May 5- 7, 2008
Council on Foundations
Philanthropy's Vision: A Leadership Summit

May 5, 2008, 10:30am-12:00pm
The Advantage of Sharing Failures
Foundations can enhance their effectiveness by sharing their mistakes and failures as well as their successes. In fact, learning directly from foundation leaders about their experiences is one of the most powerful ways to improve effectiveness. CEP President Phil Buchanan, James Canales, and Eugene W. Cochrane Jr. will lead attendees in a discussion of how foundations can disclose information from the lessons they have learned and shift foundation culture toward one that embraces change.

May 7, 2008, 10:00-11:30am
 In Search of Impact
Our field has struggled with how best to assess grantmaking effectiveness or impact for some time and progress is slow. Yet a variety of tools and approaches have shown promise in the effort to better understand, assess and improve foundation performance. As a result, many pioneering grantmakers are embracing changes that have helped them achieve more. This session will provide real-life examples presented by CEP President Phil Buchanan and GEO Executive Director Kathleen Enright. You’ll hear a variety of approaches to better understand and improve foundation performance, including advice on how to get started.  

Race Matters in Grantmaking: Unequal Opportunities or a Level Playing Field?
Race is one component of diversity and inclusive practices, but dominates much of the public discourse. Debates range from the efficacy of colorblind decision making to institutional barriers, overt racism, to personal responsibility. In a safe environment, panelists, including the Center for Effective Philanthropy's Vice President-Research, Lisa Jackson, Ph.D, will discuss grantmaking effectiveness and how the inclusion of racially diverse boards, leadership, staff and cultural competency can improve grantmaker ability to serve racially diverse communities more effectively.

 
 
 

April 7-9, 2008
 European Foundation Centre's Philanthropy Institute Programme: Chief Executive Symposium
Milan, Italy

Overview of Foundation Governance
While a wealth of information exists in the US on the topic of the effective management of foundation boards of foundations and non-profit organizations, a lack of similar information seems to be available in Europe. Some national associations have begun to address the topic, however no pan-European data is readily available. This session will feature Lisa Jackson, PhD, Vice President-Research, of the Center for Effective Philanthropy, who will discuss existing information on foundation governance in the US, and will stimulate participants to discuss:

  • how was this information collected in the US?
  • what is the current state of foundation governance in Europe?
  • why is there such a lack of information on the topic?
 
 
 

March 26, 2008, 10:45 am - 12:15 pm
 Maine Philanthropy Center's 2008 Philanthropy Conference
Future of Philanthropy: Creating New Traditions
Samoset Resort, Rockport ME

Listening to Your Partner: What Nonprofits and Funders Value Most About Each Other
Funders frequently refer to their grantees as partners, but do most nonprofits share that perspective? Are partnerships possible when one partner holds the purse strings? What do nonprofits value most about their relationship with foundation funders? What could be improved? What contributes to (or impedes) a successful and satisfying relationship?  What do foundations want and need from the relationship?

This session will highlight the Center for Effective Philanthropy's groundbreaking work on grantees' perspectives and delve into some of the challenges funders and grantees face. Participants will leave with concrete tips that will help them be a more effective partner.

 
 
 

March 11, 2008, 9:00 - 10:30
GEO 2008 National Conference and 10th Anniversary Celebration
The Palace Hotel, San Francisco

Race and Gender Diversity: What Difference Does it Make for Foundation Effectiveness?
What is the relationship between race and gender diversity and foundation effectiveness? Research from the Center for Effective Philanthropy has shown that male grantees have more interactions of an interpersonal nature with foundation staff during the grantmaking process than do their female colleagues. Additionally, CEP’s governance research has shown that foundation trustees who identify as racial minorities perceive there to be more equality on the board only when the board has more than two trustees who identify as a member of a racial minority. Drawing on this and other research on foundation effectiveness, this session will engage participants in a discussion on the relevance of race and gender diversity and how these social constructs can impact the effectiveness of foundations and the relationships between foundations and grantees.from new CEP research on the provision of general operating support to grantees.

