The Foundation Center Grants Classification System (GCS)

The Foundation Center describes grants and recipient organizations by using indexing terms related to specific types of information: subject area (or field of activity), type of support, beneficiary populations, recipient auspice, etc.. Each type of information has its own list of terms.

The Center's Grants Classification system uses the well-known National Taxonomy of Exempt Entities (NTEE) for its subject/field of activity term list. It's a hierarchical system that contains general and very specific terms.

The NTEE system arranges 26 major field areas under 10 basic divisions as follows:

I. ARTS, CULTURE, AND HUMANITIES (A)

II. EDUCATION (B)

III. ENVIRONMENT, ANIMALS

C. Environmental Quality, Protection & Beautification

D. Animal Related

IV. HEALTH

E. Health - General & Rehabilitative Services

F. Mental Health, Crisis Intervention

G. Health - Multipurpose Associations/Services Associated with Specific Diseases/Disorders/Medical Disciplines

H. Medical Research

V. HUMAN SERVICES

I. Public Protection: Crime & Delinquency Prevention, Legal Administration, Legal Services

J. Employment/Jobs

K. Food, Nutrition, Agriculture

L. Housing/Shelter

M. Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness & Relief

N. Recreation, Leisure, Sports, Athletics

O. Youth Development

P. Human Services: Multipurpose & Other

VI. INTERNATIONAL/FOREIGN AFFAIRS (Q)

VII. PUBLIC/SOCIETY BENEFIT

R. Civil Rights, Social Action, Advocacy

S. Community Improvement/Capacity Building

T. Philanthropy, Voluntarism, and Grantmaking Foundations

U. Science and Technology Research Institutes/Services

V. Social Science Research Institutes/Services

W. Public/Society Benefit: Multipurpose & Other

VIII. RELIGION (X)

IX. MISCELLANEOUS MUTUAL/MEMBERSHIP BENEFIT ORGANIZATIONS, OTHER (Y)

X. NONCLASSIFIABLE ORGANIZATIONS (Z)

These 26 major field areas are broken down further, resulting in a three-level hierarchy. Click here to view the expandable presentation of the NTEE hierarchy of terms and definitions.