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CEP Releases New Foundation-Grantee Relationship Research

Date: May 3, 2010

Ellie Buteau, PhD

Director of Research Projects and Special Advisor on Research Methodology and Analysis, CEP

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Today, CEP is releasing a new report on how foundations best work with grantees. Working with Grantees: The Keys to Success and Five Program Officers Who Exemplify Them profiles five program officers who are among the best on an important measure of relationships, based on our analysis of results of our grantee surveys.

While it is our statistical analysis that informs our discussion of the keys to success, it is the voices of grantees and the program officers we profile that bring the findings to life.  I am very grateful to the leaders of nonprofits who take the time to respond so thoughtfully to our surveys, and to the five program officers who allowed us to interview them to understand how they manage to achieve such good results. Susan Herr, of PhilanthroMedia, had additional conversations with three of these high-performers, and I hope you will watch those interviews as well.

I am deeply appreciative for the help of the members of our Board of Directors and Advisory Board who have provided feedback and encouragement as we have undertaken this work. The advice we received on an earlier draft, particularly at a meeting last month, has strengthened this report. 

Now, we’d like to know what you think of our findings.  I encourage you to read the report and join the conversation by sharing your reactions here, on the CEP Blog.

Editor’s Note: CEP publishes a range of perspectives. The views expressed here are those of the authors, not necessarily those of CEP.

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