Non-Profit Executive Directors/CEOs/Presidents and Grantor Networks

This survey is completely anonymous. At echo communications, we will never see any information that links your survey responses back to you.

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* 1. Have you ever heard of grantor affinity groups and/or regional grantor alliances?

Yes

Not sure

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* 2. Do you now, or have you ever, followed the activities of grantor networks within your field with the intention of better understanding them and/or influencing their work?

Yes

Can't recall

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* 3. If so, which ones?

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* 4. Have you or your organization ever made any attempts to get your messages out and promote your issues to grantor affinity groups and/or to regional grantor networks in your field?

Yes

Not sure

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* 5. If so, which one(s)?

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* 6. In what way(s) has your organization worked with grantor affinity groups and/or with regional grantor networks in the past, if at all?

We were invited to speak about our issues at an all-grantor event held by a grantor network.

We were the subject of an educational site visit that was orchestrated by a grantor network to educate grantors in my issue area.

We were highlighted in a newsletter or other communication channel (blog, webinar, listserv, etc.) that was distributed to members of a grantor network.

We were invited to participate in an advisory role in grantor network activities (e.g., a working group to develop responses to particular problems, or a pre-conference planning committee)

A film we helped produce was shown to grantmaker network members to illustrate the issues we share in common with them.

We haven't ever, to my knowledge.

Other (please specify)

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* 7. How did you gain access to the grantor affinity group(s) and/or regional grantor alliance(s) you worked with, if you did?

We haven't gained entry into any grantor networks.

Our current foundation supporter(s) approached us about it.

We reached out to our current foundation supporter(s) and inquired about the chance.

Our current corporate sponsor(s) involved us in it.

We inquired about the possibility with our current corporate sponsor(s).

Our previous foundation supporter(s) approached us about it.

We approached our previous foundation supporter(s) to discuss the possibility.

Our previous corporate sponsor(s) asked us to participate.

We approached our previous corporate sponsor(s) with a request.

Someone on staff at the grantor network(s) invited us in.

Someone on the board of directors of the grantor network(s) asked us to participate.

We were referred to the grantor network(s) by someone other than the above, who has ties there.

Our organization approached the grantor network(s) directly and appealed to them for a role.

Other (please specify)

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* 8. If you have worked with grantor networks in the past, would you consider the/se collaboration(s) successful?

1 - Not successful at all.

5 - Neither successful nor unsuccessful

10 - Very successful

Other (please specify)

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* 9. How would you say your organization has benefited from collaborating with grantor network(s) in the past, if you have worked with one or more of them?

Exposure to new grantors in our field.

New money.

The sense that some of the ideas and policy remedies we believe are so effective were heard and understood by grantors in a position to implement them with resources over time.

The chance to understand better what grantor strategies are for my issues in the future.

Was able to influence the way funding came down for field organizations other than my own as a result of suggestions I made in a presentation about my field.

Had an opportunity to introduce grantors to leading experts in my issue area whom they might not otherwise know, whom I suggested as co-speakers for this purpose.

Terrific face time with my current grantors at a grantor network meeting.

Great staff development opportunity for the person who attended a grantor network meeting.

The chance to help influence the way resources are committed to my field in the next few years.

Other (please specify)

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* 10. If you were able to work with specific grantor networks, did you give the networks any feedback about how the event(s) could have been even more successful?

Yes

Cannot recall

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* 11. If so, what advice did you give them?

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* 12. If you haven’t done so already, would you consider approaching your current/previous major grantors with a request that your organization's work be highlighted in upcoming events within grantor networks they now belong to?

Yes

Not sure

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* 13. If no, why?

Don't know how this works - never had exposure to this before.

We do not have close enough relationships with our grantors.

We do not believe we would benefit sufficiently from the experience.

Afraid my grantor(s) might reject my request.

Wondering whether this would be held against me by my grantor(s) when my grant is reconsidered next year.

I want to, but we don’t have the staff or the time to implement this approach.

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* 14. Are you aware of other groups/people who have actively worked to raise their profile in grantor networks as a long-term donor visibility strategy?

Yes

Not sure

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* 15. If so, who are they?

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* 16. Do you think it would be valuable to speak with other non-profit heads who have already successfully tapped into grantor networks valuable to them?

Yes

Not sure

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* 17. Have you ever sought a speaking role at a grantor network event, such as at one of their annual conferences or expert policy briefings?

Yes

Don't know

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* 18. Has your communications or development staff ever suggested that you do so?

Yes

Don't know

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* 19. If you haven’t already weighed in at grantor networks about how you believe your movement should be resourced, how valuable do you think this type of activity could be for you?

1 - Not valuable at all.

5 - Neither valuable nor invaluable

10 - Very valuable

Other (please specify)

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* 20. Do you require your program, communications and/or development staff to keep abreast of grantor network activities, including by regularly reading relevant content from their websites and online newsletters?

Yes

Not sure

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* 21. In your development program, do you put an emphasis on grantor education to bring grantors in your field up to speed with the dynamics of how work unfolds on the ground, any new and effective policy directions, and recent innovations in service delivery that may be unknown to them?

