David Trueblood explores the links connecting baseball and Shakespeare with data and analysis.
Unexpected Examples of the Very Real Power of Data and Analysis
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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.
Data Point: Learning From Failure
Ellie Buteau presents a second data point drawn from a survey of foundation CEOs on the status of performance assessment.
A Foundation Asks its Constituents About How Best to Spend $100 Million
I was struck by a September 29th blog post written by Chris Langston, program director at the John A. Hartford Foundation in New York City. In his post, Chris asks for suggestions from “grantees, stakeholders, peers, and older persons themselves” about how the...
Data Point: Developing Shared Measurement Systems
The use and management of data stands at the core of the work undertaken by the Center for Effective Philanthropy. The set of survey tools CEP has developed as well as field-wide research builds comparative data drawn from key constituent groups—grantees, donors,...
Data Point: Importance of Social Networks to Donors
Kevin Bolduc presents data from CEP’s Donor Perception Report on the importance of social networks to this foundation constituency.
Guest Post: How the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Seeks To Improve
At the Center for Effective Philanthropy, we believe that improved performance of philanthropic funders can have a positive impact on nonprofit organizations and the people and communities they serve. As part of our work, we aim to highlight stories from funders who...
Data Point: Stakeholders’ Understanding of Foundation Goals and Strategies
The use and management of data stands at the core of the work undertaken by the Center for Effective Philanthropy. The set of survey tools CEP has developed as well as field-wide research builds comparative data drawn from key constituent groups—grantees, donors,...
The Power of Donor Feedback
David Trueblood writes about the power of feedback and the role of the Donor Perception Report in bulding relationships with foundation donors.
A CEP Advisory Board Member Weighs In
CEP Advisory Board Member Alicia Philipp weighs in on a research report focused on strategy at community foundations.
Data Point: Talking About Staff Performance
Kevin Bolduc presents a data point taken from findings derived from CEP’s Staff Perception Report.
New Report on Strategy at Community Foundations Sparks Debate
Ellie Buteau discusses three critiques offered by readers of CEP’s report on community foundations and strategy.
Listening to Beneficiaries: Why Are We So Bad At It?
CEP has been actively exploring the topic of beneficiary feedback through its YouthTruth project since 2008. We were very pleased to share what we are learning – and to challenge the status quo -- on the Tactical Philanthropy blog this week, where the following post...
Data Point: Influencing Donors Who Give to Community Foundations
The use and management of data stands at the core of the work undertaken by the Center for Effective Philanthropy. The set of survey tools CEP has developed as well as field-wide research builds comparative data drawn from key constituent groups—grantees, donors,...
Working Strategically: A Common Challenge for Community and Private Foundations
Community foundation leaders value the idea of strategy—but few use it in their donor or programmatic work.
The Effect of Response Bias: Who Completes our Surveys?
Ellie Buteau, Ph.D., discusses response bias—the decision of foundation leaders to participate or not—to CEP research, and what readers should keep in mind about this particular challenge.
Funder Uses YouthTruth Data to Spark Community Engagement
Laura Olson shares how YouthTruth survey results inform the work of The California Endowment in its efforts to improve Del Norte County youth outcomes.
What Foundations are Doing to Understand their Effectiveness
Over the past decade foundations have worked to assess their performance in the fields and communities they seek to address. In particular, data-driven forms of measurement have become more widely used to judge the results of programs, along with a broader range of information now used to assess performance.
Findings drawn from a survey of the CEOs of 173 U.S. foundations with annual grantmaking of at least $5 million focus on the current status of performance assessment among larger foundations.
The State of Performance Assessment, 10 Years Later
Phil Buchanan glances back 10 years as CEP prepares to release a new report on performance assessment for foundations.
Two Personal Takes: Accountability and the Issue of Diversity
Leaders from philanthropy and the nonprofit sector have been invited to CEP from time to time to talk about a wide range of issues. Here, two staff members reflect on conversations with Beth Smith of the Hyams Foundation and Allen Grossman of Harvard Business School.
What’s Wrong with This Picture?
Phil Buchanan weighs in on the idea that the business sector can address the issues traditionally seen as the domain of nonprofits – and on the persistence of borders distinguishing one sector from the other.