 
 
 

March 4, 2008, 7:00 pm- 9:00 pm
Zinner Distinguished Lecture Series
The Heller School for Social Policy and Management
Brandeis University

Is U.S. Philanthropy Ignoring Poverty in its Own Backyard?
CEP President Phil Buchanan and Stanford University Associate Professor of Political Science Rob Reich will debate how best to promote social justice. Buchanan argues that the freedom nonprofits enjoy to choose their own goals has strengthened our society and that the most significant way to achieve greater social impact is at the organizational level, through a greater focus on sound strategies and rigorous performance indicators. In recent publications, Reich has argued that the tax treatment of charitable gifts works against increased funding for social
justice aims and needs to be remedied by new public policies. This debate will be moderated by The Philanthropic Initiative President and CEO Ellen Remmer.

 
 
 

February 28, 2008, 12:00 pm- 2:00 pm
Bradley Center for Philanthropy and Civic Renewal
Hudson Institute

Effective Foundation Management: 14 Challenges of Philanthropic Leadership--and How to Outfox Them
Joel Orosz, Distinguished Professor of Philanthropic Studies at Grand Valley State University and author of Effective Foundation Management: 14 Challenges of Philanthropic Leadership - and How to Outfox Them, will be sharing perspectives from his new book. He'll be joined by CEP President Phil Buchanan and Peter Frumkin, Professor of Public Affairs and Director, RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service at the University of Texas, for a panel discussion.

 
 
 

February 12, 2008
Beyond the Rhetoric: Foundation Strategy
A NYRAG Collaborative Program Presented with The Center for Effective Philanthropy

How do foundations maximize their impact? What is the role of strategy? Is your foundation strategic? Are you?
Please join the Center for Effective Philanthropy for a special presentation of our new research findings on foundation strategy and a celebration of the release of our report, Beyond the Rhetoric: Foundation Strategy.
Research findings reveal how foundation CEOs and program officers view strategy – and the extent to which strategy guides their decision making as they seek to achieve their impact goals.
CEP Vice Presidents Kevin Bolduc and Lisa R. Jackson, PhD will share results from this groundbreaking research and highlight practical implications for CEOs, trustees, and program staff..

 
 
 

November 15-17, 2007
2007 Arnova Conference
The Global Pursuit of Social Justice: Challenges to Nonprofits
& Civil Society

Understanding Grantee and Foundation Perspectives on Type of Support
Foundation and nonprofit executives have long discussed and debated how grantmakers can best support nonprofits, and many have argued for an increase in the provision of unrestricted – or general operating – support. Missing from the debate has been data: data about current foundation practice and what informs that practice, and data about the grantee perspective. CEP Senior Research Officer Ellie Buteau, PhD will present results from new CEP research on the provision of general operating support to grantees.

 
 
 

October 14-16, 2007
Philanthropy in the Looking Glass: Reflection and Learning
NYS Funders Conference

Foundation Governance: Inside the Boardroom
Until recently, little has been known about the functioning of foundation boards. CEP has conducted the largest-scale study of foundation boards, surveying more than 600 trustees of 60 foundations since 2004 and interviewing dozens of trustees – developing new insights about board structure, practices, and the perceptions of foundation board members. How do foundation members define board effectiveness? In what areas do they want more board involvement? What are the keys to strong CEO-board relationships? How do the behaviors of compensated and uncompensated trustees differ? What are the dynamics of race and gender in the foundation boardroom? What is the role of foundation staff in ensuring the effectiveness of foundation boards? How can meetings be structured to maximize effectiveness? Phil Buchanan will discuss the answers to these and other questions, drawing on CEP's research and experience providing board self-assessment results to foundation trustees.

