Tag: cep
-
Despite What You May Have Heard, Foundations Are More Relevant Than EverPhil Buchanan President, CEP
More than a few philanthropy observers have suggested that foundations are now (or will soon become) a less significant segment of the landscape of U.S. philanthropy than they once were. […] The post Despite What You May Have Heard, Foundations Are More Relevant Than EverPhil Buchanan President, CEP appeared first on The Center for Effective…
-
The Debate That Belongs in Every Foundation Boardroom Right NowKevin Bolduc Vice President, Assessment and Advisory Services, CEP
The challenges created by a capricious and morally untethered federal government haven’t abated, and every day nonprofits are adapting to step into the breach. They’re redesigning food distribution networks, organizing […] The post The Debate That Belongs in Every Foundation Boardroom Right NowKevin Bolduc Vice President, Assessment and Advisory Services, CEP appeared first on The…
-
What the Birthright Citizenship Decision Reveals About Philanthropy’s Path to Protect and Defend DemocracyAarti Kohli Executive Director, Asian Law CaucusElica Vafaie Program Director, Immigrant Rights, Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund
The Supreme Court’s recent Trump v. Barbara decision upholding birthright citizenship is bittersweet. On one hand, it reaffirms a core tenet of our Constitution and reflects our longstanding commitment to being a welcoming and […] The post What the Birthright Citizenship Decision Reveals About Philanthropy’s Path to Protect and Defend DemocracyAarti Kohli Executive Director, Asian Law CaucusElica Vafaie Program Director,…
-
A Floor, Not a Ceiling: What the Knicks’ Championship Asks of FoundationsBrian Byrd Founder, BiBYRD Consulting
As a lifelong New York Knicks fan, I watched last month’s run to the franchise’s first NBA championship in 53 years with a mix of disbelief and joy. But the […] The post A Floor, Not a Ceiling: What the Knicks’ Championship Asks of FoundationsBrian Byrd Founder, BiBYRD Consulting appeared first on The Center for…
-
Navigating the Headwinds: Why Funders Should Lean Into Equity-Centered EvaluationMaryam Khojasteh Senior Program Officer, Robert Wood Johnson FoundationMiranda Yates Senior Program Officer, Robert Wood Johnson FoundationSonia Taddy-Sandino Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director, Engage R+DMichael Arnold Partner and Executive Director, Informing Change
The philanthropic sector is no stranger to headwinds, but the current storm is testing funders’ commitment to equity in ways we’ve never experienced before — and learning and evaluation is […] The post Navigating the Headwinds: Why Funders Should Lean Into Equity-Centered EvaluationMaryam Khojasteh Senior Program Officer, Robert Wood Johnson FoundationMiranda Yates Senior Program Officer,…
-
Capability Scoring: A Model for Capital Allocation That Moves Beyond Capacity as the GoalDavid Bonbright Principal, Deep Fathom
Midy Aponte-Vargas has written one of the clearest statements of philanthropy’s core problem I’ve read this year. The operating-system framing is right. Capacity-as-deficit is right. The argument that more flexible […] The post Capability Scoring: A Model for Capital Allocation That Moves Beyond Capacity as the GoalDavid Bonbright Principal, Deep Fathom appeared first on The…
-
When Is AI in the Public’s Interest? Four Questions Philanthropy Should Ask FirstBen Zeno Tracy McFerrin Founder and Principal, Credo Advisors
When it comes to artificial intelligence (AI), these are not merely interesting times. They are disorienting ones. The technology is evolving quickly, the claims around it are louder than the […] The post When Is AI in the Public’s Interest? Four Questions Philanthropy Should Ask FirstBen Zeno Tracy McFerrin Founder and Principal, Credo Advisors appeared…
-
The Case for Funding Courage: Why Donors Who Embrace Risk Should Embrace Strategic LitigationNick Grono CEO, The Freedom Fund
In 2016, my Freedom Fund colleagues and I met with lawyers preparing to represent three Eritrean refugees in a case against Nevsun, a Canadian mining company. The men alleged they […] The post The Case for Funding Courage: Why Donors Who Embrace Risk Should Embrace Strategic LitigationNick Grono CEO, The Freedom Fund appeared first on…
-
On Not Knowing What I Am Doing: Leadership Lessons From a Tumultuous TimePhil Buchanan President, CEP
A few years into my tenure as CEP’s president, when I was in my mid-30s, I made a confession to our board of directors in executive session. It was a […] The post On Not Knowing What I Am Doing: Leadership Lessons From a Tumultuous TimePhil Buchanan President, CEP appeared first on The Center for…
-
You Can’t Build Ecosystems on BurnoutLaura Hennighausen Director of Strategic Philanthropy, Purpose Possible
The Center for Effective Philanthropy’s annual State of Nonprofits report is out, and its findings were not a major surprise: nonprofit leaders are increasingly burned out at the exact moment […] The post You Can’t Build Ecosystems on BurnoutLaura Hennighausen Director of Strategic Philanthropy, Purpose Possible appeared first on The Center for Effective Philanthropy. Goto…
-
