Minnesota Council on Foundations Non-member Interest and Needs Survey.DOC

Grantmaker Interests & Needs Survey Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey Your feedback will help us ensure that the Minnesota Council on Foundations is being as effective as possible in meeting the needs of our region’s foundations and other grantmakers You can also complete this survey online at http://www.mcf.org/survey Please complete the 10-minute survey by April 25, 2007 All responses are confidential Have you ever heard of the Minnesota Council on Foundations, before today? (Select one):  Yes  No If you answered No, please skip to Question Has your organization ever been a member of the Minnesota Council on Foundations? (Select one)  Current MCF member organization  Former MCF member organization  Our organization has never been an MCF member If you answered “Current MCF member organization” you not need to complete this survey, which is intended for organizations that are not MCF members (MCF is conducting a separate survey for its members, which you can receive by contacting Bill King at 612.335.3557, bking@mcf.org.) How well would you say you know the Minnesota Council on Foundations?  Very well  Somewhat well  Not very well Below is a list of philanthropy associations or other membership organizations serving those engaged in philanthropy Please select any of these groups that you or your organization have ever joined or whose information and services you have used: Current Member Former Member Used Services Association of Small Foundations    Boston College Center for Corporate Citizenship    Community Foundations of America    The Conference Board    Council on Foundations (D.C.)    Current Member Former Member Used Services Grantmaker Affinity Groups (Grantmakers in the Arts, Grantmakers in Health, etc.)    Independent Sector    Minnesota Keystone Awards Program    National Center for Family Philanthropy    One Percent Club    The Philanthropy Roundtable    Other current or former philanthropy/grantmaking organization memberships: _ Below is a list of philanthropy consultants or organizations Please select those you have used for philanthropy information or advice:  Accountant  Community foundation  Financial/investment advisor  Foundation/donor services firm  Minnesota Council on Foundations  Lawyer  Minister/Rabbi or other faith leader  Philanthropy/grantmaking consultant  Other professional advisor  Others, please specify: _ Below is a list of statements that may or may not describe why your organization is not a member of the Minnesota Council on Foundations Please rate each statement on how well you agree or disagree with that statement: Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree MCF does not appear to serve grantmaking organizations like ours      We not feel the need to join an association      We not need services from MCF      We have never been contacted by MCF about membership      Strongly Agree Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly Disagree We prefer to get help, education, information and/or networking elsewhere      We are unaware of the services offered by MCF      We have concerns about paying MCF’s membership dues      Below is a list of possible factors to consider when deciding to join a membership association like the Minnesota Council on Foundations Please indicate how important each factor is likely to be for your organization in making a decision to join a membership association: Very Important Important Somewhat Important Slightly Important Not Important Don’t Know Ability to meet & network with other foundations & grantmakers       Ability to share information with other foundations & grantmakers       The association’s mission       The credibility of the association       The credibility that the association will bring to our organization       Membership costs & fees       The number and/or type of programs & services offered to members       Recommendation of a colleague or friend       The value of the member services we receive compared to the cost of membership       The Minnesota Council on Foundations offers a wide range of member services to support, promote and protect philanthropy and to support the work of those who serve as trustees/directors or staff in philanthropic organizations Below is a list of some of the primary services that are available to MCF members As you read through each service, please indicate your level of possible interest in that service: Intereste Somewhat Slightly Very Not d Interested Interested Interested Interested Don’t Know Access to members-only area of MCF’s website, which provides many practical online resources to help grantmakers with their work       Actively monitor & represent the field on tax, legal & other legislative issues that affect foundations & corporate/business givers, & provide periodic member updates & alerts on these issues       Annual conference that brings together grantmakers from throughout the region for skill-building sessions, issue briefings, networking & expert speakers       Complimentary copies of MCF’s in-depth Minnesota grantmaking research reports & Guide to Minnesota Grantmakers       Complimentary copies of grantmaker benchmarking surveys, such as annual salary & benefits survey       Complimentary subscription to Minnesota Grantmakers Online, MCF’s searchable database of all Minnesota grantmakers & all grants from the state’s largest funders       Discounts for MCF members on products & services (conference calling, software, publication subscriptions, etc.)       