 
 
 

October 14-16, 2007
Philanthropy in the Looking Glass: Reflection and Learning
NYS Funders Conference

In Search of Impact: Funder-Grantee Relationships
Grantmaking foundations generally pursue impact through their grantees. But how can foundations best support the work of grantees to achieve their impact objectives? Which foundation practices maximize impact and which impede it? The Center for Effective Philanthropy has surveyed tens of thousands of non-profit grantees of more than 200 foundations, analyzing what contributes to grantees’ sense that foundations are making a positive impact on their organizations – and on the fields and communities they fund. Phil Buchanan, President, will describe what nonprofits value in their foundation funders. His presentation will touch on vexing issues such as when foundations should provide unrestricted grants and how foundations should monitor and assess program officers’ performance

 
 
 

October 10, 2007
A Special Presentation of CEP's Foundation Strategy Study Findings

Beyond the Rhetoric: Foundation Strategy
How do foundations maximize their impact? What is the role of strategy? Is your foundation strategic? Are you?

Please join the Center for Effective Philanthropy for a special presentation of our new research findings on foundation strategy and a celebration of the release of our forthcoming report, Beyond the Rhetoric: Foundation Strategy.

Research findings reveal how foundation CEOs and program officers view strategy - and the extent to which strategy guides their decision making as they seek to achieve their impact goals.

CEP President Phil Buchanan and Vice President Kevin Bolduc will share results from this groundbreaking research and highlight practical implications for CEOs, trustees, and program staff.

  • WHO: Foundation CEOs, trustees, and program staff
  • WHAT: CEP's new research on foundation strategy
  • WHEN: October 10, 2007, 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm
    Cocktail reception to follow from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm
  • WHERE: The Hotel Monaco, Vienna Room
    501 Geary Street, San Francisco
  • WHY: To gain new knowledge, reflect on your approach to philanthropy, and network with colleagues
 
 
 

September 10, 2007, Arlington, VA
The 2007 Foundation and Nonprofit Performance Conference
The Council for Nonprofit Innovation

Evaluating, Improving and Reporting Foundation Results
CEP's Vice President - Assessment Tools Kevin Bolduc will discuss the various tools that foundations of all sizes can use to evaluate their own effectiveness. This session will focus on:

  • Identifing relevant stakeholders and their specific interests in results
  • Examining data sources to ensure integrity of collection method
  • Ensuring the validity of performance information through data standards
 
 
 

July 12, 2007
Alabama Giving
Summer Membership Meeting

Foundation Strategy
How do foundations make decisions - and to what extent do strategies guide their choices? How are program strategies defined, developed, modified, and assessed? How uniformly and consistently are strategies implemented? CEP Vice President Lisa R. Jackson, PhD will present findings from CEP's Foundation Strategy Study, highlighting the differences among foundations' use of strategy and touching on practical implications. This study is funded by the Surdna Foundation and explores what guides decision making for CEOs and program officers at large foundations.

 
 
 

April 25, 2007
New York Regional Associations of Grantmakers
NYRAG Professional Development Program

The Role of General Operating Support: In Search of Impact
Foundation and nonprofit executives have long discussed and debated how grantmakers can best support nonprofits, and many have argued for an increase in the provision of unrestricted – or general operating – support. Missing from the debate has been data: data about current foundation practice and what informs that practice, and data about the grantee perspective. This session, moderated by Judy Huang, will feature results from new CEP research on the provision of general operating support to grantees and include perspectives from foundation practitioners, who will address questions that include: How do general operating support grants affect a foundation’s ability to evaluate effectiveness? How have CEOs engaged their boards in discussions about type of support?

 
 
 

March 8-9, 2007
Assessment to Action: Creating Change

CEP's conference, Assessment to Action: Creating Change, will focus on the challenges foundation leaders face as they implement changes within their foundations in order to achieve desired social outcomes.

Highlights will include:

  • Leadership expert Rosabeth Moss Kanter, who holds the Ernest L. Arbuckle Professorship at Harvard Business School, on overcoming the challenges facing foundation leaders in creating change

  • John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation President Jonathan Fanton on the promise, and pitfalls, of focusing on foundation effectiveness

  • Spelman College President and nationally recognized expert on race relations Beverly Tatum on race in the foundation boardroom

  • Presentations from CEP staff featuring the latest practical insights drawn from groundbreaking research studies on foundation strategy, foundation governance, and foundation grantmaking choices
    •

Other sessions include:
  • Creating Change in the Boardroom

  • Fostering Program Officer Success: A Leadership Challenge

  • Understanding Foundation Impact: The Academic Perspective

  • The Challenge of Change: Overcoming Resistance

  • What Grantees Want: The Role of Operating Support

  • Foundation Payout: A Strategic Choice
    •

 
 
