The Grantmaker Assessment Tool allows you to compare your grantmaking processes to those of other funders, as well as to the principles described in the report, Drowning in Paperwork, Distracted from Purpose. It will also help you determine the costs of these processes to both your organization and your grantseekers.
How will my information be used?
Once you have completed the survey, you will be able to download a report that compares your organization’s grantmaking processes and costs to those of other funders. This report may be used to stimulate discussion within your organization about current processes and opportunities for improvement.
Each organization that completes the survey is helping to build a dataset on grantmaking processes. Once a critical mass of 50 participants has completed the survey, a comparative dataset will produce a report depicting your organization’s grantmaking processes and costs in comparison to those of all other funders in the dataset.
Who will see this information?
All data that you supply is confidential, and only CEP and Grants Managers Network employees will ever see your specific inputs.
We request your name and Employer Identification Number only so that we can ensure that no more than one user from each organization takes the survey and organizations are not represented more than once within the comparative dataset.
Participants will not be able to access identifiable data for any organizations other than their own. Only your own report will have identifying information about your organization. Your organization’s name or other identifying characteristics will never be associated with the data that appears in other funder reports. Your report will be available only through your unique secure login.
We will not post a list of participating organizations.
The Center for Effective Philanthropy will store your data on a confidential, secure server. Since 2001, more than 200 foundations and over 50,000 grantees have entrusted CEP with data through confidential surveys.
How long will it take to complete the survey?
The survey should take about 25 minutes to complete, once you have gathered the necessary information.
What if I don’t know the answer to a survey question?
Questions marked with a red asterisk are required. There are some questions that may require you to collect information from others at your organization. Some questions may require you to make an informed estimate. Please complete as many of the questions as possible.
When will I get my report?
If you are one of the first 50 participants to complete the Grantmaker Assessment Tool survey, comparative data is not yet available for your report. Once 50 users have completed the survey and the dataset is large enough to allow for comparative results, your report will be created. You will then receive an email alert inviting you to download your report.
All other users (51 and beyond) will be able to download their report immediately after completing the survey.
As the number of users increases, the comparative dataset will become ever more accurate and will better reflect the current state of grantmaking processes in the field. You may revisit the site at any time and update your reports with the most current comparative data. To do so, visit the My Account page, and select, “Generate Comparative Report.”
You are also encouraged to retake the assessment periodically if your organization has changed its grantmaking processes. Doing so will create a new report for your organization and allow you to track your organization’s progress over time.
Will my report be stored online?
The data you enter will be stored online for your two most recent assessments. The comparative dataset is continually updated; previous iterations of the comparative data will not be stored, so each time you download a saved assessment, the comparative data may look slightly different. For this reason, we recommend that you save pdf copies of your previous reports.
Can I update my existing report with more recent comparative data?
Yes. Data will be stored online for your two most recent assessments. The comparative dataset is continually updated; previous iterations of the comparative data will not be stored. Each time you download a saved assessment, the comparative data is automatically updated to reflect the most up-to-date dataset. To re-run your organization’s saved data against the latest comparative dataset, login to your My Account page, then click on “Generate Comparative Report.”
How should I interpret my report?
Once you have completed the survey, you will be able to download a report that you can use to stimulate discussion within your organization about current processes and opportunities for improvement. When reviewing this report, it is important to keep in mind your organization’s goals and strategies.
For ideas on how to use this information to streamline your processes, see the Resources page.
Contact Us if you need assistance interpreting your report.
How can I track my organization’s progress?
We recommend that you retake the survey after your organization has made streamlining-related changes. It is not recommended that you retake the survey unless your organization has made substantial changes and you wish to track those changes.
The Grantmaker Assessment Tool will allow you to compare your two most recent assessments. Once you retake the survey, your new report will automatically include comparative data showing your current score compared to both your previous score and the median for the full comparative dataset. For each of the streamlining principles, you will be able to easily compare your organization’s current score, previous score, and median for all funders having taken the assessment.
Your data will be stored online for your organization’s two most recent assessments. You may download a pdf copy of your assessment for your records.
My organization has two or more distinct processes. Can we run more than one assessment?
Yes. Please contact us for a second login account.
Where can I get help?
Contact Us with questions or if you need support with this assessment tool.