Yes

Do not know

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* 22. If yes, this is what we do:

Send policy briefs to all of our grantors that do not include appeals for resources.

Research other grantors to the field who do not now support us and send them information about the way our agenda advances the field, without direct asks for support.

Develop funder's guides to the issues that are free of organizational asks to illustrate for our sponsors powerful ways they might support the field in achieving broad movement goals.

Make site visit arrangements for our grantors that are billed as education-only events to allow them to experience our issues first-hand without pressure to give.

Other

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* 23. If no, why not?

We do not have the staff or other resources to devote to this.

We do not believe we will gain financially, even over time, from doing this.

Our current staff do not have the expertise for this.

Our program staff have never asked for this as a means of briefing their work.

Other (please specify)

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* 24. Do your corporate, foundation and/or individual major grantors sometimes seek your point of view about problems they are trying to solve and/or strategies they are trying to create?

Yes

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* 25. If yes, how often?

Once

2-5 times in the past year

6-10 times in the past year

11-20 times in the past year

Too often to count

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* 26. In what major ways have you partnered with foundations and corporations in the past, if you have?

We haven't.

We have received major foundation dollars toward our program and organizational goals.

We have received major corporate contribution(s) toward our program and organizational goals.

We have developed a cause marketing program with a local, regional, or national corporation.

We have developed a cause marketing program with our foundation sponsor(s).

We asked our foundation program officer(s) to introduce us to peer donors who have supported us.

We asked our corporate sponsor(s) to introduce us to peer corporations that have supported us.

We have run advertising programs with our corporate sponsors.

Other (please specify)

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* 27. In your Board and Advisory Board recruitment, do you intentionally seek out potential members who have deep ties into grantor networks of value to your organization?

Yes

Not sure

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* 28. When you hire for development staff, do you consider their expertise with grantor affinity groups and regional grantor networks as significant factors?

Yes

Don't Know

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* 29. When you hire for program staff, do you consider their knowledge of grantor affinity groups and regional grantor networks as a factor?

Yes

Do not know

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* 30. When you hire communications personnel, do you consider their expertise with grantor networks as a significant factor?

Yes

Don't know

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* 31. In your view, what are some of the strengths of the non-profit/foundation relationship in your field?

There is a real commitment and passion to solving common problems on both sides of the fence.

There is a wealth of wisdom and intelligence on the issues that reside in both communities.

There is a genuine will on the part of my foundation grantors to help promote my organization within philanthropy beyond any grant given to us.

My grantors don't hesitate asking us for our issue advice.

We feel welcome to submit ideas for new funding directions their resources might support.

We understand the grantor community has been hard-hit by the recession and we understand there are real pockets of concern they cannot fund.

Other (please specify)

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* 32. In your view, what are some of the challenges of the non-profit/foundation relationship in your field today?

I don't really know how foundation funders go about building their grantmaking portfolios.

It feels as though many foundation funders are not well-briefed about the particulars of my field, and I am not sure about how to work with them to reach consensus about what matters most to move my issues.

I feel I could know better what foundation funders look for when they read proposals.

There are fewer dollars now to fuel the field, so it is difficult to make the case to foundation funders for how the entire community can be served.

It feels as though you need a personal contact to gain entry – what happens if you don't have one?

There aren’t enough points of dialogue with foundation funders in my field to educate them about all angles relevant to movement progress.

Information about grantor communities where my work could be leveraged is not made commonly available to me by my foundation funders.

We wish we could see our foundation funders in person more often!

Other (please specify)

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* 33. How many years have you served as a non-profit executive director, CEO and/or president, at this organization and/or others (total number of years combined)?

1-2 years

3-5 years

6-10 years

11-15 years

16-25 years

26 and up

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* 34. How large is your organization?

1 person

2-3 people

4-7 people

8-15 people

16-30 people

31-55 people

56-100 people

101-500 people

501-1000 people

More than 1000 people

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* 35. How large is your annual budget?

Less than $100,000

$100,000 - $499,999

$500,000 - $999,999

$1 million - $2.9 million

$3 million - $9.9 million

$10 million - $19.9 million

$20 million - $49.9 million

$50 million and more

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* 36. What types of issues does your organization address in its core mission?

Environment

Human rights

Children's services

Violence prevention

Development

Animal rights

Military

Youth leadership

Education

Health

Disaster

Arts

Other (please specify)

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* 37. Is the focus of your programming:

International

National

Statewide

Local

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* 38. Have you ever heard of any companies other than echo communications that are helping to promote non-profit organizations into grantor network spaces?

Yes

Not sure

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* 39. If so, what is the name of this company?

We appreciate your taking the time to respond to us.

Visit www.echocommunications.net to learn more about how you can promote your organization into grantor networks.

We are also seeking 20 minute phone interviews with non-profit executive directors about their experiences working with grantor networks. See http://www.echocommunications.net/call_for_advisors.htm

Call us at 202-375-0743 or email us at info@echocommunications.net to arrange a time to speak.

You should be aware that by submitting an idea via this survey, you are giving echo communications the right (but not the obligation) to use your ideas in any way, without paying you or otherwise compensating you.