Grantee Perception Report

A Special Message to Our Grantees:

At the Kellogg Foundation, helping people make positive change in their communities is at the heart of everything we do. Without the energy, wisdom, and action of the hundreds of thousands of people and civic organizations across the nation, in Latin America, the Caribbean, and southern Africa, our mission could not be accomplished.

For a private foundation like ours, there’s always a delicate balance between when to lead and when to follow – and that’s why keeping our “ear close to the ground” is essential to the work we do together. It’s you, our grantees, who activate the resources we distribute. So, it’s important to us to understand how you experience your partnership with us.

In 2001, we began a systematic, third-party look at what our grantees think about their work with us. We asked what’s working – and what’s not. This year, we commissioned the Center for Effective Philanthropy to conduct a survey that would allow us to assess not only our own performance – but how our performance stacks up against foundations all over the country.

For this year’s survey, 633 Kellogg Foundation grantees were surveyed during February and March 2007. Of these, 420 answered the survey, for a response rate of 66 percent. Responses came from organizations of all types across the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, and southern Africa. We have received the results; they are rich with meaning and learning.

In the meantime, we wanted to convey our gratitude for the thoughtful feedback you’ve provided. Once we’ve identified priority areas for action, we will share both the results and our commitment to future improvements.

Sterling K. Speirn
President and CEO