Education & skill-building programs & trainings on various aspects of grantmaking practice       Education programs designed for specific types of grantmakers (family foundations, corporate grantmakers, etc.) to explore new issues, best practices, etc       Education programs on specific issue areas (arts, education, etc.) to explore new issues, best practices, etc       Education programs to hear from leading experts & thinkers in the field       5 Intereste Somewhat Slightly Very Not d Interested Interested Interested Interested Don’t Know Fee-for-service (contract) training designed for your board, staff or committees       Informal briefings & discussions that provide opportunities to explore new issues & practices       Information & referral services to answer questions about your grantmaking & philanthropy work       Initiatives to advance & expand philanthropy & increase awareness & understanding of grantmaking & philanthropy among nonprofits & the broader community       Participation in MCF’s peer networks, which provide in-person & online opportunities to network with other funders in the region who are interested in similar funding issues or have similar job responsibilities       Subscription to MCF’s biweekly member e-newsletter, which provides the latest news, resources & information on grantmaking & philanthropy       Subscription to MCF’s quarterly Giving Forum newspaper, which provides indepth coverage of regional issues & news on grantmaking & philanthropy       After reading the above summary of the Minnesota Council on Foundations’ member services, which statement best describes how likely or unlikely you would be to recommend that your organization join MCF? (Select one):  Very likely to recommend joining MCF  Likely to recommend joining MCF  Not sure if I’d recommend joining MCF  Unlikely to recommend joining MCF 10.If MCF were to offer selected member services for a fee, please select any of the following services that you might be interested in purchasing, even if you chose not to join MCF:  Access to members-only area of MCF’s website, which provides many practical online resources to help grantmakers with their work  Education and skill-building programs and trainings on various aspects of grantmaking and philanthropy practice  Education programs designed for specific types of grantmakers (family foundations, corporate grantmakers, etc.) to explore new issues, best practices, etc  Education programs on specific issue areas (arts, education, etc.) to explore new issues, best practices, etc  Education programs to hear from leading experts and thinkers in the field  Fee-for-service (contract) training designed for your board, staff or committees  Informal briefings and discussions that provide opportunities to explore new issues and practices  Information and referral services to answer questions about your grantmaking and philanthropy work  Participation in MCF’s peer networks, which provide in-person and online opportunities to network with other funders in the region who are interested in similar funding issues or have similar job responsibilities  Subscription to MCF’s biweekly member e-newsletter, which provides the latest news, resources and information on grantmaking and philanthropy 11 If you believe the Council is a valuable resource for the grantmaking field but are not interested in joining, would you consider providing some level of financial support, such as a grant or sponsorship, to help support the Council’s work?  Yes, a general support grant  Yes, a project grant for a specific MCF program or activity  Yes, a sponsorship of a specific MCF program or activity  Maybe  No  Don’t know Tell Us a Little About Yourself 12.Which best describes your grantmaking organization? (Select one):  Bank Trust Department  Community Foundation  Corporate/Business Foundation or Giving Program  Private Family Foundation  Private Independent Foundation  Private Operating Foundation  Public Foundation  Other, please specify: _ 13.Which best describes your position in your grantmaking organization? (Select one):  Trustee/board member  Both trustee/board member and paid staff member  Paid staff member – President/CEO/executive director  Paid staff member – Administrative support  Paid staff member – Finance/investment and/or human resources  Paid staff member – Grants management  Paid staff member – Program officer/grant review  Paid staff member – Development/fundraising  Paid staff member – Other  Staff of outside advisory, consulting firm or trust dept whose client is MCF member organization 14.How long have you worked or served as a trustee/board member in philanthropy? (Select one)  Less than years  2-5 years  6-10 years  More than 10 years 15.Which of the following best describes the staffing of your organization? (Select one):  paid staff members; a trustee-managed organization with no additional staff  1-2 paid staff members  3-5 paid staff members  6-10 paid staff members  11-15 paid staff members  16-20 paid staff members  More than 20 paid staff members  We use an outside advisory firm, trust department or consultant for all of our staffing support 16.Please share any additional comments or questions you may have about the Minnesota Council on Foundations: 17.Would you be interested in learning more about Minnesota Council on Foundations membership?  Yes  No If you answered Yes, or if you are interested in providing financial support to the Council other than through membership dues, please provide your contact information below (or e-mail your contact information and interests directly to Bill King at bking@mcf.org): Name: Title: Organization: _ Address: _ Phone: E-mail: Preferred form of contact:  Phone  E-mail  Mail  No preference Please return this completed survey by April 25, 2007 to: Bill King, President, Minnesota Council on Foundations, 100 Portland Avenue S., Suite 225, Minneapolis, MN 55401-2575; fax: 612.337.5089 If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Bill at 612.335.3557 or bking@mcf.org Thank you for your participation! 10 ... foundation  Financial/investment advisor  Foundation/donor services firm  Minnesota Council on Foundations  Lawyer  Minister/Rabbi or other faith leader  Philanthropy/grantmaking consultant... department or consultant for all of our staffing support 16.Please share any additional comments or questions you may have about the Minnesota Council on Foundations: 17.Would you be interested in... Education and skill-building programs and trainings on various aspects of grantmaking and philanthropy practice  Education programs designed for specific types of grantmakers (family foundations,