Foundation CEOs lack confidence about the overall progress toward their organizations’ key goals. But they’re more positive about how well their own foundations contribute to society, according to a new research report, How Far Have We Come? Foundation CEOs on Progress and Impact, from the Center for Effective Philanthropy.
Only 25% of the CEO respondents said that all contributors, together, have made a lot of progress toward the specific goal where they focus most of their resources. What’s more, over half of the CEOs said they are only “somewhat confident” or “a little” confident in their assessment of overall progress. CEOs see the greatest barriers to making progress as outside their foundations’ walls, particularly the “current government policy environment” and economic climate.
But almost two-thirds of the CEOs think their foundations have contributed greatly to the progress associated with their organizations’ missions. Most CEOs believe their own foundations are already taking actions that have “the most effective impact” on their constituents.
