When we presented CEP’s latest research — “Evolving Foundation Responses to a Sector in Crisis” — in a webinar last week, we heard so many great questions from our attendees.

Here, we are returning to those questions to provide additional context and data. If you have not yet watched the webinar, you can find the recording on CEP’s YouTube channel.

(NB: These questions are edited and anonymized versions of attendee questions submitted via the chat during CEP’s September 28 research briefing, “Mapping Foundation Responses and Nonprofit Needs Amid Ongoing Challenge.”)

How Foundations Are Responding

Foundation Advocacy: When foundations report increasing their engagement in policy and advocacy, does that mean advocating on their own or funding nonprofits’ nonpartisan advocacy?

We asked foundation CEOs about several advocacy efforts they may be undertaking, including direct advocacy to the government and amplifying nonprofit advocacy efforts. We found that foundation CEOs reported similar levels of interest in both. Forty-one percent of foundation CEOs told us they were taking, or considering taking, steps to amplify nonprofit advocacy efforts, while 37% said they were taking, or considering taking, steps to directly advocate to the government.

–CEP Research Team

What Nonprofits Want From Advocacy: Do nonprofits want foundations to use their advocacy voice more?

We asked nonprofit leaders what actions they believe their foundation funders should prioritize most in their public advocacy. Seventy-four percent said defending nonprofits, 62% said advocating to the government on policy issues affecting their organization, and 53% said amplifying grantee advocacy through the funder’s platform.

–CEP Research Team

Funder and Nonprofit Issue Areas: What issue areas do the foundations surveyed fund, and what areas do the nonprofits surveyed work in? Could differences by issue area explain why foundations report expanding funding while nonprofits fear losing it?

Among foundation CEOs surveyed, the top areas for funding were education (76%), health (76%), and human services (72%). Among the nonprofit CEOs we surveyed, the top areas of work were human services (43%), education (40%), and social justice (28%). Our data indicate that there is no statistically significant relationship between the issue areas in which a nonprofit works and its leader’s belief that completely honest communication may lead to a reduction or withdrawal of funding.

–CEP Research Team

Read the full article about research on foundation responses to the sector's challenges at The Center for Effective Philanthropy.