 

November 29, 2006
2006 New England Funders Conference: Philanthropy by the Numbers

Measuring Effectiveness: What Do We Really Mean?
The 2006 New England Funders Conference opens with an evening reception and event featuring Phil Buchanan, Executive Director of the Center for Effective Philanthropy, Kate Miller, Executive Director, Hartford Courant Foundation, Wendy J. Wolf, M.D., President and CEO of the Maine Health Access Foundation, and Marjorie O'Neil Clapprood, Executive Director of the One Family Scholars Program. Panelists will consider trends in philanthropic measurement and benchmarking and the pros and cons of applying these numbers in our work.

 
 
 

November 16-18, 2006
ARNOVA's 35th Annual Conference

Understanding and Improving Program Officer Performance: The Role of Foundation Structural and Program Officer Characteristics
Despite the apparent, and real, pluralism in goals, structures, and processes embraced by different foundations, there exists a strong similarity in the way grantees perceive foundations to be successful in their work. Associate Director Kevin Bolduc and Senior Research Officer Ellie Buteau, Ph.D. will present new CEP research that suggests that foundation leadership should more vigorously pursue a conversation about improving the skills and quality of the program officers that implement their missions. Because foundations seek to achieve their impact goals through their grantees, understanding how grantees perceive the foundation’s impact, assistance provided, and processes – and how that varies by program officer – is fundamental to understanding program officer and overall foundation effectiveness.

 
 
 

November 16-18, 2006
ARNOVA's 35th Annual Conference

Community Foundations Colloquium
This panel brings together foundation leaders with researchers to discuss progress in efforts to develop a new research-based framework that measures such important community foundation roles as influencing public policy, leveraging other funding for important programs or issues, and serving as a resource for nonprofit sector public education and advocacy. CEP's Senior Research Officer Ellie Buteau, Ph.D., Urban Institute's Senior Research Associate Francie Ostrower, Ph.D., and two community foundation leaders will engage the audience in a discussion of the following questions:

  • What are current performance measurement practices among community foundations and why are they important?
  • What are the most promising areas for community foundation impact, e.g., leadership development and public policy, for testing measures?
  • What are the best indicators of performance in each area of impact and how should they be measured?
  • What obstacles will community foundation leaders face in this effort and how can the research community help?
 
 
 

November 9-10, 2006
Indiana Grantmakers Fall Conference

Assessing Foundation Performance: Challenges and Practical Steps
Assessing foundation performance is notoriously difficult. No single, uniform measure of impact achieved exists, and philanthropic organizations are often one step removed from the issues they seek to affect. How, then, does a foundation assess its performance? How do foundations navigate the unique challenges they face in assessing the impact of their work? Foundations of varying type and size are embracing a range of creative means for assessing their performance, drawing on new data sets, interpreting results in light of their strategies, and charting a path for improvement. Judy Huang, Associate Director at the Center for Effective Philanthropy, will lead this session that will outline challenges for foundation leadership and discuss practical steps that foundation staff might take to implement changes.

 
 
 

November 3, 2006
American Evaluation Association's Annual Conference

Using Evaluation Data to Better Understand Grantee-Funder Relations
Two of the most important processes that occur between foundations and nonprofit grantees are the selection of grantees and the evaluation of grants. Both processes can, for better or worse, greatly impact grantee organizations. Findings from CEP’s survey of grantees reveal differences in interaction patterns during these processes for male and female grantee respondents. Male respondents reported more interpersonal contact occurring during these processes than did female respondents; female respondents reported more frequent submission of written forms and financial information than did males. Moreover, helpfulness of the evaluation process in strengthening the grantee organization was rated more positively by grantees that reported occurrence of evaluation activities involving interpersonal contact with the foundation. CEP's Senior Research Officer, Ellie Buteau, Ph.D., will discuss these findings, which raise concerns of systematic inequality during these processes.

