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The CEP blog aims to offer a range of perspectives, experiences, and opinions related to effective philanthropic practice. We welcome submissions that address crucial issues facing individual and institutional donors and are not self-promotional in nature. The views expressed in these posts are not necessarily CEP’s own.
The Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP)’s newly released report, “A Sector in Crisis: How U.S. Nonprofits and Foundations Are Responding to Threats,” provides a telling look into the current state of the nonprofit and philanthropic fields in the face of an...
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...
Last year, global platforms were buzzing with a real sense of optimism for the future funding of the African continent’s development programs in the wake of global funding cuts. People were openly calling the cuts to USAID both a wake-up call and an opportunity to...
At least according to some sources, the statue of limitations has ended on wishing each other a Happy New Year. But, if you’re anything like me, the entire month of January might be viewed as an extension of your end-of-year celebrations — another happy period of...
Editor’s note: This is the first in what will be a monthly blog column by CEP President Phil Buchanan in 2026. His posts will generally run on the second Tuesday of each month. In a little less than a year, the U.S. nonprofit sector — comprised of more than 1.5...
The Center for Effective Philanthropy recently released a report titled “AI With Purpose” on how nonprofits are or (for the most part) aren’t integrating these technologies into their daily operations. The report warns that “few foundations provide funding or monetary...
It was an eye-popping number: seven-year grants to Bay Area nonprofits. This extraordinary initiative by the Walter and Elise Haas Fund has implications for how other funders could strengthen grantee organizations, as well as the whole embattled nonprofit sector. In...
The winter holiday season is in full swing, and, at least for many of us, that means it is a time of giving. For many donors who give to or through community foundations and other public charities, though, giving isn’t necessarily tied to a specific time of year:...
Few will doubt that 2025 has earned a notable place in the history books of the future. There are far too many moments of significance to attempt to summarize here (I refer you, for a quick refresher, to the opening of Phil Buchanan’s recent post on this blog); I...
This year, my attention has been constantly pulled in two directions at once: toward the immediate pressure that nonprofits are facing and toward the broad, sweeping shifts shaping the future of civil society, often in ways that feel like 10 steps backwards. Both feel...
Wallis Annenberg was passionate about creating spaces, opportunities, and access where people could connect, learn, and thrive. From community institutions to bold new ventures, she believed philanthropy should enrich lives, strengthen the civic fabric, and inspire...
This is an edited version of comments Phil Buchanan made to the Maryland Philanthropy Network on September 17, 2025. These comments draw on some previously published material, including Phil’s blog posts on the CEP Blog and his 2019 book, Giving Done Right, and have...
“Listen and be out there in the in the field, whatever your field is.” -Denise Brændgård, General Manager, Novo Nordisk Haemophilia Foundation This post is the last of a three-part blog series that builds on the findings of a recent CEP publication, Partnering for...
Beyond-the-check support is a core practice within trust-based philanthropy. Yet the question of how to do it — creatively, strategically, and with care — often goes unanswered. From 2019 to 2023, I was the founding director of a program called Partner Support at...
A little more than a year ago, Hurricane Helene devastated Western North Carolina. Thirty-one inches of rain, tornados, and mudslides washed out roads and bridges, flooded towns and farms, destroyed homes and businesses, and took the lives of deeply loved community...
In a previous post, we shared what we’re learning about how funders are reimagining the reporting process, from the motivations shaping current practices to the growing adoption of alternative reporting. Building on those findings, this follow-up turns to the people...
In philanthropic relationships, we talk a lot about power dynamics, and there’s perhaps no moment where that becomes more visible than during the reporting process. Traditionally, grantees are required to justify their work, impact, and often even their existence on...
The change in presidential administrations has created new challenges for funders and the nonprofits whose work they support. Executive actions have targeted DEI and mis-characterized the work of nonprofit organizations; federal funding to crucial nonprofits has been...