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RESULTS AND LESSONS: THE CENTER FOR HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY’S INAUGURAL DONOR EDUCATION SEMINAR 1
SPRING 2011
The Center for High Impact Philanthropy
School of Social Policy & Practice | University of Pennsylvania
Results and Lessons from
The Center’s Inaugural Donor Seminar:
ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF VULNERABLE FAMILIES
KATHERINA ROSQUETA | MELINDA TUAN | ALEJANDRO ADLER BRAUN | KATHRYN DOORNBOS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
On November 7 and 8, 2010, the Center for High
Impact Philanthropy partnered with the Annie E.
Casey Foundation (AECF) and the Wharton
School to offer its Inaugural Donor Education
Seminar, “Addressing the Needs of Vulnerable
Families.” The aim of the Seminar was to bring
donors together in a purely educational setting to
increase their understanding of how they can have
the greatest impact in addressing the needs of
vulnerable families. Participant satisfaction,
transfer of knowledge, and expected changes in
donor behavior were measured using results from
paper evaluations and two live participant polls
conducted during the Seminar. Results were
overwhelmingly positive.
This report is divided into three sections. First, it
presents the general demographics of participants
in the Seminar. Our participants had a variety of
different approaches and monetary ranges of
philanthropic giving. The majority of their giving
was concentrated in the Mid-Atlantic and the
Northeast, and most participants devoted at least
part of their giving to vulnerable families.
Secondly, it presents the potential lessons for
other players interested in supporting effective
philanthropy. Our experience suggests that
executive education-type seminars that emphasize
expert knowledge from a variety of sources, as
opposed to relying primarily on peer knowledge,
can be a powerful tool for bringing about
important knowledge, attitude, and potential
behavior changes. Not only did participants
demonstrate gains in content knowledge, they also
indicated that they would make their giving more
impact-focused in the future. Additionally, most
participants stated that they would be interested in
attending a similar seminar in the future and that
they would recommend attending one to friends
and colleagues.
Finally, this report presents two future steps that
emerged from our assessment: 1) make the
Seminar an annual event, or organize more
seminars with a similar purpose and 2) pursue
ways to facilitate donors’ expressed interest in
conducting site visits to nonprofits and other
impact organizations.
2 THE CENTER FOR HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY
ABOUT THE CENTER FOR HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY The Center for High Impact Philanthropy, housed at the School of Social Policy & Practice, is a nonprofit resource center established by alumni of Penn’s Wharton School. It provides independent analysis and decision-making tools to ensure that philanthropic funds have the greatest possible impact.
OUR MULTI-PERSPECTIVE, EVIDENCE-INFORMED APPROACH
To meet our goal of providing smart, practical guidance to donors who care about impact, we synthesize the best available information from three domains: research, informed opinion, and field experience. By considering evidence from these three sources, we seek to leverage the strengths while minimizing the limitations of each. We believe the most promising opportunities exist where the recommendations of these three domains overlap.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
FIELD EXPERIENCE
Practitioner insights
Performance assessments
In-depth case studies
INFORMED OPINION
Expert opinion
Stakeholder input
Policy analyses
RESEARCH
Randomized controlled trials
and quasi-experimental studies
Modeled analyses
(e.g., cost-effectiveness)
FIELD
EXPERIENCE
INFORMED
OPINION RESEARCH
RESULTS AND LESSONS: THE CENTER FOR HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY’S INAUGURAL DONOR EDUCATION SEMINAR 3
Table of Contents
I . PARTICIPANT DEMOGRAPHICS 4
I I . TWO IMPORTANT LESSONS FROM THE SEMINAR 6
Lesson 1 6
Lesson 2 8
I I I . IMPLICATIONS AND NEXT STEPS 11
Appendix 14
Seminar Program 16
4 THE CENTER FOR HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY
I) PARTICIPANT DEMOGRAPHICS
When asked to describe their primary approach to giving, participants’ three most common responses included 1) issue focused
giving, 2) strategy or tactic focused giving, and 3) population focused giving.
The following best describes my primary approach to giving:
Of the Seminar participants who described their total annual giving, donors who give $2M+ per year were the largest of the
four segments, representing a significant amount of resources that could be allocated to meet the needs of vulnerable families.
On an annual basis, my overall philanthropic giving is usually in the following range:
RESULTS AND LESSONS: THE CENTER FOR HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY’S INAUGURAL DONOR EDUCATION SEMINAR 5
The majority of donors at the seminar (63%) give 50% or more of their philanthropic funds to address the needs of vulnerable
families every year.