 
 
 

May 6, 2006
Council on Founcations' Annual Conference

The Best Advice
Join a candid discussion with colleagues about the vexing questions facing foundation CEOs. By what criteria will we gauge foundation performance - and the performance of key staff? How do we get the most value out of our trustees? How do we establish productive relationships with our key partners, particularly our grantees? How do we respond to skeptical lawmakers and members of the media? How do we decide between competing priorities? Moderator Phil Buchanan will introduce these questions with an overview of groundbreaking new research in these areas - including results from the largest-scale survey of the views of foundation trustees ever conducted - as well as examples of emerging best practices taking hold at a number of foundations. The Council's Senior Advisors will offer their insights and perspectives in a lively, candid, confidential, no-holds-barred session for CEOs only.

 
 
 

April 5, 2006
Delaware Valley Grantmakers

Beyond Compliance: Effective Foundation Governance
Recent scrutiny of foundation governance has focused on compliance with minimum standards and avoidance of malfeasance. But what are the keys to effective foundation governance that go beyond these basics? How do foundation board members define board effectiveness? Where do trustees and CEOs want more board involvement?

Phil Buchanan will answer these questions based on CEP's landmark study on foundation governance, which explored the perceptions and practices of nearly 550 trustees of 53 large foundations. Buchanan will present the findings of CEP's analyses regarding board effectiveness. He will also address how board behaviors are impacted by compensation of foundation trustees and how board diversity affects boardroom dynamics.

 
 
 

March 10, 2006
Grantmakers for Effective Organizations National Conference

Beyond Compliance: The Trustee Viewpoint on Effective Foundation Governance
How do you know if your board is effective? And how can you identify ways in which your board can increase its effectiveness? Phil Buchanan and Ellie Buteau will detail findings from CEP's survey of nearly 550 foundation trustees and will offer practical implications for CEOs and trustees. Learn the key predictors of trustees’ perceptions of board effectiveness and hear other new findings about board dynamics related to issues such as race and compensation. Hear from Ruth Massinga, chair of the Marguerite Casey Foundation, about how participation in CEP’s research inspired change inside of her board.

 
 
 

March 8, 2006
Grantmakers for Effective Organizations National Conference

Constructive Feedback: Making the Most of Grantmaker/Grantee Communication
This session, led by CEP's Judy Huang, will provide practical tips for what kind of communication and feedback is most useful between grantmakers and grantees in order to strengthen results and outcomes. Barbara Kibbe of the Monitor Institute and Eric Brown of The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, will share their perspectives and describe the steps they took to improve communications with grantees. The discussion will be framed by CEP’s new research on what grantees most value in communications with grantmakers.

 
 
 

February 16, 2006
Northern California Grantmakers' Effective Philanthropy Series

Beyond Compliance: The Trustee Viewpoint on Effective Foundation Governance
NCG’s Effective Philanthropy group is working in partnership with CEP for a two-part series on effective foundation governance. Based on findings from the CEP report Beyond Compliance: The Trustee Viewpoint on Effective Foundation Governance, this series is designed to address the following questions:

  • How do trustees define foundation board effectiveness and on what activities do they want to be focused?
  • How can foundation staff unlock and channel the talent that resides on their board?
  • What are the stories regarding proven ways to increase trustees’ perceptions of board effectiveness and what has proven to be most challenging in successfully engaging trustees?
 
 
 

January 30, 2006
COF Family Foundations Conference


Improving the Effectiveness of Family Foundation Boards: The Trustee Perspective
What are successful practices of foundation boards? What do foundation board members feel will increase the effectiveness of the board? How are family foundation boards different from other foundation boards, and what are the unique challenges and opportunities they face in improving board effectiveness? Learn from CEP as Sarah Di Troia presents new data on foundation governance from a survey of over 600 trustees representing 53 foundations.

 
 
 

December 1, 2005
Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania

 Assessing Foundation Performance: Exploring Options and Creating a New Language
Assessing foundation performance is notoriously difficult. No single, uniform measure of impact achieved exists, and philanthropic organizations are often one step removed from the issues they seek to affect. How, then, does a foundation assess its performance? Foundations are embracing a range of creative means for assessing their performance, drawing on new data sets, interpreting results in light of their strategies, and charting a path for improvement. Phil Buchanan will lead this session that will outline challenges and provide relevant case examples.

