Revisit main stage highlights from CEP’s recent conference with recordings of each of the plenary sessions.
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CEP2023: Next Week!

We’re excited to welcome those of you coming to CEP’s 2023 conference in Boston, beginning next Monday, October 30! It promises to be a packed three days of insight, learning, and connection.

If you aren’t able to join us in person next week, we wanted to share a few ways that you can keep up with what’s happening at the conference:

  • Follow along on social media: use #CEP2023 to join the conversation on social media and follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram for real-time updates (and, to a lesser extent, on Twitter).

  • Read the CEP blog for daily recaps. Also, find our pre-conference series previewing some of the topics that will be discussed in more depth at the conference. Subscribe to the blog via email so you never miss a post.

  • Subscribe to CEP’s YouTube channel and look for recordings of a selection of CEP2023 plenary sessions in the weeks following the conference.

Coming Soon: New Research on the Emerging Impacts of MacKenzie Scott’s Gifts

On Tuesday, Nov. 28 (Giving Tuesday), CEP will release new research from year two of an ongoing study on the impacts of Scott’s giving addressing questions like:

  • To what extent are other funders’ beliefs and practices being influenced by her approach?
  • Do nonprofits believe that this gift has increased their impact? In what ways?
  • How have nonprofits allocated the grant? What was their decision-making process?
  • Have recipients experienced any unintended negative consequences of the gifts?

Be sure to join our mailing list so you receive the report when it launches!

In addition, we hope you will join us Nov. 30, 2-3:15pm ET, for a free webinar including a presentation of the new data followed by a conversation with philanthropic and nonprofit leaders about the implications and effects of Scott’s giving. Panelists include:

  • Phil Buchanan, President, CEP (Moderator)
  • Elisha Smith Arrillaga, Vice President, Research, CEP
  • John Palfrey, President, John and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
  • Melanie Willingham-Jaggers, Executive Director, GLSEN
  • Lakisha Young, Founder and CEO, The Oakland REACH

REGISTER NOW

Don’t Miss Out: CEP’s New Learning Institute Offers Flexible Funding Cohort in 2024

CEP’s new Learning Institute supports individuals and groups looking to improve their philanthropic practice and maximize their impact. In 2024, we’re excited to offer peer learning cohorts for flexible funding leaders as well as for program officers.

In the Flexible Funding Leaders 10-Month Learning Cohort, participants will learn about the utility and applicability of different types, lengths, and structures of grants, grapple with common barriers, gain practical tips for implementation, and dedicate time to set and pursue goals related to maximizing the flexibility of funding at your organization. This cohort will include eight virtual sessions between January and October 2024.

The Program Officer 9-Month Learning Cohort offers participants the opportunity to connect with a supportive group of peers while growing your knowledge of data-backed practices for effective philanthropy, troubleshooting barriers to implementation, and honing skills tailored to your organizational context. This cohort will include seven virtual sessions between January and September 2024. (Now sold out.)

Learn more about upcoming opportunities at CEP’s Learning Institute, including custom workshops for your foundation, or reach out to Amber Bradley with any questions!

Last Chance: Get a Discount on Your 2024 CEP Assessment

CEP’s early sign-up discount ends next week! Be in touch now to receive a discount of up to $1,000 on an assessment tool (e.g., the Grantee Perception Report, the Staff Perception Report, or the Donor Perception Report) or a custom advisory project (like a demographic data collection project). Reach out to Joe Lee by Oct. 31 to secure your spot for a CEP engagement in 2024.

Latest on the CEP Blog

A Sector in Need of Rebirth, Part One: On the Precipice of Change and A Sector in Need of Rebirth, Part Two: Shedding Old Ways
In this two-part piece, Sewall Foundation Executive Director Gabriela Alcalde shares her perspective on how the philanthropic sector is poised, in this moment, to harness an opportunity for change, the need to follow through on racial justice commitments made in recent years, and the values-driven shifts that will “bring another way into being.”

Centering Community Voice in Decision Making
In a post that previews a session at CEP’s upcoming conference, CEO of Compass Working Capital Markita Morris-Louis shares their approach to centering their clients’ voices in decision-making, offering lessons for funders and nonprofits alike.

Consumers to Creators: Philanthropy and Nonprofits Can Build AI for Impact
Continuing CEP’s blog series on AI and philanthropy, Vilas Dhar and Yolanda Botti-Lodovico of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation share insight into how philanthropy can support the social sector to move from consumers to creators of AI tools and policy, harnessing the technology for “human-centered innovation across the social sector.”

If All You Have is a Hammer, You Can’t Build a Better World 
Previewing his plenary session at the CEP conference next week, Jacob Harold discusses the trap that relying too heavily on one framework creates, and the opportunity available to those working for social impact when they tap into the variety of tools available, from community organizing to mathematical modeling.

Fall Reading List: A Selection of Articles and Resources

A few of our latest favorite articles, resources, and reports from around the sector.