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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.
There are lots of critiques of foundations and philanthropy – some justified, some not – and lots of calls for foundations to do a better job of owning up to failure and sharing what hasn’t worked. But we could also do a better job learning from what has, in fact,...
How would you feel about going sock-less for a week when you hadn’t planned your wardrobe for that situation? In July I attended the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers’ annual conference in San Diego, representing Associated Grant Makers, an association of...
In the United States, Canada is perhaps best known for being a source of cold weather and red-coated policemen. But in the foundation field, we can paint a picture that is a little more nuanced. The foundation sector in Canada is small (certainly compared to south of...
Many years ago, a very accomplished friend who was much further along in his career was discussing with me his potential transition to a new role he was considering accepting. We were on a walk, and he said that he was leaning toward taking the new job. “I think I...
Community foundations today operate in an environment that is dramatically different from the one in which many of their current practices and structures were developed. After all, back when the Cleveland Foundation was first established in 1914, the U.S. telephone...
For foundations and nonprofits to work effectively together, they need to understand each other’s perspectives. But do they? Drawing on data from CEP surveys, Ellie Buteau, Mark Chaffin and I compared foundation and nonprofit perspectives on four aspects of foundation...
“Wait for that wisest of all counselors, Time.” ~ Pericles In a recent press conference, Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen indicated that the data on inflation was on the “high side.” Then, she emphasized her belief that the data is “noisy” and that inflation remains...
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 –...
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 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...
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...
In recent years, various experts and observers have discussed the value of engaging donors at community foundations.1 The knowledge and connections community foundation staff have, and their ability to educate donors about a community’s greatest needs, have long been...
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...
Foundation effectiveness requires clear goals, coherent strategies, disciplined implementation, and relevant performance indicators. “They may seem obvious but they are actually really hard to do,” CEP President Phil Buchanan told Minnesota Council on Foundations...
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...
In our newest report What Donors Value: How Community Foundations Can Increase Donor Satisfaction, Referrals, and Future Giving we explored why donor satisfaction matters at community foundations and what donor perceptions best predict it. We noted that, while not the...
When we developed the Opportunity Index in 2011 with our social science research partner, Measure of America, we asked ourselves a lot of questions. As a data-driven organization, we understand the power – and limitations – of research. So we weren’t surprised when...
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, and Charity...
If philanthropy is going to be successful in tackling the great challenges in society, we need to start by changing the culture within our organizations. As philanthropists, we work to promote the common good. And as the face of America continues to change, embracing...
All foundations, schools and universities seek to help people do what they otherwise might not be able to do. Great educators and educational settings create conditions for inspiration, growth and achievement. Great foundations can and should do the same for their...