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Ellie Buteau, PhD

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Harnessing Momentum for Change
Harnessing Momentum for Change

Newton’s first law of motion states that an object at rest, or moving at a constant speed in a straight line, will stay that way unless acted upon by a force. Staying at rest and moving at a constant speed in a straight line aren’t all that different in Newtonian...

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Multiyear General Operating Support: What Gives?
Multiyear General Operating Support: What Gives?

It was almost two decades ago that I got my first taste of how frustrating funder restrictions on grants could be. I had recently started working at CEP, and we were discussing a project proposal draft with a potential funder. The funder asked us to add additional...

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Taking the Guesswork out of Judging Research
Taking the Guesswork out of Judging Research

This post originally appeared on the blog in March 2015, and is reposted here as part of our Rewind series. CEP is currently in the process of renewing its membership with AAPOR's Transparency Initiative. “There are many things of which a wise man might wish to be...

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Doing Greater Good for the Greater Good
Doing Greater Good for the Greater Good

Philanthropy alone cannot solve the problems our society faces, but it has a vital role to play. We know this because it has historically played such a role, even as we can all agree that we wish it had achieved more. Over the past many years, philanthropy has...

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Are Nonprofits Getting the Support They Really Need?
Are Nonprofits Getting the Support They Really Need?

Strengthening nonprofit organizations and providing general operating support have been discussion topics for decades in philanthropy. When CEP set out to conduct research on these issues late last year, we wondered what the results would reveal to move these...

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The Values that Guide CEP’s Research
The Values that Guide CEP’s Research

We are confronted daily with numbers and statements, often conflicting. Take two recent headlines about a daily habit many of us enjoy: one headline from CNN proclaims, "Coffee may come with a cancer warning in California," while another from The Seattle Times says,...

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It’s All about the People
It’s All about the People

In my position at CEP, I have experienced what it is like to navigate funders’ individual guidelines and requirements. I know sometimes selection processes can feel like jumping through a series of irrelevant hoops rather than useful experiences. And I’ve been through...

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There is No One Way to Spend Down
There is No One Way to Spend Down

While a small number of foundations giving $5 million or more annually in grants have made the decision to spend down, there has been much discussion of the topic in recent years. The announcement late last year that the Edna McConnell Clark Foundation would...

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