The following percentage of my annual giving goes to address the needs of vulnerable families (as I define them):
The Seminar attracted donors who mostly give to causes or organizations on the East Coast (Mid-Atlantic and Northeast).
The majority of my giving in the U.S. is concentrated in the:
6 THE CENTER FOR HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY
I I) TWO IMPORTANT LESSONS FROM THE SEMINAR
LESSON ONE:
While many donor forums (e.g., Global Philanthropy Forum, Wealth and Giving Forum, Next Generation Philanthropy Forum) emphasize networking and peer learning, the Seminar emphasized knowledge acquisition. As our results show, the Seminar seems to have attracted donors seeking knowledge, and, a majority of participants gained the knowledge they were seeking from Seminar speakers and faculty.
68% of participants cited increasing knowledge as their main reason for attending the Seminar, while only 20% cited
meeting other donors.
The main reason I decided to attend this Seminar is:
62% of participants cited that their biggest takeaway was an increase in knowledge, while only 15% cited networking with
other donors.
My main takeaway from this Seminar is that I:
RESULTS AND LESSONS: THE CENTER FOR HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY’S INAUGURAL DONOR EDUCATION SEMINAR 7
There was a 19 percentage point positive difference between the pre-Seminar expectation and post-Seminar satisfaction
regarding the quality of speakers and panelists. This coupled with overall quality rating of the Seminar (4.59/5), suggests that
participants were more impressed by speakers than expected.
The overall quality of the Seminar today was:
Mean: 4.59
8 THE CENTER FOR HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY
LESSON TWO:
A day-long, executive education-type seminar can be a powerful tool for bringing about important knowledge, attitude, and potential behavior change.
We surveyed participants’ knowledge of key issues related to vulnerable families through a pre-and post-seminar survey. As
the pre- and post-Seminar results show, there was a 35 percentage point increase in participants’ correct answers when the
topic was directly addressed by a speaker or panelist. For example, after Dennis Culhane addressed effective strategies for
addressing homelessness, the pre-post results were as follows:
Research indicates that the most effective strategy for addressing homelessness involves:
Research indicates that the most effective strategy for addressing homelessness involves:
RESULTS AND LESSONS: THE CENTER FOR HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY’S INAUGURAL DONOR EDUCATION SEMINAR 9
The charts below underscore the impact that the Seminar had on participants’ attitudes and potential future giving behavior.
The first chart shows that although most participants reported that their giving would not change in amount as a result of the
Seminar, their giving would be more focused on impact in the future. This indicates the Seminar’s success in advancing both the
Center and AECF’s missions of positioning philanthropic resources where they can have the greatest impact.
In the second chart, 85% of participants agreed or strongly agreed that their knowledge about the most effective approaches to
meet the needs of vulnerable families increased. Two of the three respondents who disagree were already very knowledgeable
about the topic prior to the Seminar, and the third remained anonymous. This data reflects a successful educational seminar in
terms of increasing donors’ knowledge regarding the needs of vulnerable families.
As a result of this seminar, my giving to vulnerable families will:
I am more knowledgeable about the most effective approaches to meeting the needs of vulnerable families:
10 THE CENTER FOR HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY
63% of participants reported that as a result of the Seminar, their next step would be externally focused (conduct a site visit and
seek further knowledge through newsletters and blogs).
As a result of what I’ve learned today, my primary next step will be to:
Most of the participants also responded that they do not give at the level to which they aspire. The most cited reasons for this
were lack of funds, lack of time, lack of reliable information about impact, and lack of a passionate cause (in that order of
frequency). The latter three reasons can be effectively addressed through increased donor knowledge and engagement.
Do you currently give at the level to which you aspire?
RESULTS AND LESSONS: THE CENTER FOR HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY’S INAUGURAL DONOR EDUCATION SEMINAR 11
I I I ) IMPLICATIONS AND NEXT STEPS
The positive feedback from this Seminar indicates that there is an appetite for knowledge among donors who care about
impact. The participants gave feedback on the Seminar as indicated in the charts below, indicating overwhelmingly positive
interest in attending future seminars and recommending future seminars to friends and colleagues.
Would you be interested in attending a future seminar?
Would you recommend a future Center seminar to friends or colleagues?
12 THE CENTER FOR HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY
Overall, the Seminar exceeded the expectations of participants. All three respondents who strongly disagreed in the chart below
also gave the seminar a 5/5 in terms of quality, which implies that the seminar exceeded their expectations.
The Seminar met the expectations I selected earlier today:
Mean: 4.14
TWO CONCRETE FUTURE STEPS ARISE FROM THE SEMINAR’S RESULTS:
1. Make this Seminar an annual event, or organize more seminars that have the goal of getting donors together in a
purely educational setting to increase their knowledge about achieving the greatest impact through their giving.
