH: THE ADVERTISING RESEARCH FOUNDATION CURATES INDUSTRY RESEARCH AND PERFORMS INDEPENDENT RESEARCH WHICH IS DISTRIBUTED THROUGH PUBLICATIONS, WORKSHOPS, AND CONFERENCES TO ITS MEMBERS AND THE ADVERTISING RESEARCH COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
named programs · 4 · from sources
What they call their work
ARF Attention Measurement Validation Initiative
Multi-phase research initiative analyzing how attention metrics correlate with brand outcomes across media platforms using real-world campaign data
Conferences and Workshops
Hosts industry events, symposia, and educational sessions to share research findings and foster collaboration among advertising and marketing professionals
Journal of Advertising Research
Peer-reviewed publication disseminating current research on advertising effectiveness, consumer behavior, media trends, and marketing science
Publishing & Knowledge Resources
Production and curation of research reports, white papers, and digital content on emerging topics such as AI in advertising, retail media, and co-viewing dynamics
activities · 5 groups
What they do
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Industry Research and Benchmarking 1 activity
- Conducting and publishing original research on advertising, media, and marketing effectivenessDesigns and conducts independent research studies on topics including AI in advertising, audience attention, privacy-enhancing technologies, TV viewing behavior, and marketing mix modeling. Publishes findings in the Journal of Advertising Research and through reports, using real-world data and experimental methods to advance industry understanding.
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Organizational Governance & Leadership Development 1 activity
- Facilitating governance and strategic direction of research initiatives through committees and leadership councilsConvenes the Research Leadership Committee and supports board and committee participation to guide the ARF’s research agenda, oversee original studies, and govern professional communities and councils within the advertising research field.
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Professional Networking Events 1 activity
- Hosting conferences, workshops, and salon-style events for professional development and knowledge exchangeOrganizes and hosts in-person and virtual events including the Marketing Effectiveness Accelerator, Analytics & Forecasting, Creative Effectiveness, and Insights Studio series, as well as peer-facilitated salons for young professionals. Events feature expert speakers, panel discussions, and networking opportunities focused on advertising research and industry trends.
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Women's Leadership & Career Advancement Networks 1 activity
- Operating mentorship programs and peer councils for advertising research professionalsRuns the Women in Analytics Mentorship Program and facilitates member-led peer councils and working groups that support career development, mentoring, and professional connections among young professionals and women in analytics. Includes cohort-based programming and ongoing peer-facilitated conversations.
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Member-Exclusive Resource Access 1 activity
- Providing personalized research support and knowledge management services to membersOperates a Knowledge Center that offers tailored research assistance and maintains access to vetted industry information, archives, publications, and event recordings to support member learning and decision-making in advertising research.
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financials · form 990 · fy2024
revenue
Total revenue$10.59M
Contributions & grants$610K6%
Program service revenue$9.76M92%
Investment income$137K1%
Other revenue$82K
expenses
Total expenses$10.51M
Program expenses—
Admin / overhead—
Fundraising—
Salaries & benefits$6.29M
Grants paid out$0
Largest expense lineCompensation
balance sheet
Total assets$8.82M
Cash$2.12M
Investments$3.26M
Liabilities$4.81M
Net assets$4.02M
Liquid reserves6.1 mo
5 years on record · 2020–2024 · YoY revenue -5.3%
leadership · form 990 part vii · fy2024
Who runs it
paid leadership · 9
| Name | Title | Hours/wk | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| SCOTT MCDONALD | BOARD MEMBER/PRES & CEO | 40 | $551K |
