Northern California Grantmakers Professional Development Survey: Press Release

Grantmaking Field Maturing, New Study Suggests

Professional Development Needs Are Changing as Average Grantmaker Tenure Reaches 9 Years

A new report reveals that grantmakers have worked in the field an average of nine years, with one-fifth of grantmakers in the field 15 years or more. In addition, a majority of grantmakers view their work as a long-term commitment to a profession in its own right, suggesting that the grantmaking field is maturing.

These and other findings are detailed in California Grantmakers and Professional Development: A Statewide Survey. The study, published March 1, was commissioned by Northern California Grantmakers in collaboration with Southern California Association for Philanthropy and San Diego Grantmakers. It was developed, fielded and produced by San Francisco-based LaFrance Associates LLC in partnership with Community Planning and Research LLC, in Rohnert Park, California. It is available at no cost on the Web at www.cafoundations.org.

The report addresses the way grantmakers view their careers, the field of grantmaking, and the need for continued learning opportunities. Its findings are based on survey responses from more than 350 California grantmakers representing all foundation types and sizes, with important implications for the field at large.

"We created this study to provide information on a number of critical issues driving the development of grantmaking as a profession," says Lynn Luckow, CEO of Northern California Grantmakers. "Who are today's grantmakers? How do they view their work in philanthropy within their life and career trajectories? How should the field be supporting the development of professionals who are committed to careers as grantmakers?"

Based on survey responses, a number of key demographic findings have emerged about today's grantmakers:

• Over two-thirds are women
• Three-quarters are Caucasian
• Almost two-thirds have degrees beyond a baccalaureate
• Half came to philanthropy via the nonprofit sector and one-third the private sector, with the balance divided between government and academia
• The average tenure of grantmakers in the field is nine years, with 60 percent in the field at least five years and one-fifth working in the profession 15 years or longer
• Close to three-quarters have spent their entire grantmaking careers at a single foundation
• Almost 80 percent have held no more than two positions during their tenure in the grantmaking profession

Survey respondents report a desire for increased interaction with colleagues at other foundations and in other grantmaking areas. A sense of isolation and a need for community within the field are the main reasons grantmakers seek external professional development opportunities. Especially for grantmakers who have been in the field longer than five years, the lack of appropriate opportunities for continued learning and exchange is acute.

"Most professional development activities today focus on new entrants to the field," notes Ruth Brousseau, Program Director at the California Wellness Foundation and a member of the Northern California Grantmakers Professional Development Committee. "As the grantmaking profession matures, it's becoming more important to address the needs of people in the field longer than five years."

While four-fifths of grantmakers surveyed report that the profession is a long-term career choice, only 23 percent believe they will have an opportunity to advance to a higher position in the field. Further, despite the preponderance of women in the field, they are almost one-third less likely to have held a top executive position than their male colleagues at foundations.

A number of other significant findings are reported about grantmakers' professional development needs and preferences:

• More than 92 percent of respondents say knowledge of their specific grantmaking area is important or very important in their jobs, but just over half say their current level of proficiency in this area is high
• Other content areas named as high priorities for professional development include program evaluation, financial review and organizational assessment
• More than half of survey respondents identify working in diverse communities as an important area for professional development
• Mentorship and peer learning are widespread and, together with other experiential learning formats such as site visits or participation in a collaborative grantmaking project, are ranked as the most vital professional development activities
• in the field
• An overwhelming majority want regional associations of grantmakers to provide professional development experiences, to convene peer groups and to serve as links to other professional development opportunities

As a group of professionals, grantmakers clearly seek to grow continually throughout their careers in the field. Their response to the California study and the story they reveal through its findings indicate the value they place on learning and development. As the field matures and more grantmakers identify professionally as such, the need for deeper, meaningful professional development opportunities is becoming more critical.

Source: LaFrance Associates LLC and Community Planning and Research LLC