Nonprofits Have Options: A Framework for Mission Continuity in a CrisisBrenda Falk Research Manager, Dorothy A. Johnson Center for PhilanthropyTory Martin Director of Communications and Strategic Partnerships, Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy
The nonprofit sector has a complicated relationship with endings. Organizational survival is often treated as an unquestioned good: funders reward persistence, boards equate closure with failure, and leaders internalize institutional […] The post Nonprofits Have Options: A Framework for Mission Continuity in a CrisisBrenda Falk Research Manager, Dorothy A. Johnson Center for PhilanthropyTory Martin Director…
-
Better Together: Some Reasons for Optimism this Fourth of July, According to GranteesJoseph Lee Senior Manager, Assessment and Advisory Services
It’s perhaps the understatement of the year — or, maybe more fittingly, the semiquincentennial — to say that it’s a challenging moment for the nonprofit sector. As CEP has shared […] The post Better Together: Some Reasons for Optimism this Fourth of July, According to GranteesJoseph Lee Senior Manager, Assessment and Advisory Services appeared first…
-
What Funders Miss When They Treat Capacity as the GoalMidy Aponte-Vargas Founder and Chief Executive, Civil Strategies
The operating system philanthropy uses to define nonprofit strength no longer fits the conditions we are in. It rewards what funders can measure, mistakes legibility for credibility, treats community rooted […] The post What Funders Miss When They Treat Capacity as the GoalMidy Aponte-Vargas Founder and Chief Executive, Civil Strategies appeared first on The Center…
-
Beyond Payout: What Is Charitable Capital Doing Right Now?Kirstin Hill President and Chief Operating Officer, Social Finance
Center for Effective Philanthropy President Phil Buchanan recently made a strong case for why foundations should increase their payouts. He does not think all foundations should spend down and has […] The post Beyond Payout: What Is Charitable Capital Doing Right Now?Kirstin Hill President and Chief Operating Officer, Social Finance appeared first on The Center…
-
AI Is Reshaping the World — Foundations Must Revisit Their StrategyChantal Forster Independent AI Advisor, Warren West AdvisoryLakshmi Iyer Managing Director, FSG
AI is not just changing the way foundations work — it is changing the world that philanthropy is trying to change. In 2026, we believe that foundations must go beyond […] The post AI Is Reshaping the World — Foundations Must Revisit Their StrategyChantal Forster Independent AI Advisor, Warren West AdvisoryLakshmi Iyer Managing Director, FSG…
-
As Fiscal Hosting Expands, What Philanthropy Should KnowPaula Castells Carrión Governance and Localization Consultant, Trust, Accountability, and Inclusion Collaborative
At its core, fiscal hosting refers to a model in which a nonprofit organization extends its legal and tax-exempt status to a project or initiative, enabling it to receive and […] The post As Fiscal Hosting Expands, What Philanthropy Should KnowPaula Castells Carrión Governance and Localization Consultant, Trust, Accountability, and Inclusion Collaborative appeared first on…
-
When Federal Policy Retreats, Local Action Must LeadRip Rapson President and CEO, The Kresge FoundationShamar Bibbins Managing Director, Environment Program, The Kresge Foundation
When the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced earlier this year that it was reversing the Endangerment Finding — the long-standing federal policy establishing that greenhouse gases pose a clear and present danger […] The post When Federal Policy Retreats, Local Action Must LeadRip Rapson President and CEO, The Kresge FoundationShamar Bibbins Managing Director, Environment Program, The Kresge…
-
Shifting Out of Neutral Phil Buchanan President, CEP
Institutional neutrality has been all the rage these past few years, but it is time to recognize that it is a fallacy. Let me start with some background. Since the […] The post Shifting Out of Neutral Phil Buchanan President, CEP appeared first on The Center for Effective Philanthropy. Goto full post >>
-
Philanthropy in Prose: Why Better Grantmaking Matters Now More Than EverDaniel Stid Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute
The Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) has recently shared some sobering survey data in “State of Nonprofits 2026: What Funders Need to Know.” The proportion of nonprofit CEOs who report […] The post Philanthropy in Prose: Why Better Grantmaking Matters Now More Than EverDaniel Stid Senior Fellow, American Enterprise Institute appeared first on The Center…
-
A ‘Perfect Storm’: One Nonprofit Leader on Fear, Funding, and Finding a Way ThroughCaroline Gasparini Coordinator, Research, CEPElizabeth Lindsey Executive Director, Genesys Works National Capital Region
“We have had to be agile, flexible, and optimistic in ways that I haven’t experienced before.” Elizabeth Lindsey, who leads the Washington, DC area location of the youth-empowerment nonprofit Genesys Works, has spent most of […] The post A ‘Perfect Storm’: One Nonprofit Leader on Fear, Funding, and Finding a Way ThroughCaroline Gasparini Coordinator, Research, CEPElizabeth Lindsey Executive Director, Genesys…