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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.
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.
Age is Not a Prerequisite for Insight
Valerie Threlfall challenges education funders and leaders to listen to students’ thoughtful feedback and to recognize that youth add an important perspective to education reform discussions.
YouthTruth: Engaging Staff and Students in Gathering and Processing Feedback
Valerie Threlfall shares two keys to transforming student feedback into meaningful change in high schools.
Student Feedback: The Missing Piece in Education Reform
In response to current events such as Zuckerberg’s gift to Newark and the DC mayoral campaign, Valerie Threlfall asks, “Are these reform efforts adequately considering students’ perspectives?”
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.
Lessons in Grantee Interactions
Ron Ragin of the Hewlett Foundation shares four lessons he’s learned during two years of working as a program officer.
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.
Thoughts on General Operating Support in Uncertain Times
Ron Ragin explains the Hewlett Foundation’s philosophy on general operating support and shares examples of how it benefits nonprofit arts organizations.
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.
Investing in Data
Ron Ragin discusses data collection systems that are informing impact measurement in the performing arts at the Hewlett Foundation and evaluation trends (or lack thereof) in the arts more generally.
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.
Keepin’ It Real with GPR Results
Ron Ragin, associate program officer for the Hewlett Foundation, discusses the Performing Arts program’s Grantee Perception Report results: what was good, what was bad, and what was changed based on grantee perceptions.