Agenda - The Center for Effective Philanthropy

MONDAY, MAY 20, 2013

Pre-Conference Seminar for Assessment Tool SubscribersIn this seminar, exclusively for users of our assessment tools, CEP will share insights and observations on driving change from our decade of experience working with foundations. We will explore how funders have used comparative data from key stakeholders to improve their practices and more effectively pursue institutional goals. By focusing on a dedicated audience of tool users, we are able to prioritize interactivity and peer-to-peer learning.

9:00 am – 1:30 pm Registration

1:30 pm – 1:45 pm Welcome and OverviewWhile the challenges faced by foundations of different types and sizes vary greatly, the elements of effectiveness are universal. CEP will share why we believe that the disciplined use of stakeholder feedback is one key way philanthropic institutions can magnify that effectiveness.Kevin Bolduc, Vice President – Assessment Tools, Center for Effective Philanthropy
Phil Buchanan, President, Center for Effective Philanthropy

1:45 pm – 3:15 pm Making Change StickLynn Perry Wooten is an expert in organizational change management. A professor of strategy and management at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, she will share what data and research have to say about change management and provide a model for how organizations can maximize the likelihood that they can successfully manage the changes necessary to continually improve their work. We will hear relevant examples of these concepts, learn how they apply to the particular context of philanthropic work, and engage in interactive exercises that will drive toward practical solutions to the specific problems encountered by foundations.Lynn Perry Wooten, Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs and Clinical Associate Professor of Strategy and Management & Organizations, University of Michigan Ross School of Business

3:15 pm – 3:30 pm Break

3:30 pm – 4:45 pm Breakout SessionsTool users will break into self-selected small groups to discuss specific implications of Professor Wooten’s presentation and strategies to achieve the change we envision. With facilitation from leaders on CEP’s Assessment Tools team, these sessions will focus on creating space for meaningful interactions among tool users working on similar issues. We will determine topics based on the interest of attendees, but some of the topics might include the following:

Providing Assistance Beyond the Grant
Creating Clear and Consistent Communications
Nonprofit Reporting and Evaluation
The Declined Applicant Experience

Kevin Bolduc, Vice President – Assessment Tools, Center for Effective Philanthropy
Amber Bradley, Manager, The Center for Effective Philanthropy
Liz Kelley, Senior Research Analyst, The Center for Effective Philanthropy
Grace Nicolette, Manager, The Center for Effective Philanthropy

4:45 pm – 5:15 pm Sharing Lessons Learned from Breakouts

Each breakout group will present specific examples of innovative practices, major successes or failures, and recommendations based on foundation experience about how to practically approach the issue it discussed.Kevin Bolduc, Vice President – Assessment Tools, The Center for Effective Philanthropy

5:15 pm – 5:30 pm Conclusion and Looking Forward

CEP Conference Kickoff

6:00 – 8:00 pm Conference Welcome ReceptionJoin other conference attendees for a networking opportunity and to officially kick-off the conference.

7:00 – 9:00 pm Screening of Detropia

Detroit’s story has encapsulated the iconic narrative of America over the last century— the Great Migration of African Americans escaping Jim Crow; the rise of manufacturing and the middle class; the love affair with automobiles; the flowering of the American dream; and now . . . the collapse of the economy and the fading American mythos. With its vivid, painterly palette and haunting score, DETROPIA sculpts a dreamlike collage of a grand city teetering on the brink of dissolution. As houses are demolished by the thousands, automobile-company wages plummet, institutions crumble, and tourists gawk at the “charming decay,” the film’s vibrant, gutsy characters glow and erupt like flames from the ashes. These soulful pragmatists and stalwart philosophers strive to make ends meet and make sense of it all, refusing to abandon hope or resistance. Their grit and pluck embody the spirit of the Motor City as it struggles to survive postindustrial America and begins to envision a radically different future.

TUESDAY, MAY 21, 2013

8:00 am – 9:30 am Registration

9:30 am – 9:45 am Welcoming Remarks

Welcoming speakers will set the stage for the coming two days, touching on the theme of Pursuing Results.

