CEP Survey Results

MeHAF as Learning Organization:  Participation in National Evaluation of Funders
MeHAF has a strong commitment to being an effective and responsive grantmaker.  This means that we periodically assess our performance to determine how our current practices compare to our work in the past and how we compare with our peer foundations.  MeHAF participated in the Center for Effective Philanthropy's Grantee Perception Report (GPR) and Applicant Perception Report (APR) in 2004 and 2009.  The Center for Effective Philanthropy's mission is "to provide data and create insight so philanthropic funders can better define, assess, and improve their effectiveness and impact."  MeHAF's results on the GPR and APR are benchmarked with a comparison data set of foundations from across the country as well as a subset of health conversion foundations.  MeHAF's results were also compared to data that was collected in our 2004 CEP survey so we could evaluate how we've changed over time.  For more information on how the survey was conducted, please visit CEP Survey Methods.

This is What We Learned
Although grantees rated MeHAF differently across the various initiatives included in the survey, there were some common themes that emerged-having to do both with what they say we do well, and areas where we can improve.  Download the report for a summary of the survey results.


What We Heard We Do Well

  • Quality of interactions
  • Clear and consistent communication of goals & strategy
  • Non-monetary assistance, including impact on advancing knowledge in grantees' fields


Areas Where We Can Improve

  • Impact on local communities
  • Dollar return on grantee administrative hours, including evaluation burden
  • Assistance securing funding from other sources


What We Are Doing To Improve

  • Planning program evaluation processes early and communicating expectations to grantees
  • Considering sustainability of grant-funded programs after foundation support ends


Comments from some of our grantees who responded to the survey:

"I found . . .MeHAF to have a high standard of quality and the staff was always positive and helpful."

"There are time commitments to work with the Foundation that were not clearly communicated at the outset which have impacted the actual time allotted for the work on the grant."

"MeHAF is very careful to consider all the players that should be at the table for any of its initiatives."

"Willing to talk about issues beyond the specific work of the grant."