I often find myself facing a series of pretty consistent questions when I begin a conversation with one of the 47 percent of funders that a recent Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) survey found are not soliciting feedback from grantees.
- “We’re not trying to make grantees happy. We have a strategy to create impact. So why are grantees’ perceptions really important?”
- “Grantees are often just looking for another grant. Will their input actually be useful?”
I believe that my colleagues and I at CEP have good answers to those questions based on our work with hundreds of funders over the last decade.
But the stories of those already hearing from grantees are powerful. That’s why I’m delighted to share a very short video highlighting three funders — Barr Foundation, Ford Foundation, and Einhorn Family Charitable Trust — that have used CEP’s Grantee Perception Report (GPR) to solicit and act on grantee feedback.
I hope that you’ll take 180 seconds to hear from their perspectives about the power of grantee feedback, and that you’ll share this video with your colleagues. If you’re not collecting grantee feedback, I hope you’ll make a commitment to begin now. I’m always happy to talk about CEP’s experience; please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Kevin Bolduc is vice president, assessment and advisory services, at CEP. Contact him at kevinb@cep.org and follow him on Twitter at @kmbolduc.