Robert S. Collier, President & CEO, Council of Michigan Foundations
Carol A. Goss, President & CEO,The Skillman Foundation
Kathryn E. Merchant, President & CEO, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation; Board Chair, Center for Effective Philanthropy

9:45 am – 11:15 am Opening Plenary

In Search of Impact: Lessons Learned in Detroit

CEP will share publicly for the first time new research on what foundation leaders see as the key barriers to – and facilitators of – impact. Then leaders of foundations will share their reactions as well as their own lessons learned, drawing on their experiences – including their work in Detroit.

Phil Buchanan, President, Center for Effective Philanthropy
Ellie Buteau, Vice President – Research, Center for Effective Philanthropy
Carol A. Goss, President & CEO, The Skillman Foundation
Mary Kramer, Publisher, Crain’s Detroit Business
Mariam Noland, President, Community Foundation of Southeast Michigan
Rip Rapson, President & CEO, Kresge Foundation
Sterling Speirn, President & CEO, W.K. Kellogg Foundation

11:15 am – 11:45 am Break

11:45 am – 1:00 pm Lunch

1:00 pm – 2:15 pm PlenaryLittle Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small DiscoveriesWhat does it take to achieve breakthrough ideas? Bestselling author and venture capitalist Peter Sims will describe his research on how creative thinkers and doers practice a set of simple but often counterintuitive experimental methods to explore and develop new ideas. Following his talk, we will explore the implications of Sims’ research for philanthropy, inviting the audience in to the discussion.Grant Oliphant, President & CEO, The Pittsburgh Foundation
Peter Sims, author, Little Bets: How Breakthrough Ideas Emerge from Small Discoveries

2:15 pm – 2:30 pm Break

2:30 pm – 3:45 pm Breakout Sessions

Influencing Policy to Make Change: Lessons from the Front LinesMany foundations have concluded that funding efforts to reform public policies connected to the issues they care about is a critical part of their strategy. What have these grantmakers learned about effectively investing in advocacy and systems change? What challenges have they encountered? In a candid conversation, foundation CEOs that have used a range of approaches to policy engagement will reflect on the challenges and opportunities of this type of philanthropy.Aaron Dorfman, Executive Director, National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy
Crystal Hayling, former President & CEO, Blue Shield of California Foundation; Board Member, Center for Effective Philanthropy
Gara LaMarche, former President & CEO, The Atlantic Philanthropies
Ronald B. Richard, President & CEO, The Cleveland Foundation
Impact Investing: The Key to Unlocking Impact, Unfounded Hype, or Something In Between?“Impact investing” has received significant attention in recent years, as some foundations seek to use endowment assets to further goals that have traditionally been pursued only through grantmaking. But are foundations truly devoting their resources to this approach? What have been the results? What are the arguments for it? Against it? Lessons learned? This session will feature diverse perspectives on the answers to these questions, exploring how foundations can think about how to most effectively deploy their assets.Phil Buchanan, President, Center for Effective Philanthropy
Patrick McCarthy, President & CEO, The Annie E. Casey Foundation
Kathryn E. Merchant, President & CEO, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation; Board Chair, Center for Effective Philanthropy
Tracy Palandjian, CEO and Co-Founder, Social Finance
Sterling Speirn, President & CEO, W.K. Kellogg Foundation
Kevin Starr, Managing Director, The Mulago Foundation
Empowering Your Staff to Achieve ResultsNew research from CEP suggests that to get the best out of your staff, they must feel empowered. But what does that mean and how can you achieve it? This session will focus on the insights from CEP’s research, as well as case studies of foundations that have taken specific steps to empower their staff – and seen a payoff.Tonya Allen, Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Program, The Skillman Foundation
Ellie Buteau, Vice President – Research, Center for Effective Philanthropy
Diana Davenport, Vice President for Administration, CommonWealth Fund
Foundation as Neutral Convener in a Highly Political Context: Yad Hanadiv and the Arab Employment InitiativeHow does a foundation act as a neutral convener in a highly political context? How does an established, large foundation become a trusted ally in Israel for both the government and the Arab community? This session will focus on Yad Hanadiv (The Rothschild Foundation) and the Arab employment initiative as a case study. Moderated by Fay Twersky, who spent a year in Jerusalem as a Senior Advisor to Yad Hanadiv, Ariel Weiss, CEO, and Shuruk Ismael, Program Director for the Arab Community, will speak to the history of The Rothschild Foundation, how it evolved and came to support the Arab community as an area of giving, and how it has played the role of trusted neutral convener in a public-private $53.5 million Arab employment initiative. The initiative is risky, complex and by no means a certain success. It has encountered challenges at every turn. The initiative is still in the early stages but how the foundation is approaching the work, using its philanthropic contributions and reputation as leverage for better decisions about initiative design, leadership and implementation, has increased the initiative’s overall likelihood of success.Shuruk Ismail, Program Director – Arab Community, Yad Hanadiv
Fay Twersky, Director, Effective Philanthropy Group, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation
Ariel Weiss, Executive Director, Yad Hanadiv
Foundation Transparency That Matters to Nonprofits

