Forthcoming research from CEP will explore how funders approach the question of influencing policy at the national, local, and regional levels. When and how should funders influence policy? When do funders’ actions strengthen democracy, and when might they undermine it? What should be the guiding principles for funders as they consider the role of policy influence in their strategies? CEP’s research and a panel of philanthropic leaders will consider these questions.

Nonprofit leaders know it’s crucial for their effectiveness to be diverse at the staff, leadership, and board levels. But, in many areas, CEP research reveals that their sense of how diverse they actually are is a long way from where they believe it needs to be. How can this be changed? What is the role of foundations in  supporting nonprofit efforts to become more diverse, as well as to foster inclusivity and equity? How are foundations themselves doing on these dimensions, and how might they get better?

New foundations and grantmaking entities (including donor-advised funds, LLCs, and others) face unique challenges in the first years of their giving. Countless donors and staff have sought advice from those who have come before them in areas such as board relations, staffing up, and daily operations. We invite all foundation leaders, trustees, and major donors of entities that have begun their grantmaking in the last 20 years to join an exclusive pre-conference session in which we will explore the findings from a new CEP report on new grantmakers’ best practices, hear candidly from leaders of early-stage organizations, and connect with […]