For Immediate Release

CENTER FOR EFFECTIVE PHILANTHROPY ANNOUNCES APPOINTMENT OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Boston, MA: The Center for Effective Philanthropy has appointed Phil Buchanan, a former strategy consultant and higher education administrator, to be its first Executive Director. He will lead the execution of an 8-month study on foundation performance measures, as well as the broader set of initiatives by CEP, such as developing education programs and case materials on foundation practices and strategy.

Buchanan's background includes experience in strategy consulting at the Parthenon Group and non-profit management and strategy development at Wesleyan University and Mount Holyoke College. His writings on educational and management issues have appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Chronicle of Higher Education, and EduCause Review, among other publications.

Most recently, Buchanan served as Principal at Parthenon, a strategy consulting firm based in Boston. In this role, he worked with chief executives and senior managers of companies ranging in size from start-ups to Fortune 500 companies in a variety of industries, including publishing, education, and consumer goods.

Previously, Buchanan served as Assistant to the President and Secretary of the College at Mount Holyoke from 1995-1998 and as Special Assistant to the President at Wesleyan from 1993-1995. He has experience in comprehensive strategic plans, the design of performance metrics, and board restructurings.

Buchanan received his undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University and holds an MBA from Harvard University.

"We are delighted to have found in Phil someone to lead CEP who has a deep appreciation for both the value that exists today within the philanthropic world as well as the tremendous opportunities for foundations to affect even greater change," said Phil Giudice, who led the search for an Executive Director and serves as Senior Fellow at CEP. "In the short-term, his task is to assemble a research team and work closely with the Advisory Board to conduct what will be an important study of potential measures of foundation performance. Longer term, he will shape the ongoing education and research activities of CEP."

"Phil brings to CEP an ideal combination of experience in and commitment to the non-profit sector, along with the analytical training to lead our complex research efforts," said CEP's Co-Founder and Chairman, Mark Kramer.

Assisting in the development of the Foundation Performance Metrics Pilot Study will be leaders of major foundations through participation on an Advisory Board announced this week.

ABOUT THE CENTER FOR EFFECTIVE PHILANTHROPY

The Center for Effective Philanthropy is a nonprofit research and educational organization whose mission is to provide foundation executives and trustees the management and governance tools need to define, assess, and improve overall foundation performance. The Foundation Performance Metrics Pilot Study is CEP's first major project. In addition to the Study funders, listed above, support for CEP's work is also provided by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.