Center For Effective Philanthropy Inc

RESEARCH CEP’s research projects delve into the issues that are central to funder effectiveness, examining common practice and challenging conventional wisdom. Our research is informed by rigorous quantitative analysis of our large-scale comparative data sets, as well as by in-depth qualitative data.  To help funders define, assess, and improve overall performance, we focus our research on the following areas: ·         Developing Strategy: A coherent, well-implemented strategy is a core element of foundation effectiveness. ·         Assessing Performance: Measuring progress is the only way to know whether a strategy is working. ·         Funder-Grantee Relationships: Working productively with grantees enables funders to make progress against important goals. ·         Managing Operations: A foundation’s operational activities range from the grantee selection process to choices about staffing levels. ·         Optimizing Governance: A foundation’s board can be a crucial asset in challenging areas such as strategy development and performance assessment, or a hindrance that hampers progress. CEP has published a dozen research reports and four case studies, which are available for free download on our Web site www.effectivephilanthropy.org(http://www.effectivephilanthropy.org/) . CEP mines our comparative data set for research findings and to identify exemplars whose work we profile. Our research findings also influence the development and refinement of our assessment tools.

Phase II of the Foundation Strategy Study was completed, and its report, Essentials of Foundation Strategy, was released in December 2009. The report was accompanied by a strategy self-assessment and discussion guide. Two case studies released, Becoming Strategic: The Evolution of the Flinn Foundation (March 2009) and Striving for Transformative Change at the Stuart Foundation (December 2009). Launched studies on Community Foundation Strategy and Foundation-Grantee Relationships.

CEP’s assessment tools give individual funders comparative data drawn from anonymous surveys of key groups that are often not in the position to provide candid feedback. These include:  Grantees ·         Declined applicants ·         Stakeholders ·         Staff ·         Board members Our tools help funders gauge their performance relative to peer foundations on a range of crucial dimensions, such as: ·         Quality of interactions ·         Clarity of communications of goals and strategies ·         Impact on the field More than 200 funders have received insights into their performance by subscribing to one or more of CEP’s assessment tools. CEP can also provide custom analyses such as comparison to foundations that are similar in key areas such as size or programmatic focus. The feedback from key constituents not only provides important insights into a foundation’s performance, it expands CEP’s data set, which informs the research we share with the field. CEP offers the following assessment tools: Grantee Perception Report® (GPR) provides comparative data on grantee perceptions of foundation performance on a variety of dimensions. The GPR is based on a comprehensive survey of grantees covering issues such as interactions during the grant, the application and reporting processes, and perceived foundation impact. The Applicant Perception Report (APR) is a companion to the GPR and provides comparative data from surveys of declined grant applicants. The Comparative Board Report (CBR) includes comparative data gathered through large-scale research on foundation boards. The CBR provides a basis for boards to assess their functioning in a number of areas, from board dynamics to the capabilities and expertise of board members. The Staff Perception Report (SPR) explores foundation staff members’ perceptions of foundation effectiveness and job satisfaction on a comparative basis. Staff members answer questions about their impressions of foundation impact, alignment in pursuit of key goals, and opportunities for foundation improvement. The Stakeholder Assessment Report (STAR) generates insights about foundation performance based on the perceptions of stakeholders a foundation may seek to influence as part of its strategy – including peer foundations, elected officials, and the media. The Operational Benchmarking Report (OBR) provides comparative data, relative to a selected peer group of foundations, on aspects of foundation operations – including foundation staffing, program officer workload, grant characteristics, and administrative costs. The Multidimensional Assessment Process (MAP) provides an integral assessment of performance, assimilating results and data from all of CEP’s assessment tools into key findings, implications, and recommended action steps for improved foundation performance. The Donor Perception Report (DPR) helps community foundation leaders understand their donors’ perceptions of their organizations’ strengths and areas that need improvement. The survey is customizable and explores donors’ perceptions of the community foundations to which they contribute. The Beneficiary Perception Report (BPR) provides feedback and insights from a funder’s ultimate beneficiaries—the people whose lives it seeks to affect. The BPR is based on a confidential survey and provides comparative data to help funders better understand their performance and inform their strategies.

Presented Grantee Perception Reports, Applicant Perception Reports, Staff Perception Reports, Comparative Board Reports, Stakeholder Assessment Reports, and piloted two new tools developed in 2009, the Donor and Beneficiary Perception Reports.

CEP hosts bi-annual conferences and we frequently present our research at special events and conferences throughout the United States and internationally. Our goals for programming are: ·         to share research relevant to timeless—and time-sensitive—issues facing foundation leaders,          ·         to demonstrate how comparative data can inform major, productive changes at grantmaking organizations ·         to foster a community of grantmakers who are committed to leading highly effective organizations to encourage productive and candid conversations about the challenges leaders in philanthropy face

Aligning for Impact: Connecting the Dots, CEP’s national conference was held in March in Los Angeles. Details of the event are highlighted in a post-conference report. In addition, CEP staff presented research findings at several conferences both in the U.S. and abroad.