A Harvard Business Review article oversimplified the purpose and ignored the great accomplishments of the nonprofit sector, says Phil Buchanan.
Creative Destruction, Oversimplification, and Assessing Philanthropy
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Blog
The CEP blog aims to offer a range of perspectives, experiences, and opinions related to effective philanthropic practice. We welcome submissions that address crucial issues facing individual and institutional donors and are not self-promotional in nature. The views expressed in these posts are not necessarily CEP’s own.
Fighting a Phantom: Reflections on a Caution Against Over-Emphasizing Metrics
Is the nonprofit sector too data-driven? Phil Buchanan adamently says “no” and argues against the idea that data-based decision making and philanthropic passion are in conflict.
Age is Not a Prerequisite for Insight
Valerie Threlfall challenges education funders and leaders to listen to students’ thoughtful feedback and to recognize that youth add an important perspective to education reform discussions.
YouthTruth: Engaging Staff and Students in Gathering and Processing Feedback
Valerie Threlfall shares two keys to transforming student feedback into meaningful change in high schools.
Student Feedback: The Missing Piece in Education Reform
In response to current events such as Zuckerberg’s gift to Newark and the DC mayoral campaign, Valerie Threlfall asks, “Are these reform efforts adequately considering students’ perspectives?”
Leadership, Strategy, and Focus: Reflections on the COF Community Foundation Conference
Kevin Bolduc and Andrea Brock reflect on the 2010 Council on Foundation’s community foundation conference’s major themes and speakers.
Lessons in Grantee Interactions
Ron Ragin of the Hewlett Foundation shares four lessons he’s learned during two years of working as a program officer.
CEP’s 2011 Conference: Learning from the Veterans and the New Players
Jeff Raikes and Christine DeVita will be sharing stories of foundation goals and strategies at CEP’s 2011 conference. Phil Buchanan introduces them and highlights the Wallace Foundation’s just-released public performance scorecard.
Thoughts on General Operating Support in Uncertain Times
Ron Ragin explains the Hewlett Foundation’s philosophy on general operating support and shares examples of how it benefits nonprofit arts organizations.
Challenging How We Think, Part II: Michael Mauboussin
Is there too much data in philanthropic decision-making? Phil Buchanan refutes that idea, and introduces Michael Mauboussin, a speaker at CEP’s 2011 conference, who argues that a lack of data often results in flawed decision-making.
Investing in Data
Ron Ragin discusses data collection systems that are informing impact measurement in the performing arts at the Hewlett Foundation and evaluation trends (or lack thereof) in the arts more generally.
Challenging How We Think: Esther Duflo
Esther Duflo, of MIT’s Poverty Action Lab, will be one of the featured speakers at CEP’s 2011 conference. Phil Buchanan explains her use of experiments to inform the field of development economics and how her attitude towards data meshes with CEP’s.
Keepin’ It Real with GPR Results
Ron Ragin, associate program officer for the Hewlett Foundation, discusses the Performing Arts program’s Grantee Perception Report results: what was good, what was bad, and what was changed based on grantee perceptions.
Introducing Guest Blogger Ron Ragin
Phil Buchanan introduces guest blogger Ron Ragin. Ron is a former CEP research analyst and a current associate program officer at the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Report Watch: Leveraging Communications
Research Analyst Sally Smyth reviews recent communications research. These reports echo what CEP’s data has found to be true: getting clear and consistent about communication is tough, painstaking work.
Know Your Sector
The video “Know Your Sector” shares enlightening information for both nonprofit veterans and those who know nothing about the sector.
Getting Over Our Identity Crisis
Phil Buchanan takes issue with Hildy Gottlieb’s proposal for renaming the nonprofit sector, saying “…being nonprofit matters, and we shouldn’t deemphasize that by avoiding the term.”
No More Messing Around Like We Have Been: A Thank You to a Crusader for Better Philanthropy
Phil Buchanan pays homage to Joel Orosz, retiring professor of philanthropic studies at Grand Valley State University, who has worked tirelessly to foster greater professionalism in the field of philanthropy and has good-naturedly improved the sector in marked ways.
Program Officers Describe Keys to Success when Working with Grantees
Alyse d’Amico, vice president—programming, communications, and development, highlights a video interview of Chris Kabel, one of the five exemplar program officers profiled in CEP’s research publication “Working with Grantees”.
More Truth-Telling and Candor?
Guest blogger Linda Wood of the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund explores the power of truth-telling in philanthropy.