Phil Buchanan introduces Guest Blogger Crystal Hayling. Crystal is Former President and CEO of the Blue Shield of California Foundation and a member of the CEP Board of Directors. She is currently living in Singapore and is taking some time to write about – and reflect upon – philanthropy, social innovation, and international development.
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.
A Thank You to Funders and Grantees
Kevin Bolduc thanks the 143 funders and the 50,000 grantees who have participated in the Grantee Perception Report process over the last four years and shares a Chronicle of Philanthropy ad that also extends that gratitude.
Challenge Your Assumptions: 2011 Conference Agenda Now Available
Alyse d’Amico shares the preliminary agenda for CEP’s 2011 conference and highlights six of the conference’s sessions.
Your Feedback Informs CEP’s Research
Ellie Buteau, PhD asks readers to give their feedback on two recent research publications.
Working with Grantees: Why Good Relationships Matter
Phil Buchanan argues that funders should work to strengthen their relationships with grantees. He draws on testimonials from two foundations leaders who see strong funder-grantee relationships as critical to having an impact in their fields.
Monitor Institute and CEP Join Forces to Scale Data Visualization Tool
Phil Buchanan announces CEP’s partnership with Monitor Institute to bring the Strategy Landscape Tool, a new data visualization tool, to the field of philanthropy.
“Open-Source Strategy” (Part 4): Foundation Strategy Development and the Perils of Isolation
“Foundations can’t develop good strategy with closed processes,” asserts Phil Buchanan. He poses four questions for foundation leaders to consider before seeking stakeholder feedback.
“Open-Source Strategy” (Part 3): Getting Burned by Openness
Phil Buchanan discusses the dangers of openness when developing strategy, but explains why he believes the risks are greatly outweighed by the rewards.
“Open-Source Strategy” (Part 2): The Benefits of Engagement
CEP’s strategic planning process has embraced opinions from over seventy staff members, advisors, and directors. Phil Buchanan explains the process and the philosophy behind this approach.
“Open-Source Strategy” (Part 1): Community Engagement and Building Take-Overs
Phil Buchanan shares lessons from a mentor’s strategic planning process and how it shaped his approach to strategy development.
Creative Destruction, Oversimplification, and Assessing Philanthropy
A Harvard Business Review article oversimplified the purpose and ignored the great accomplishments of the nonprofit sector, says Phil Buchanan.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.