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“There are too many nonprofits.” “Yes,” someone else will chime in. “There are too many nonprofits.” It’s a comment I hear frequently in gatherings of funders, and when it’s said, I notice, many people nod. We heard this from some foundation CEOs when my colleagues on...
When Grace Chiang Nicolette joined the Center for Effective Philanthropy in 2011, our staff numbered 32. Our audience was overwhelmingly foundations. Our media profile was relatively modest — and it was pretty common for folks who we were convinced should know us to...
It’s not necessarily the most popular take, but I am not afraid to admit it: I am a believer in long-time horizon — or perpetual — foundations. Like any category of institution, they’re not all equally effective, and I do have a request to make of them (I’ll get to...
In this conversation, CEP’s Vice President of Assessment and Advisory Services Kevin Bolduc talks with CEP Senior Research Analyst Seara Grundhoefer about data CEP just released that explores the role and responsibilities of foundation boards in helping their...
It’s a milestone birthday for us here at CEP, but I’ll be honest: we don’t really feel like celebrating. More on that later. Let’s start at the beginning. The Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP), which I am privileged to lead, received initial funding in 2001, 25...
“A Sector in Crisis,” CEP’s recent research report, spotlights the nationwide effects of the current moment on nonprofits across the country — and, importantly, how foundations are (or, in some cases, are not) meeting the moment to support nonprofits. Effective...
Advice on leadership is everywhere you turn but, unfortunately, a decent amount of it is not so helpful. Enter into this uneven genre a newly released report from McKinsey & Company, the global corporate consulting firm, which seeks to answer the question, “what...
The importance of nonprofits’ work in the United States cannot be understated. In the words of one nonprofit leader CEP interviewed in the fall of last year: "Nonprofits are the backbone of our communities. We connect people to vital services, nutritious food,...
You’ve heard from some of my colleagues these last weeks with insights — directly from the mouths of donors and foundation staff — that we hoped would inspire reflection (and even guide action) among grantmakers. But this snapshot of qualitative data wouldn’t be...
The actions of federal agents in Minneapolis, and the federal government’s blatant lies about what occurred, have taken the crisis facing our country to another level. It doesn’t matter your politics, or who you voted for, those in leadership roles at powerful...