 
 
 

October 27, 2005
MicroEdge Solutions Conference

 Unleashing Grantee Perception and Grants Management Data to Inform Foundation Decision-Making
Foundation leadership often struggles to understand what data to use in gauging their foundation's effectiveness. Kevin Bolduc will lead this session, which will discuss the Center for Effective Philanthropy's research on foundation performance assessment and grantee perceptions of foundations. This research suggests that grants managers and the data they control or could create might be the most overlooked and underutilized internal resource at foundations today.

 
 
 
October 24, 2005
Independent Sector Annual Conference

Meeting the Promise: Recommended Practices in Ethics and Accountability
Speakers at this session include:
  • Phil Buchanan, executive director, Center for Effective Philanthropy
  • Jan Masaoka, executive director, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services

  • Michael Piraino, chief executive officer, National CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) Association
  • Moderator: Luz Vega-Marquis, president and CEO, Marguerite Casey Foundation
    •
 
 
 
October 20, 2005
Ohio Grantmakers Forum 2005 Annual Conference

Toward A New Language of Foundation Performance Assessment
Increasingly, foundations are embracing a range of creative means for assessing their performance, drawing on new data sets to understand how they are doing, interpreting results in light of their distinctive strategies, and, most important, charting a path of improvement. Phil Buchanan of CEP will lead this session that will outline challenges, provide relevant case examples, and engage participants in an exercise of identifying potential new measures to employ in their own foundations.
 
 
 
September 28, 2005
Effectiveness Matters
Chicago Grantmakers for Effective Organizations

Improving the Effectiveness of Foundation Boards:
The Trustee Perspective
In Phase II of the Foundation Governance Project, CEP surveyed more than 600 trustees of 53 large foundations in the fall of 2004. The CEOs of these 53 foundations were also surveyed, supplying detailed data on board structure and practices. Sarah Di Troia will share CEP’s latest research from the Project, which revealed that, while the boards surveyed have many structural differences, including overall size, average length of tenure, and whether trustees are compensated, board member perceptions of board effectiveness are related to the same key concepts regardless of these structural differences.
 
 
 
September 13 , 2005
Philanthropy Northwest Annual Conference

Listening to Grantees: What Nonprofits Value in Foundation Funders
CEP surveys grantees to reveal what really matters - and what doesn't - in their relationships with funders. Important implications for foundation leadership and program staff emerge from these studies. Judy Huang of CEP will describe the implications for individual foundations as well as for the larger grantmaking field. Jeff Clarke, chief administrative officer of the Rasmuson Foundation, will share the foundation's reasons for participating in the research, what the board and staff have learned, and how they plan to implement those lessons.
 
 
 
April 26, 2005
Donors Forum of Chicago Members Luncheon

Listening to Grantees: What Nonprofits Value in Foundation Funders
CEP surveys grantees to reveal what really matters - and what doesn't - in their relationships with funders. Important implications for foundation leadership and program staff emerge from these studies. Phil Buchanan will describe the implications for individual foundations as well as for the larger grantmaking field. Ricardo Millett, president of Woods Fund of Chicago and a member of CEP's board of directors, will share the foundation's reasons for participating in the research, what the board and staff have learned, and how they plan to implement those lessons.
 
 
 
April 11, 2005
The Center for Effective Philanthropy's Foundation Governance Project

A Special Presentation of Preliminary Results
Sarah Di Troia will present the preliminary findings from the largest-scale study on foundation governance ever conducted, including an examination of practices and trustee perspectives of more than 50 foundations. This research draws on the views of close to 550 foundation trustees and will be the subject of a major report from CEP to be released later this year.
 
 
 
April 10, 2005
Grant Managers Network Annual Meeting

Keynote Address: Unleashing Grants Management Data to Inform Foundation Decision-Making
Foundation leadership often struggles to understand what data to use in gauging their foundation's effectiveness. Kevin Bolduc will discuss CEP's research on foundation performance assessment and grantee perceptions of foundations, which suggests that grants managers and the data they control might be the most overlooked and underutilized internal resource at foundations today.
 