2. Pursue one or more of the following options to facilitate donors’ expressed interest in conducting site visits:
a. Encourage individual donors to independently conduct a site visit and share with peers, so they can enhance
each other’s knowledge bases and hold each other accountable
b. Organize a hybrid of a seminar and guided site visit
c. Offer a consultative service for donors who are interested in doing site visits
d. Selectively screen people who are geographically or thematically close to each other and encourage them to
exchange ideas
RESULTS AND LESSONS: THE CENTER FOR HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY’S INAUGURAL DONOR EDUCATION SEMINAR 13
APPENDIX
14 THE CENTER FOR HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY
RESULTS AND LESSONS: THE CENTER FOR HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY’S INAUGURAL DONOR EDUCATION SEMINAR 15
The Center for High Impact Philanthropy
School of Social Policy & Practice | University of Pennsylvania
The Center for High Impact Philanthropy’s
Inaugural Seminar at Wharton
“Addressing the Needs of Vulnerable Families”
November 7-8, 2010
16 THE CENTER FOR HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY
Center for High Impact Philanthropy’s Inaugural Seminar at Wharton
Addressing the Needs of Vulnerable Families November 7-8, 2010
Program Description Updated as of 10/27/10
Sunday, November 7, 2010: Lower Egypt Exhibit at the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and
Anthropology, 3260 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
5:30pm – 7:30pm Opening reception and dinner
7:30pm – 8:30pm Opening program
8:30pm – 9pm Dessert and networking
Monday, November 8, 2010: Sweetbaum Room at the Aresty Institute of Executive Education, The Wharton School,
Steinberg Conference Center, 255 South 38th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
7:30am – 8:30am Full breakfast buffet available
8:30am – 9am Welcome and Overview of the Day
Overview needs of vulnerable families in the economic downturn, inter-
related nature of specific issue areas
Overview schedule for the day
9am – 10:30am Introduction of Keynote Speaker by Richard James Gelles, Dean, School of
Social Policy & Practice, University of Pennsylvania
Keynote Address by The Honorable Cory A. Booker, Mayor, Newark,
NJ
Q&A with Mayor Booker
10:30am – 10:45am Break
10:45am – 12:15pm Academic/Researcher panel
Mariana Chilton, Assistant Professor of Public Health at the Drexel
University School of Public Health, Principal Investigator, Philadelphia
GROW Project; Director, Witnesses to Hunger
Dennis Culhane, Professor of Social Welfare Policy, School of Social
Policy & Practice, University of Pennsylvania
Nien-hê Hsieh (Facilitator), Associate Professor of Legal Studies and
Business Ethics and of Philosophy; Director of the Wharton Ethics
Program; Faculty Coordinator, Wharton Social Impact and
Responsibility, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
RESULTS AND LESSONS: THE CENTER FOR HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY’S INAUGURAL DONOR EDUCATION SEMINAR 17
12:15pm – 12:45pm Lunch
12:45pm – 2:15pm Funder panel
Warren Kantor, Purpose Prize Fellow; Founder, Benefits Data
Trust
Robert Giloth, Vice President, Center for Family Economic
Success, Annie E. Casey Foundation
Katherina Rosqueta (Facilitator), Executive Director, Center for
High Impact Philanthropy, School of Social Policy & Practice,
University of Pennsylvania
Donald F. Schwarz, Deputy Mayor of Health and Opportunity and
Health Commissioner, City of Philadelphia
2:15pm – 2:30pm Break
2:30pm – 4pm Practitioner panel
Suzanne Boas, President, CredAbility
Peggy Hill, Chief Strategic Relations Officer, Nurse-Family
Partnership
John Arnold, Executive Director, Feeding America West Michigan
Food Bank
Melinda Tuan (Facilitator), Consultant, Center for High Impact
Philanthropy, School of Social Policy & Practice, University of
Pennsylvania
4pm – 4:30pm Donor-to-donor peer exchange
4:30pm – 5:30pm Closing address and reception
18 THE CENTER FOR HIGH IMPACT PHILANTHROPY
The Center for High Impact Philanthropy
School of Social Policy & Practice | University of Pennsylvania
3815 Walnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
WEBSITE www.impact.upenn.edu
EMAIL impact@sp2.upenn.edu
PHONE (215) 573-7266
BLOG blog.impact.upenn.edu FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/CenterforHighImpactPhilanthropy TWITTER www.twitter.com/ImpactSP2 LINKED IN www.linkedin.com/groups?home=&gid=2015373 YOUTUBE www.youtube.com/user/impactsp2