Tag: cep
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25 Years of Profound Impact on Philanthropy: A Thank You to a Longtime ColleaguePhil Buchanan President, CEP
It’s a big statement but I think it’s correct: I really don’t think there is any person in this country who has done more to influence how grantmakers approach their […] The post 25 Years of Profound Impact on Philanthropy: A Thank You to a Longtime ColleaguePhil Buchanan President, CEP appeared first on The Center…
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Philanthropy’s Crossroads: Retraction or Solidarity?Saulo Araujo Director of Global Philanthropy, Grassroots International
Philanthropy as we know it is facing one of its deepest crises yet. As the director of global philanthropy for Grassroots International, an organization built on decades of supporting frontline […] The post Philanthropy’s Crossroads: Retraction or Solidarity?Saulo Araujo Director of Global Philanthropy, Grassroots International appeared first on The Center for Effective Philanthropy. Goto full…
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A Growing Tide: Creating New Channels for ChangeCarmen Rojas, Ph.D. President and CEO, Marguerite Casey FoundationRickke Mananzala President, New York Foundation
Across the first three articles in the tidal foundation series, we explored how foundations can move beyond default payout practices and invest in a broader approach to stewardship — one […] The post A Growing Tide: Creating New Channels for ChangeCarmen Rojas, Ph.D. President and CEO, Marguerite Casey FoundationRickke Mananzala President, New York Foundation appeared…
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Ten Questions on ‘Evolving Foundation Responses to a Sector in Crisis,’ Answered CEP Staff
When we presented CEP’s latest research — “Evolving Foundation Responses to a Sector in Crisis” — in a webinar last week, we heard so many great questions from our attendees. […] The post Ten Questions on ‘Evolving Foundation Responses to a Sector in Crisis,’ Answered CEP Staff appeared first on The Center for Effective Philanthropy.…
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Listening Isn’t Enough, Philanthropy Has to RespondFrances Messano CEO, NewSchools Venture Fund
Every day, I’m struck by the courage it takes to lead one of the organizations we fund in K-12 education. Funding is getting harder to come by, and the political […] The post Listening Isn’t Enough, Philanthropy Has to RespondFrances Messano CEO, NewSchools Venture Fund appeared first on The Center for Effective Philanthropy. Goto full…
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The Full Current of Capital: When Every Resource Flows Toward MissionCarmen Rojas, Ph.D. President and CEO, Marguerite Casey FoundationRickke Mananzala President, New York FoundationDaniel Gould Vice President of Investments and Operations, Marguerite Casey FoundationLenore Champagne Beirne Investment Committee Chair, New York Foundation
In the first two pieces in this series, we introduced the tidal foundation and explored when mission may require higher payout. But how much a foundation spends is only one […] The post The Full Current of Capital: When Every Resource Flows Toward MissionCarmen Rojas, Ph.D. President and CEO, Marguerite Casey FoundationRickke Mananzala President, New…
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How One Collaborative’s Movement-Led Participatory Model Makes a Difference for GranteesKevin Bolduc Vice President, Assessment and Advisory Services, CEPEsperanza Pallana Executive Director, Wildseeds Fund
In the second half of 2025, CEP’s Assessment and Advisory Services Team worked with the teams at Philanthropy Together, Redstone, and Vital Impact to survey recent grant recipients of 21 […] The post How One Collaborative’s Movement-Led Participatory Model Makes a Difference for GranteesKevin Bolduc Vice President, Assessment and Advisory Services, CEPEsperanza Pallana Executive Director,…
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When the Tide Should Rise: Deciding When Mission Requires MoreCarmen Rojas, Ph.D. President and CEO, Marguerite Casey FoundationRickke Mananzala President, New York FoundationIan Fuller Chair, Marguerite Casey Foundation Board of DirectorsTrish Adobea Tchume Chair, New York Foundation Board of Directors
In the first piece of this series, we introduced the tidal foundation as an alternative to the fixed choice between perpetuity or spend down. In this piece, we will get […] The post When the Tide Should Rise: Deciding When Mission Requires MoreCarmen Rojas, Ph.D. President and CEO, Marguerite Casey FoundationRickke Mananzala President, New York…
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What Inflation Taught Us About Consistent GrantmakingJackie Daniel Domestic Partnerships Manager, The Pilgrim FoundationManivanh Khy Executive Director, The Pilgrim Foundation
During a recent review of the Pilgrim Foundation’s U.S.-based grant applications, one theme surfaced repeatedly in conversations with our nonprofit partners: everything costs more. Partners described higher expenses for staffing, […] The post What Inflation Taught Us About Consistent GrantmakingJackie Daniel Domestic Partnerships Manager, The Pilgrim FoundationManivanh Khy Executive Director, The Pilgrim Foundation appeared first…
