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.
Outcomes, Knowledge, Wisdom & Time
A Thank You to Someone Who Never Wanted the Spotlight
There are people in the lives of organizations who make all the difference. I am talking about individuals who help catapult an entity from one stage of development to another by bringing both skills and perspectives that are sorely lacking and desperately needed –...
Legitimate Questions about Governance at a Foundation Deserve Answers
Serious questions about governance structure and compensation have been raised about the Otto Bremer Foundation. The foundation has about $800 million in assets, according to Foundation Center, and is located in St. Paul Minnesota. In a June 26 letter to...
Critiques of Foundations, Learning from Success, and #GivingTuesday
Critiques of philanthropists and foundations seem to be on the upswing. A few weeks ago, I wrote about this trend and quoted a thoughtful Atlantic piece by Benjamin Soskis that argued that such critique is both healthy and in keeping with a long history of public...
Foundation Helpfulness in Nonprofit Efforts to Assess Progress
It is no secret that nonprofit organizations are facing increasing pressure to measure and assess their progress toward their goals. In our 2012 report on nonprofit performance assessment, CEP found that 81 percent of nonprofits say that understanding the progress...
Datapoint: Donor Engagement and Donor Satisfaction
Emerging Views of Emergent Strategy
Foundations often turn to consultants for help in designing strategies. Given this, the work of consulting firms – and the approaches they promote through consulting engagements and “thought leadership” pieces – is of great significance to foundations, their grantees...
What is Foundation Effectiveness?
Taking Aim
Times are changing for foundations and donors.The launch by NCRP of Philamplify, an initiative to publicly assess foundations, along with the introduction late last year of the website Inside Philanthropy, got me thinking about the shift in the past decade when it...
Data Point: Community Foundation Donors Value Communication from their Foundation
Five Simple Answers about the Opportunity Index
Data Point: At Community Foundations, Donors’ Demographics do not Predict Their Level of Satisfaction
In recent years, broad societal trends have affected community foundations and the way they engage potential donors. Increased access to data and analysis about nonprofit organizations—fueled by the growth of online resources like GuideStar, GiveWell,...
Leading the Change
Great Philanthropy Mirrors Great Education
Purposefully Welcoming Donors to GCF Enhances Relationships
Calling Off the Search for the Silver Bullet
Seeking Not Just Fundholders, But Co-Investors
Bridging the Gap: Connecting Community Foundation Donors and Community Needs
The Rhode Island Foundation was pleased to partner with the Center for Effective Philanthropy on a Donor Perception Report in both 2010 and 2013. (As the first-ever customer of the Grantee Perception Report in 2002, we recognize the importance of direct customer...