| PAUL DONATO | CHIEF RESEARCH OFFICER | 40 | $319K |
| MICHAEL HEITNER | CHIEF GROWTH OFFICER | 40 | $300K |
| ELYSSA RUBIN | CFO | 38 | $275K |
| RACHAEL FEIGENBAUM | SVP, EVENTS PROGRAM PRODUC | 40 | $234K |
| NIKOLE TENBRINK | VP, MARKETING | 40 | $214K |
| JAY MATTLIN | VP, RESEARCH | 40 | $189K |
| GWEN LA FANTASIE | VP, MEMBERSHIP | 40 | $182K |
| KEITH SMITH | MANAGING DIRECTOR | 40 | $161K |
board members · 16
- ABHILASHA MEHTA — BOARD MEMBER/SECRETARY
- ANDY SMITH — BOARD MEMBER (TO 6/12/24)
- BILL LIVEK — BOARD MEMBER/TREASURER
- CARL MELA — BOARD MEMBER
- CHRIS FOSDICK — BOARD MEMBER
- CHRISTINE TURNER — BOARD MEMBER
- COLLEEN FAHEY RUSH — BOARD MEMBER
- GREG PHARO — BOARD MEMBER
- KIRTI SINGH — BOARD MEMBER
- MARK TRUSS — BOARD MEMBER/VICE CHAIR
- MARY ANN PACKO — BOARD MEMBER (TO 6/12/24)
- NEHA BHARGAVA — BOARD MEMBER
- NICOLE WHITLOW — BOARD MEMBER
- NISHAT MEHTA — BOARD MEMBER/CHAIR (TO 6/12/24)
- PETE DOE — BOARD MEMBER
- RADHA SUBRMANYAM — BOARD MEMBER
relationships · 13
Who they work with
- ARF Councils Network — Member-led councils that guide research and professional communities under the ARF umbrella.
- Cophi Partner — Partner organization providing expertise to the Women in Analytics mentorship program.
- David Ogilvy Awards Partner — Co-hosts the Creative Effectiveness Event with the David Ogilvy Awards
- Journal of Advertising Research Partner — Collaborates on publishing research related to AI-personalized advertising and facial similarity frameworks.
- MSI Partner — Collaborates with MSI to provide members-only discussions and events for ARF/MSI members.
- MSI Working Paper Partner — Collaborates on publishing research introducing the Predicted Incrementality by Experimentation (PIE) framework for causal advertising measurement.
- Marketing Science Institute Partner — Collaborates with MSI to provide ARF members access to MSI’s research library of curated marketing content, including research recaps and working papers.
- Marketing Science Institute Partner — Collaborates with the Marketing Science Institute on the Academic Expert Network to connect members with marketing scholars.
- Nielsen Partner — Collaborated on multiple Insights Studio events covering TV ecosystems, audience measurement, and data strategies.
- SiriusXM Partner — Hosted an ARF event at its NYC headquarters.
- TVision Partner — Collaborates with TVision to access large-scale, real-world attention-tracking data for television advertising research.
- Taylor & Francis Online Partner — Partners with Taylor & Francis to publish the Journal of Advertising Research.
- Women in Analytics Group Network — Subgroup within ARF that fosters connections among women in analytics.
strategies · 4
How they approach the work
Named approaches extracted from this org’s sources. Where others share an approach, follow it to see the full set of orgs running it.
- AI-Augmented Decision Intelligencemethodology: AI_driven_decision_intelligenceBy applying AI-driven analytics, causal modeling, and Large Causal Models within decision frameworks, the ARF improves marketing forecasting and prescriptive recommendations because counterfactual analysis and AI-enhanced insight extraction increase decision reliability and growth potential.
- Evidence-Based Research to Advance Marketing Sciencemethodology: empirical_marketing_performance_scienceBy generating and promoting high-quality, unbiased research, the ARF advances the scientific practice of advertising and marketing, improving industry-wide decision-making and effectiveness because empirical rigor strengthens marketing practice and attribution accuracy.
- Peer-Facilitated Collective Learning and Innovationmethodology: peer_facilitated_learningBy leveraging member-led peer councils, communities, and salon-style conversations, the ARF fosters professional growth and generates industry-relevant research because shared expertise and peer-facilitated dialogue enhance learning, credibility, and innovation adoption.
- Thought Leadership and Collaborative Agenda-Settingmethodology: thought_leader_agenda_settingBy engaging industry leaders through structured governance bodies like the Research Leadership Committee, the ARF ensures research priorities reflect real-world challenges because aligning research with current industry needs increases relevance and adoption.