Expectations about transparency in philanthropy have changed significantly in recent years. Foundations are increasingly being encouraged to be more open and clear about their work to a wider range of stakeholders. But little is known about the nonprofit perspective on foundation transparency: how do foundation grantees define transparency, and what information are they looking for from their funders? Drawing on forthcoming research from CEP’s Grantee Voice panel, hear what really matter to nonprofits — and what transparent foundations have done to communicate this information with their grantees.Andrea Brock, Research Manager, Center for Effective Philanthropy
Jacob Harold, President & CEO, GuideStar
Anne Warhover, President & CEO, The Colorado Health Foundation

3:45 pm – 4:15 pm Break

4:15 pm – 5:30 pm PlenaryIdentifying What Works: The Challenges and Benefits of Rigorous Data AnalysisHarvard Professor and recipient of a 2011 MacArthur Foundation ‘genius’ grant, Roland Fryer has taken a data-based approach to his research on education reform – believing that the keys to closing the “achievement gap” can be identified through data analysis. Fryer will present his work and then engage in a discussion with the audience about what he’s learned and the broader implications of his work for organized philanthropy.Roland Fryer, Robert M. Beren Professor of Economics, Harvard University
Kathryn E. Merchant, President & CEO, The Greater Cincinnati Foundation; Board Chair, Center for Effective Philanthropy

5:30 pm – 6:00 pm Break

6:00 pm – 7:00 pm Reception

7:00 pm – 9:00 pm Dinner Presentation

Hometown Security: Local Solutions to Some Big ProblemsMajor Carter sees the key to urban revitalization as something she calls Community Transition Management. It involves empowering local entrepreneurs and wage earners to compete for work that takes advantage of environmental and social sustainability trends. Through her new nonprofit, HomeTown Security Laboratories, Carter is demonstrating the value of investing in local enterprises and unorthodox real-estate developments that can turn marginalized communities into greener, healthier landscapes with greater economic viability. In her eyes, philanthropy has a vital “angel investor” role to play in this process, driving attention and resources towards new solutions, and bringing successful models to scale. But she also sees institutional philanthropy’s reliance on traditional formulas for charitable giving as too risk-averse for the dynamic forces at work in these situations. Drawing from her experience founding, working with, and leading both for-profit businesses and nonprofits on a local and national scale, Majora Carter will share her perspectives on the opportunities that she believes the philanthropic sector is leaving on the table—and how we can use all our resources to solve today’s big problems with homegrown solutions.

Majora Carter, CEO, HomeTown Security Laboratories

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

7:30 am – 9:00 am Breakfast & Open Networking Hour

9:00 am – 10:15 am PlenaryNonprofit Performance Management: Why It Matters and What Funders Can Do
Funders are often frustrated in their efforts to understand their performance and the performance of their grantees. Foundation CEOs say nonprofits should be held to a higher standard of evidence, yet few grantees received support from them to do this work. What do nonprofits really need – and what can funders do to help them? This session will feature funders committed to supporting assessment and nonprofits that excel at performance management.Dan Cardinali, President, Communities In Schools
Mario Morino, Chairman, Venture Philanthropy Partners
Nadya K. Shmavonian, former President, Public/Private Ventures; Board Member, Center for Effective Philanthropy
Denise Zeman, President & CEO, Saint Luke’s Foundation

