Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP)

Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) The Center for Effective Philanthropy is a nonprofit organization focused on the development of data and insight to enable higher-performing funders.

Foundations can take on pressing challenges that other actors in society cannot, or will not. Given this unique opportunity, foundations have a moral imperative to maximize their effectiveness. Living up to that imperative requires foundations to assess their performance, gathering the relevant data to fuel continuous improvement. For more than a decade, CEP has led the movement to improve philant

hropy through a powerful combination of dispassionate analysis and a passionate commitment to improving lives. Today, more than 300 foundations have used CEP’s assessment tools to gather honest feedback from their stakeholders in an effort to learn how to be even more effective. CEOs and trustees have come to rely on our research for insights into foundation effectiveness on a wide range of topics, from assessing performance to developing strategy to managing stakeholder relationships. Our highly regarded programming—including our biennial conference—gives foundation leaders an exclusive and unprecedented opportunity to connect with their peers. CEP is funded through a mix of earned revenue and foundation grants. We have offices in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and San Francisco, California.

According to CEP’s Grantee Perception Report dataset, the typical funder provides 17% of its grantees with support speci...
03/30/2026

According to CEP’s Grantee Perception Report dataset, the typical funder provides 17% of its grantees with support specifically for organizational capacity-building — that’s advice on organizational capacity, board development support, and more.

As CEP research reveals that nonprofits are facing existential threats, and burnout continues to be a top concern among nonprofit leaders, this type of support may be particularly meaningful now.

🎯 Curious about how your grantees compare? CEP’s Grantee Perception Report can help you understand the effectiveness of the various types of support you’re offering to your nonprofit partners. Learn more here 👉
https://cep.org/services/assessments/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=aas_mar26

03/10/2026

"[W]e’re in no mood for a party as we turn 25. But we do want to do what has always served us well: listen, so that our response to the current moment of crisis can be as helpful as possible."

NEW on the blog, CEP President Phil Buchanan reflects on 25 years of CEP's work, painting a picture of how CEP went from a single research project to what the organization is today — and how it is seeking to respond, and help others respond, to this moment of crisis for the nonprofit sector.

Read Phil's reflection on CEP's 25 years here 👉
https://cep.org/blog/reflections-on-ceps-25th-birthday/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=new_blog_mar26

02/04/2026

Nationally representative data from CEP reveals that 69% of nonprofits experienced funding cuts in 2025. At the same time, nearly two thirds of organizations reported a surge in demand for services.

How are nonprofits responding? (Swipe through to find out 👆)

For more data on how nonprofits are faring in the challenging current context - and insight on how foundation funders are responding - read CEP's report, "A Sector in Crisis" 👉
https://cep.org/report-backpacks/a-sector-in-crisis-how-u-s-nonprofits-and-foundations-are-responding-to-threats/?section=intro?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sector_in_crisis_feb26

01/29/2026

NEW on the CEP blog, members of CEP's research team share insight into just-released report, "A Sector in Crisis." Ellie Buteau, Ph.D. and Seara Grundhoefer note the dire straights nonprofits are now in, according to our just-published data, but also find cause for hope in the steadfast commitment of these organizations.

Read their analysis here 👉
https://cep.org/blog/new-data-reveals-a-sector-in-crisis-but-steadfastly-mission-focused/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=new_blog_jan26

NEW CEP RESEARCH, out now: As nonprofits face historic challenges, including sweeping cuts to federal funding and rising...
01/28/2026

NEW CEP RESEARCH, out now: As nonprofits face historic challenges, including sweeping cuts to federal funding and rising demand for services, how are they faring? What do they ask of their funders — and how are funders responding?

In this report, CEP's research team shares new and expanded insight from data collected in Fall 2025 into how the current context is impacting the sector.

📊 Read it here 👉
https://cep.org/report-backpacks/a-sector-in-crisis-how-u-s-nonprofits-and-foundations-are-responding-to-threats/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sector_in_crisis_launch_jan26

What do grantees have to say about their funders? What do foundation staff want their leadership to know? What about don...
01/27/2026

What do grantees have to say about their funders? What do foundation staff want their leadership to know? What about donors partnering with community foundations?

Candid, confidential feedback from each of these key groups can be an incredible catalyst for insight and change at a grantmaking organization. The quotes collected here all come from feedback CEP gathered through our Grantee and Applicant Perception Report, Staff Perception Report, and Donor Perception Report in 2025 (edited for clarity and to maintain confidentiality).

❓What resonates with you? What might you hear from your own stakeholders? And how would this qualitative feedback complement other kinds of data collection?

💻Learn more about working with CEP to collect feedback at cep.org

01/15/2026

What feedback do foundation staff have about their own organizations and leadership? As CEP's Joe Lee shares, "employee feedback — just like input from grantees, applicants, and donors — is an important source of data, helping you to set your agenda, influence strategies, and build a healthy organizational culture."

At the start of a new year, learn how a funder's own staff feedback can help set the agenda for 2026.

Read Joe's post here 👉
https://cep.org/blog/using-staff-feedback-to-guide-your-2026-agenda/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=new_blog_jan26

#2026

01/13/2026

NEW on the CEP blog: What's stopping funders from a more full-throated response to the crisis facing the nonprofit sector? In his latest on the blog, CEP's Phil Buchanan offers insight into three common concerns he hears, and urges more action.

Read his post here 👉
https://cep.org/blog/three-misconceptions-impeding-more-action-from-funders/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=new_blog_jan26

And look for a monthly column from Phil on the second Tuesday of each month in 2026.



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