U.S. Energy Foundation has announced the results of its most recent Grantee Perception Report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy.

Underwritten by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Energy Foundation’s first CEP assessment in more than five years is based on responses from the foundation’s grantees. According to the report, the foundation’s strengths include the ability to advance public policy in the field, the median grant dollars awarded per process hour, an adaptable reporting process, and increased commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion both internally and externally.

Grantees suggested that the foundation needs to consider more unrestricted, multiyear grants; address challenges throughout the grantee lifecycle experience; and work to improve relationships, communication, and transparency. Examples of foundation actions to address these areas include the drafting of a multiyear grant policy focused on qualifying criteria for and how to process these types of grants, the launch of a new Grants Management System and efforts to codify its policies and procedures, and sharing the findings of the report and responses with funders, grantees, and the public.

“This was our first CEP assessment in more than five years, and the findings have been invaluable to our growth,” wrote Energy Foundation CEO Jason Mark in a blog post. “We are excited to now have a baseline and to conduct these surveys on a more regular basis to track our progress.”

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