Funders, join us in Los Angeles Nov. 3-5 for the premier event for philanthropic leaders to learn, connect, and ultimately improve their practice of philanthropy.
Resources for Grantmakers
Access helpful information, like data-backed reports based on rigorous research.
Resources for Individuals
Get insights and information around what it takes to be an effective giver.
Your Partner in Philanthropic Effectiveness
CEP seeks to influence foundations and major donors to be more effective. We offer assessments that gather essential feedback from key stakeholders, data-driven research, customized advisory services, thought-provoking events, and incisive commentary on the CEP Blog.
Improve Your Effectiveness
CEP’s assessments provide unique insights into your effectiveness by gathering candid and actionable feedback from grantees, donors, and funder staff and benchmarking results with other grantmakers.
Featured Resources
State of Nonprofits 2025: What Funders Need to Know
In CEP’s third annual State of Nonprofits report, nonprofits report difficulty pursuing their missions in a complex environment shaped by the current political climate and future economic uncertainty.
Breaking the Mold: The Transformative Effect of MacKenzie Scott's Big Gifts
Transformative Gifts: Inside Organizations That Received MacKenzie Scott Grants — A Companion to CEP’s Three-Year Study
Partnering for Progress: Grantee Recommendations for Europe-Based Funders
Voices That Matter: How Nonprofits and Foundations Engage With the Communities They Support
Questions? Connect with us.
Grace Nicolette, Vice President, Programming and External Relations
From the Blog
A Message for Philanthropy in the 2025 Giving Season
This is an edited version of comments Phil Buchanan made to the Maryland Philanthropy Network on September 17, 2025. These comments draw on some previously published material, including Phil’s blog posts on the CEP Blog and his 2019 book, Giving Done Right, and have...
Building Understanding Through Co-Creation: Novo Nordisk Haemophilia Foundation’s High-Touch Grantmaking Approach
“Listen and be out there in the in the field, whatever your field is.” -Denise Brændgård, General Manager, Novo Nordisk Haemophilia Foundation This post is the last of a three-part blog series that builds on the findings of a recent CEP publication, Partnering for...
Beyond-the-Grant Support: Shifting Philanthropic Practice Toward Care and Deeper Partnership
Beyond-the-check support is a core practice within trust-based philanthropy. Yet the question of how to do it — creatively, strategically, and with care — often goes unanswered. From 2019 to 2023, I was the founding director of a program called Partner Support at...