For Immediate Release

Center for Effective Philanthropy Releases Case Study, “Improving the Grantee Experience at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation”

Cambridge, Massachusetts:  A new Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) case study highlights how one foundation sought to transform the experience of its grantees by developing clear and public standards and by holding its program officers accountable for adhering to them.

Improving the Grantee Experience at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation describes how leaders at the Packard Foundation reacted to the results of CEP’s Grantee Perception Report® (GPR) – a management tool that provides comparative data on grantee perceptions of foundation performance – and how staff mobilized to make change. 

“We are a little competitive, so we love being able to see where we rank against a cohort of foundations like ourselves and whether or not we fall below our peers,” said Packard Foundation President Carol Larson.  CEP’s case study, authored by Senior Research Writer Judith Ross, describes how the Foundation moved from understanding its GPR results to implementing concrete changes which quickly yielded positive results.  The Foundation faced some hurdles along the way, including skepticism and resistance from some program officers.

This case study is the first in a new CEP series designed to offer practical examples of how foundations have moved from assessment to action, thereby improving their performance in key areas.

To order or download Improving the Grantee Experience at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, visit www.effectivephilanthropy.org.

ABOUT THE CENTER FOR EFFECTIVE PHILANTHROPY
The Center for Effective Philanthropy is a nonprofit organization focused on providing management and governance tools to define, assess, and improve foundation performance. CEP received initial funding in 2001 and is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information on CEP's work, including its research, publications, and assessment tools, see www.effectivephilanthropy.org.

ABOUT THE DAVID AND LUCILE PACKARD FOUNDATION
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is a private family foundation created in 1964 by David Packard (1912–1996), cofounder of the Hewlett-Packard Company, and Lucile Salter Packard (1914–1987). The Foundation provides grants to nonprofit organizations in the following program areas: Conservation and Science; Population; and Children, Families, and Communities. The Foundation makes national and international grants and also has a special focus on the Northern California Counties of San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Monterey. Foundation grantmaking includes support for a wide variety of activities including direct services, research and policy development, and public information and education. The Foundation does not make grants intended to influence legislation or support candidates for political office.