Jim Canales of the James Irvine Foundation shares two themes that arose when he and his team shared their Annual Performance Report with the Foundation’s board.
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.
Should Grant Makers Embrace Experts’ Advice? It Depends
Alyse d’Amico shares an op-ed by Phil Buchanan and Ellie Buteau that cautions against new philanthropic formulas and advocates for decision making that is informed by rigorous thought and research.
Challenges to Good Performance Assessment
Jim Canales of the James Irvine foundation explains three challenges he has encountered while engaging in institutional assessment work.
Assessing Foundation Performance
Jim Canales of the James Irvine Foundation explains the framework for his foundation’s Annual Performance Report and expresses his hope to be challenged and questioned by readers in his blog post series.
Jim Canales to Address Overall Foundation Performance Assessment as CEP Guest Blogger
Phil Buchanan introduces guest blogger Jim Canales, CEO of the James Irvine Foundation.
A Dose of Honesty: And Now, a Word from Your Donors
Kevin Bolduc shares two powerful predictors of donor satisfaction that have emerged from Donor Perception Reports.
Has Anything Really Changed in Philanthropy?
Phil Buchanan asks what has changed in philanthropy since GEO’s first conference in 2002, and suggests that though many areas have had dramatic change and progress, the answer to his question is more ambiguous than he would have hoped.
Public Expectations: An Obstacle to Foundation Effectiveness?
Guest blogger Bob Hughes explores why erroneous public expectations are yet another reason for foundations to sharpen their communications skills.
Buchanan vs. Frumkin: “What Drives Philanthropic Success?”
Phil Buchanan challenges Peter Frumkin on the issue of what drives philanthropic success.
Foundations, Obama, and Independence
Phil Buchanan asks readers to think critically about partnerships between foundations and government.
Déjà Vu (or 1969) All over Again?
Joel Orosz draws connections between current political leanings and historical examples of populist criticism of foundations.
The Foundation: An Abiding American Mystery
CEP guest blogger Joel Orosz, PhD, reacts to findings of a survey published by the Philanthropy Awareness Initiative (PAI) that shows that even the most engaged citizens are in the dark when it comes to the accomplishments of foundations.
Introducing Guest Blogger Joel Orosz
Phil Buchanan introduces guest blogger Joel Orosz, PhD, distinguished professor of philanthropic studies at the Johnson Center for Philanthropy at Grand Valley State University.
Funders Should Do More to Help Nonprofits Build Evidence
Ellie Buteau, PhD urges funders to proactively offer grantees resources as they collect evidence of their effectiveness, rather than demanding proof of grantees’ impact without first supporting data collection efforts.
Experimental Design Can Be a Powerful Evaluation Tool
Ellie Buteau, PhD defends experimental design as an informative and rigorous means of assessment.
A Dose of Honesty: Expectations
Kevin Bolduc encourages funders to be clear about setting grantees’ expectations for processes and requirements, noting it will lay a foundation for greater trust and understanding.
A Dose of Honesty: The Tyranny of the Anecdote
Kevin Bolduc shares a few scathing examples of grantee comments about foundations, but urges funders not to let these colorful perceptions distract from important insights that other grantees may be offering in a Grantee Perception Report.
Philanthropy and the Social Contract: What Comes Next
Georgia Levenson Keohane asks, “Just what kind of society do we want to live in? What is the role of government? Of markets? And can philanthropy fill in the gaps?”
Foundation Philanthropy and the Power of PRIs
Georgia Levenson Keohane discusses PRIs and why more foundations should use them.
Some New Trousers for Foundations, with Glass Pockets
Phil Buchanan applauds Foundation Center’s new website, www.glasspockets.com, which aims to “bring transparency to the world of foundations.”