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Session Title: Foundation Evaluation in a Dismal Economic Context
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Panel Session 898 to be held in Suwannee 16 on Saturday, Nov 14, 3:30 PM to 5:00 PM
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Sponsored by the Non-profit and Foundations Evaluation TIG
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| Chair(s): |
| Deborah Bonnet, Fulcrum Corporation, dbonnet@fulcrum-corp.com
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| Discussant(s):
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| Hallie Preskill, FSG Social Impact Advisors, hallie.preskill@fsg-impact.org
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| Abstract:
Foundations' endowments have been hit hard by the economic downturn, forcing choices between scaling back current grant making and compromising future levels of giving. Panelists will discuss how their foundations have coped with this conundrum, first describing the recession's impact on their foundations' finances, then turning to how their foundations have responded: By giving less (to protect long-term assets), or more (to meet growing demand)? By shifting grant making priorities to fulfill pressing human needs, or by standing steadfastly behind long-term missions or grantees?
Next, panelists will address how their foundations' evaluation functions have adjusted: By shrinking to save money? By expanding to ensure accountability? By elevating to higher levels of use as foundations discover evaluation's value in making hard choices? By doing something else altogether?
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Fresh Findings From National Scans
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| Deborah Bonnet, Fulcrum Corporation, dbonnet@fulcrum-corp.com
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This presentation will summarize the latest research addressing the recession's effects on foundations' endowments, grant making, and evaluation functions.
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Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: Increasing Giving in Spite of Fallen Assets
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| Kendall Guthrie, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, kendall.guthrie@gatesfoundation.org
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As of this writing in March 2009, assets have fallen, but grant making will continue to increase - although at a smaller growth rate than expected. This is creating both opportunities and challenges for evaluation. Since there will be fewer new grants than initially planned, the foundation is putting increased emphasis on managing grants to results. Evaluation and organizational learning are key tools to support that effort. At the same time, the foundation is rescoping existing evaluations to better fit current priorities.
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The Atlantic Philanthropies: Still Planning to Retire in 2016
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| John Healy, Atlantic Philanthropies, ja.healy@atlanticphilanthropies.org
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About a decade ago, the Atlantic Philanthropies decided to break from the pack by not aiming for perpetuity, but rather, to spend down its endowment by 2016. Because the foundation has not restricted spending to the five percent requirement for some time, and its endowment has weathered the recent turmoil better than most, giving is expected to hold steady for now. However, the foundation's strategies are under review, with evaluation playing a key role.
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Marin Community Foundation: Balancing the Needs for Immediate and Longer-term Impact
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| Tim Wilmot, Marin Community Foundation, twilmot@marincf.org
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As of this writing in March 2009, assets are down, and MCF is in the midst of formulating its grant making responses in the context of both short- and longer-term community impact. Having a measurable impact in this time of increasing demands and declining resources requires MCF to be even more strategic, focused and accountable in its grant making. Therefore, MCF's evaluation function is playing a heightened role in building measurable outcomes with the foundation's programs and its partner grantees in order to meet both the short- and longer-term needs of Marin County and its residents.
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Lumina Foundation for Education: Holding the Course, for Now
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| Mary Williams, Lumina Foundation for Education, mwilliams@luminafoundation.org
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Relatively new, Lumina Foundation is still evolving its strategies for promoting access and success in postsecondary education. As of this writing in March 2009, assets are down, but implementation of planned transitions in strategy is continuing. Giving is expected to hold steady this year, but may need to retract in the future. The economic downturn occurred just as the Foundation established an "audacious goal" for postsecondary degree completion, launched a comprehensive strategic planning process, and found itself highly aligned with the higher education goals of the new federal administration. The role of evaluation is being re-examined and will surely include a greater emphasis on performance metrics.
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