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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.
by Phil BuchananPhil Buchanan | Mar 19, 2024 | By Phil BuchananBy Phil Buchanan
This is first in a series of posts in which I will revisit some of the big questions for philanthropy discussed in a post published in the fall of 2022. The four years since the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill have seen unprecedented change in...
by Aminah JashoCEP Staff | Mar 14, 2024 | Guest AuthorGuest Author
What happens when flexible funding meets women’s funds? The answer lies in the potential to drive profound, lasting change. Women’s funds are crucial players in the drive for gender equality because of their reach and long-term relationships with some of the smallest...
by Sarah Di TroiaCEP Staff | Mar 12, 2024 | Guest AuthorGuest Author
We are closing in on one year since the release of ChatGPT4, an upgraded version of the first public generative AI large language model. Even though traditional AI has been a part of the technology landscape for decades and our consumer lives for the past ten years,...
by Dylan SkybrookCEP Staff | Mar 7, 2024 | Guest AuthorGuest Author
In the verdant expanse of the Santa Cruz Mountains, a pioneering initiative for environmental stewardship has taken root. The Santa Cruz Mountains Stewardship Network (SCMSN), a collaborative of 25 entities, embodies an innovative approach to land stewardship,...
by Rachel Kimber, Joanna Drew, Ravit Dotan, Mark Greer IICEP Staff | Mar 5, 2024 | Guest AuthorGuest Author
2023 is the year AI ate the internet, according to the New Yorker and anyone not living under a rock. AI has so deeply penetrated our society that we can’t ignore the existential questions it raises, from the future of work to ethical dilemmas to questions...
by Anthony RichardsonAnthony Richardson | Feb 29, 2024 | Guest AuthorGuest Author
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s majority decision to eliminate race-conscious admissions policies at U.S. colleges and universities, I wrote a response that was driven, in part, by my personal journey and unwavering belief that race-based affirmative...
by Joshua MintzCEP Staff | Feb 27, 2024 | Guest AuthorGuest Author
The results of the recent CEP survey regarding foundation reactions to the Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard (which consolidated a similar case against University of North Carolina) decision reflect the broad diversity of the foundation sector and continued...
by John Muñoz, Ph.D.CEP Staff | Feb 21, 2024 | ResearchResearch
To better understand how foundations broadly were responding to the Court’s rulings, the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) conducted a survey of 280 foundation leaders in September through November 2023. We sought to determine: were foundations abandoning...
by Amy BreshearsCEP Staff | Feb 15, 2024 | Guest AuthorGuest Author
In 2024, the Rogers Family Foundation (RFF) will conclude its 20-year commitment to Oakland, CA and public education. Over the past year, as we have prepared to wind down, we have written, presented, and shared our practice of providing Beyond the Grant support. CEO...
by Phil BuchananPhil Buchanan | Feb 13, 2024 | By Phil BuchananBy Phil Buchanan
During his seven years on the CEP Board, Ricardo Millett would ask the same question at some point in almost every meeting: “Effectiveness for what?” His refrain was so common we used to joke about making it a drinking game. We joked, but we knew it was a serious —...
by Sevda Kilicalp, Giulia LombardiCEP Staff | Feb 8, 2024 | Guest AuthorGuest Author
The stakes are higher than ever in European environmental conservation. In May last year, Philea (Philanthropy Europe Association), a network of philanthropic funders and infrastructure organizations in Europe, put the spotlight on the critical role of financial...
by Alice MeiAlice Mei | Feb 6, 2024 | Assessment & Advisory ServicesAssessment & Advisory Services
Over a decade ago, the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) created the Donor Perception Report (DPR) in response to requests from community foundations for help to better understand and support their donors, recognizing that they play an essential role in...
by Monisha Kapila, Rajib GuhaCEP Staff | Feb 1, 2024 | Guest AuthorGuest Author
The James Irvine Foundation, like many funders, was jolted to act in 2020 after George Floyd’s murder and the ensuing national racial reckoning. Although Irvine had long supported organizations focused on racial equity and had some internal efforts focused on...
by Luc Athayde-Rizzaro, Bess RothenbergCEP Staff | Jan 30, 2024 | Guest AuthorGuest Author
In 2008, the Ford Foundation made its first foray into using the Grantee Perception Report (GPR) conducted by the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) for vital feedback on how grantees perceive us. Between then and 2017, CEP administered the survey on behalf of...
by Joseph LeeJoseph Lee | Jan 25, 2024 | Assessment & Advisory ServicesAssessment & Advisory Services
In a CEP blog post published earlier this week, I offered up a list of 10 Grantee Perception Report participants who had made their assessment results public in 2023 as a way to both thank our many partners in the last year and reflect on what role feedback...
by Joseph LeeJoseph Lee | Jan 23, 2024 | Assessment & Advisory ServicesAssessment & Advisory Services
Of all the rituals we associate with the new year — stowing away the suitcases from holiday travel, returning unwanted gifts, tacking a new calendar onto the fridge — for many of us, the moments of introspection and reflection are what hold the most meaning. The...
by Marcus WaltonCEP Staff | Jan 17, 2024 | Guest AuthorGuest Author
On behalf of the Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) staff, board, and community of colleagues representing multiple industry sectors and areas of focus, we reiterate our gratitude for being included in the 2021 cohort of grant recipients for Mackenzie...
by Tonyel Edwards, Cora Daniels, Ivy NyayiekaCEP Staff | Jan 11, 2024 | Guest AuthorGuest Author
What will it take to create a more equitable America? Increasingly, that conversation is turning to reparations for Black people and building a culture of racial repair for everyone, as the missing piece. As of now, at least 80 national funders, including the Ford...
by Jen WilkaJen Wilka | Jan 9, 2024 | YouthTruthYouthTruth
What is one thing the country’s largest private foundation has in common with nearly every other foundation in the U.S.? The need for feedback to ensure it is implementing the smartest version of its strategy. In fall 2022 the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation...
by Laura BaconCEP Staff | Jan 3, 2024 | Guest AuthorAssessment & Advisory Services, Guest AuthorGuest Author
In 2020, Luminate, a global philanthropic organization, commissioned CEP to survey its grantee partners through the Grantee Perception Report (GPR). In 2023, Luminate commissioned a second Grantee Perception Report. This blog is a follow-up to the “10...