 
 
March 17 and 18, 2005
Center for Effective Philanthropy Seminar

Higher Impact: Improving Foundation Performance
This two-day seminar will explore key elements of foundation performance, featuring sessions on strategy development, performance assessment, governance, and leadership. It will also feature the latest Center for Effective Philanthropy research.
 
 
 

Listening to Grantees: Grantee Perceptions
CEP has analyzed surveys of nearly 14,000 grantees of 117 foundations to isolate the key dimensions that nonprofits are seeking in their foundation funders and has provided foundations with individual reports on how their grantees perceive them on a comparative, confidential basis. Judy Huang will describe this research and explore its implications.

 
 
 
November 19, 2004
Associated Grant Makers

2004 New England Funders Conference
Positive Philanthropy: The Promise & The Practice
Phil Buchanan of CEP will moderate a discussion with three New England foundations as they share results of their Grantee Perception Report® . In addition to results, the foundations will discuss how staff and trustees have responded.

 
 
 

Listening to Grantees' Perspectives
Constructive grantmaker-grantee relationships are essential to effective foundation performance. Elan Garonzik of the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Rick Cohen of the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, and Phil Buchanan of CEP discuss what grantees really value.

 
 
 
October 28, 2004
Arizona Grantmakers Forum Luncheon Workshop

Measuring Foundation Effectiveness
Kevin Bolduc of CEP will discuss the various tools that foundations of all sizes can use to evaluate their own effectiveness. Ed Portnoy of Nina Mason Pulliam Trust will provide feedback on the insights gained from their Grantee Perception Report® .
 
 
 
October 19, 2004
NYRAG Briefing

Listening to Grantees:
How Confidential, Comparative Grantee Survey Data is Leading Foundations to New Understandings of Their Performance
Senior Executives from three Grantee Perception Report® subscribers, Carnegie Corporation of New York, The Dyson Foundation, and F.B. Heron Foundation, will join Phil Buchanan of CEP in presenting and fielding questions.

 
 
 

The Unique Challenges Facing Community Foundation Boards
Phil Buchanan of CEP will present data on the distinctive practices of community foundation boards, based on research conducted for CEP's Foundation Governance Project. Debbie Hechinger, CEO of BoardSource, and other panelists will present their views on these issues.

 
 
 

September 2, 2004
4th Annual Connecticut Youth Funders Conference

Turning the Tables & Listening to Grantees
In the past two years, CEP has surveyed 10,000 grantees of nearly 100 foundations. CEP has analyzed these surveys to isolate the key dimensions that nonprofits are seeking in their foundation funders and has provided foundations with individual reports on how their grantees perceive them on a comparative, confidential basis. Kevin Bolduc will describe this research and explore its implications.

 
 
 
August 4, 2004
The Foundation Incubator

Listening to Grantees: What Nonprofits Value in Their Foundation Funders
Given the dynamics that often impede candid feedback from grantees to their foundation funders, how can foundation leadership and program staff understand what nonprofits really value? Phil Buchanan will describe the Center for Effective Philanthropy's research and explore its implications in an interactive session that will draw on participants' own experiences and perspectives.

 
 
April 27, 2004
Council on Foundations Annual Conference

Assessing Foundation Performance: Two Unique Approaches
Phil Buchanan will moderate a panel discussion with James R. Knickman, Ph.D., Vice President for Research & Evaluation, The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Jane Humphries, Director of CF-LINKS Community Foundations of Canada.

 
 
April 8, 2004
Donors Forum of Wisconsin Statewide Conference on Philanthropy

Funder-Grantee Relationships- The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
Phil Buchanan will present findings from CEP's surveying of thousands of foundation grantees, discussing what nonprofits really value in their foundation funders.

After Evaluation- Transforming Results into Action
Special Focus Discussion with David Hunter and Phil Buchanan
Moderator: Chris Beem, Johnson Foundation
Participants will explore what has been learned about best practices and effective models in the nonprofit sector as well as identify some tough questions to tackle for the future.