10:15 am – 10:45 am Break

10:45 am – 12:00 pm Breakout Sessions

Getting Off the Treadmill: Supporting Nonprofit SustainabilityFunders rely on nonprofits to do the hard work on the ground necessary to achieve their shared goals. Yet funders frequently fail to provide the kind of support that would allow nonprofits to thrive and move beyond the month-to-month existence that can distract them from mission. This session will explore how funders can help nonprofits become more sustainable.David Carrington, Independent Consultant
William Foote, Founder & CEO, Root Capital
Clara Miller, President, The F.B. Heron Foundation
Getting the Best from Foundation BoardsGovernance in the foundation world is too often inhibited by a “culture of deference” that diminishes effectiveness. Tough questions are avoided, CEO assessment is not rigorous, and board members endure long presentations rather than engaging in meaningful discussion. These challenges are exacerbated by the difficulty of truly assessing performance. This session will focus on how to get the most from a foundation board, and will include the perspective of those who have served both as CEO and as foundation board member.Phil Buchanan, President, Center for Effective Philanthropy
Jim Canales, CEO, Irvine Foundation
Irene Hirano Inouye, President, U.S.-Japan Council; Chair of the Board, Ford Foundation
Kate Wolford, President, The McKnight Foundation
Working with Donors Toward Shared GoalsIn order to achieve their shared goals, community foundations need to understand the perspectives of their donors and work closely with them. Supported by early findings from new CEP research, hear from foundations that have achieved this goal and made change based on their Donor Perception Report.Kevin Bolduc, Vice President – Assessment Tools, Center for Effective Philanthropy
Brian T. Byrnes, President & CEO, Santa Fe Community Foundation
Jessica David, Vice President for Strategy & Public Affairs, The Rhode Island Foundation
Lora Terry, Donor Relations Manager, Community Foundation of Greater Birmingham
Listening to Those Who Should Matter Most

Funders and nonprofits often fail to systematically and rigorously collect data on the experiences of those who should matter most: their intended beneficiaries. Yet there are rumblings of a shift, and much to be learned from examples in education and health care – where beneficiary perceptions are increasingly being incorporated into change and improvement efforts. This session will explore these models and ask funders to reflect on how they listen to those they seek to help – and how they might do it better.Barbara Kibbe, Director of Organizational Effectiveness, Stephen D. Bechtel, Jr. Foundation
Jim Knickman, President & CEO, New York State Health Foundation
Marny Sumrall, Executive Director – YouthTruth Initiative, The Center for Effective Philanthropy
Assessing Performance of Programs and Grantees: How Foundations Often Get It Wrong… and How to Get It RightFew foundations gather and use data in a way which would best enable them to maximize their effectiveness. There is often publicly-available evidence which would aid in designing programs before making grants. After programs and grants have started, funders often gather data about grantees and about themselves which are of poor quality and retrospective rather than helpful for future work. Add to that confusion about various evaluative approaches, such as Randomized Control Trials–which are frequently used when they shouldn’t be and not used when they should be. So what data should foundations gather and use? And what analyses do they need in order to make high-impact decisions? This interactive session, led by foundation expert and author Caroline Fiennes, will provide practical advice to funders on using evidence to guide decisions–both in program design and application assessment, as well as in evaluating grantees’ and foundations’ work.Caroline Fiennes, Director, Giving Evidence

12:00 pm – 1:15 pm Lunch

1:15 pm – 2:30 pm Closing PlenaryThe Foundation CEO Challenge: What It Takes to Lead for Maximum ResultsThe foundation CEO post is a coveted job. But many foundation CEOs face challenges they did not anticipate, finding the job more challenging – and frustrating – than they expected. Drawing on new research conducted by William & Flora Hewlett Foundation Senior Fellow Fay Twersky, this session will feature a candid exchange with former and current CEOs.Karen Hein, former President, William T. Grant Foundation
Steven J. McCormick, President, Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation
Fay Twersky, Director, Effective Philanthropy Group, The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation; Advisory Board Member, Center for Effective Philanthropy