What is the SHRM Foundation?
The SHRM Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organizational affiliate of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). Founded in 1966, the Foundation funds
research, publications and a wide range of educational initiatives to advance the
profession and enhance the effectiveness of HR professionals. With assets of more than $6 million, the SHRM Foundation serves as a catalyst for leading edge research and education. A volunteer board of leading academics and HR leaders governs the
Foundation. All contributions are tax deductible.
New Projects
HR Challenges Ahead video/discussion guide
The Foundation conducts an annual Thought Leaders retreat to identify cutting edge
issues shaping the future of the profession. In order to share the knowledge gained at the 2001 retreat, the Foundation has created a 15-minute video and a companion discussion guide called HR Challenges Ahead; Issues Shaping Your Future as an HR Leader. The package will be distributed free to all SHRM chapters and will also be available for purchase this summer. Here are the five major issues discussed in the video:

1. The Speed of Change (requiring us all to adopt an entrepreneurial mindset)
2. The Changing Role of the HR Professional (from administrative/transactional to
   strategic leader)
3. HR Measurement (quantifying Human Capital)
4. The Impact of Technology
5. Globalization

The video will help HR professionals and their organizations to better understand the
personal and organizational impact of these issues.

Gallup Project: Profiles of HR Leaders
We all hear a lot about HR becoming a strategic business partner, but what does that
really mean? The SHRM Foundation is now partnering with the Gallup Organization on a major research initiative to learn more about strategic HR leaders in a cross section of organizations. Researchers will interview 100 HR executives, from the U.S., Europe and Asia who have made a significant impact in meeting business challenges in their organizations. The goal is to determine what attitudes, behaviors and experiences characterize successful HR executives.

The Gallup Organization has done extensive research in the area of leadership so the
findings will also be compared to the leadership data compiled from other professions. The results will provide important insights into the behaviors and competencies needed to excel in the HR profession. The findings will most likely be published in a book and could also generate a video or video series on the topic of HR leadership.

Research Update
The 2002 SHRM Foundation research priorities are: HR Measurement, Global HR,
Impact of Technology, and the Changing Role of the HR Professional.

• 27 research projects completed since 1998
• 78% of completed projects have resulted in publications, presentations or other significant impact
• 2002 budget for research grants: $300,000
• More than $460,000 has been committed in prior years for research in process