PEJE is committed to learning about more effective ways to exercise our philanthropic mission with day schools. Toward, that end, we commission external evaluators to provide us with feedback about our program initiatives as well as assessments of our overall philanthropic performance. In 2006 we engaged The Center for Effective Philanthopy (CEP) to help us benchmark our own performance as a grant maker and provider of management support services. CEP conducted confidential surveys of current and recent grantees. Sixty-one percent of our grantees--an impressive yield--completed detailed questionnaires, leading to a Grantee Perception Report that compares our performance with 163 foundations and with a smaller cohort of foundations similar to PEJE (Jewish organizations, foundations with an educational mission, or organizations that provide management support services). We are extremely appreciative to those who took the time to respond to the survey and to provide us with very thoughtful feedback.
A summary of the CEP Grantee Perception Report is included here, along with PEJE's response to the findings.
PEJE's Response to the 2006 Grantee Perception Report
What Have We Learned?
- As compared with other foundations--many of which are larger and heavily endowed--PEJE is highly rated in its impact on and understanding of the day school field, as well as our ability to advance knowledge in the field.
- PEJE is also highly rated in terms of our reporting and evaluation processes. Grantees commented on our expertise in Jewish day school education and on our coaches' "invaluable" guidance and management/planning expertise.
- In terms of fairness, responsiveness, and comfort in approaching us if a problem arise, grantees rate PEJE about the same as organizations in our cohort, but this is below the median of all foundations.
- Areas where PEJE's performance could be improved in order to match the larger pool of foundations include: impact on the school or the community; assistance in helping schools secure funding from other sources; and the clarity of our communications.
Staff at PEJE review the CEP data periodically in meetings and retreats to absorb the findings. Our objective is to refine our programs and adapt our internal processes so that we strengthen our relationship and supports to day schools. Using the CEP report data, we identify priorities for action, such as streamlining and coordinating our extensive communications to the field. We strive to strike a more effective balance between focusing on a few key grants and management support activities, while being sufficiently nimble so that we remain responsive to the changing needs of day schools. We continue to measure and benchmark our effectiveness periodically, just as we encourage day schools to do through the Day School Peer Yardstick™. Feel free to comment or respond to these findings by contacting Bonnie Hausman.
Other Reports
From the Outside In: Strengthening Jewish Day Schools Through Community and Collaborative Interventions by Bonnie Hausman and Suzanne Kling, June 2006
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