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There are a lot of statements made about “new” donors and how they differ from more “established,” older ones. Some are probably true. Many, alas, are myths. The latest statement, which I think falls into the latter category, was put forth by journalist (and author of...
It has become fashionable in the past decade or so to declare oneself “sector agnostic.” The idea is that you can achieve positive societal impact working within a nonprofit or a for-profit — and that it is the impact, not the organizational type, that matters. And,...
When I was hired as CEP’s first executive director in 2001, there were far fewer national conferences aimed at major donors and foundation leaders than there are today. Those that did happen were large, attracting 1,000-plus attendees. Competition to get on the...
CEP’s focus is on influencing foundations to be more effective. We seek to do that through rigorous research, based on data. But sometimes, looking around at what is published and discussed, we ask ourselves, what if no one cares about the research and data? What...
The following is a revised and updated version of a post that originally appeared on the CEP Blog in March 2015. It is posted here as part of our Rewind series. Like anyone who spends a lot of time on the conference circuit, I’ve sat through a lot of dud sessions and...
More than two-thirds of the CEOs of large, staffed foundations in the United States believe foundations have the potential to make a significant difference in society. That’s the good (and perhaps hardly surprising) news in a new report from our...
Nowhere have concerns about foundations’ policy influence been greater in recent years than in the area of education. While critics of “education reform” like Diane Ravitch have for years warned of the outsized influence of what she terms the “billionaire boys club,”...
Not so long ago, politically left-of-center foundation types frequently pointed — with what felt like envy and a kind of grudging admiration — to conservative foundations as effectiveness exemplars. They would speak of the way foundations like the Lynde and Harry...
This blog post from CEP President Phil Buchanan originally appeared on the CEP blog in July 2015. It is reposted here as part of our Rewind series. A young donor behind a large, new foundation said something that really struck me — and in a good way. It happened...