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The Tidal Foundation: Unmooring Philanthropy From Perpetuity Versus Spend DownRickke Mananzala President, New York FoundationCarmen Rojas, Ph.D. President and CEO, Marguerite Casey Foundation
Approaches to foundation spending have too often been organized around a false choice. Foundations are expected to preserve assets in perpetuity while spending at or near the IRS-required 5% minimum, […] The post The Tidal Foundation: Unmooring Philanthropy From Perpetuity Versus Spend DownRickke Mananzala President, New York FoundationCarmen Rojas, Ph.D. President and CEO, Marguerite Casey…
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Revisiting the DEI Debate: What We Can Learn From Corporate CapitulationPhil Buchanan President, CEP
Seven days into the second Trump administration, after a raft of executive orders including several targeting “DEI programs,” we published a piece I authored on this blog titled “In Defense […] The post Revisiting the DEI Debate: What We Can Learn From Corporate CapitulationPhil Buchanan President, CEP appeared first on The Center for Effective Philanthropy.…
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Rest Is Infrastructure — It’s Time Foundations Treated It That WayAbby Siegel Hyman Program Partner for External Partnerships, The Healing TrustJosh Feldman CEO and Founder, R&R: The Rest of our LivesRachel Zieleniec Chief Program Officer, R&R: The Rest of our Lives
“So much of my work life was driven by the feeling that my work is who I am, and all I have. Realizing that isn’t actually true was huge for […] The post Rest Is Infrastructure — It’s Time Foundations Treated It That WayAbby Siegel Hyman Program Partner for External Partnerships, The Healing TrustJosh Feldman…
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Is the Call to Give More Distracting Foundations From Giving Better?Neel Hajra CEO, Michigan Health Endowment Fund
I’ve appreciated seeing CEP’s leaders contribute thoughtful viewpoints in recent weeks on some of the burning topics facing our field. I’m thinking specifically about Phil Buchanan’s column about smart approaches […] The post Is the Call to Give More Distracting Foundations From Giving Better?Neel Hajra CEO, Michigan Health Endowment Fund appeared first on The Center…
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The Sector Is Still Burning – Here’s What We Know NowCarolina García Jayaram CEO, Elevate Prize Foundation
Two years ago, burnout in the nonprofit sector was a five-alarm fire — and it’s only spread and raged further since then. At the time, I wrote “A Call for […] The post The Sector Is Still Burning – Here’s What We Know NowCarolina García Jayaram CEO, Elevate Prize Foundation appeared first on The Center…
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What it Takes to Build Locally-Grounded Systems ChangeCamilo Andrés Morales Country Director for Colombia, Jacobs FoundationAna Cubillo Global Program Director, Jacobs Foundation
When it comes to effecting tangible improvements in local or regional systems, collaborations across the public, private, and philanthropic sectors are of paramount importance. That said, many in philanthropy will […] The post What it Takes to Build Locally-Grounded Systems ChangeCamilo Andrés Morales Country Director for Colombia, Jacobs FoundationAna Cubillo Global Program Director, Jacobs Foundation…
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Learning Is Not a Luxury: Bringing Learning Closer to Decisions and CommunitiesClare Nolan Co-Executive Director, Engage R+DYvonne Belanger Director of Learning and Evaluation, Barr FoundationSarah Stachowiak CEO and Owner, ORS Impact
In our previous post, we shared findings from Let’s Keep Learning, a research initiative led by Engage R+D and ORS Impact, with support from the Barr Foundation and others. In […] The post Learning Is Not a Luxury: Bringing Learning Closer to Decisions and CommunitiesClare Nolan Co-Executive Director, Engage R+DYvonne Belanger Director of Learning and…
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Funders Just Don’t Understand … Or Do They?Sarah Stachowiak CEO and Owner, ORS ImpactClare Nolan Co-Executive Director, Engage R+DYvonne Belanger Director of Learning and Evaluation, Barr Foundation
When we started the Let’s Keep Learning initiative in the spring of 2025, we had an initial hypothesis: philanthropic learning seemed to be declining during a volatile time when learning […] The post Funders Just Don’t Understand … Or Do They?Sarah Stachowiak CEO and Owner, ORS ImpactClare Nolan Co-Executive Director, Engage R+DYvonne Belanger Director of…
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To Strengthen Nonprofits, Fund Cost Clarity FirstThaddaeus Hubbard Principal, BSEG Advisory
CEP’s “State of Nonprofits 2026” confirms what many funders already sense: The sector is under severe strain. Burnout among nonprofit CEOs jumped to 46% this year, up from just under […] The post To Strengthen Nonprofits, Fund Cost Clarity FirstThaddaeus Hubbard Principal, BSEG Advisory appeared first on The Center for Effective Philanthropy. Goto full post…
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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…
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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…