Cultivating inclusive
philanthropic institutions

Rigorous inquiry. Diverse input. Optimal impact.

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Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion in Philanthropy: Building the Data Infrastructure
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We offer strategy, research & program support to
foundations and social sector organizations
that want to deepen impact, practice inclusion, and advance equity.

We understand philanthropy. We center rigor. We lead with compassion.

25 years experience

We help foundations of all types and sizes create more impactful, inclusive, and equitable organizations.

Pioneers in demographic data

We develop cutting edge tools and practices that shape industry standards and integrate insights into strategy.

Customized, lasting change

We create tailored services to strengthen leadership, support staff, and increase impact.

Kelly Brown

Principal / Founder

Learn more about us

Why us? Why now?

Effective philanthropy requires a seasoned perspective that bolsters good intentions, with solid data, flexible strategy and inclusive practice.  Viewpoint Consulting understands the complexity of philanthropy and uses approaches that
builds bridges, fosters alignment and creates impact.

featured clients

PEAK Grantmaking
MacArthur Foundation

Demographic Data
Insights

Design and deploy demographic data collection tools and work to create field-wide alignment of data collection practices.

View examples of our work

Strategic Leadership Development

Support foundation CEOs and trustees in successfully managing and leading diverse, inclusive, and effective organizations.

View examples of our work

Inclusive Practice Training
& Facilitation

Identify areas for growth and effectively implement strategies for change within a supportive environment.

View examples of our work

Case
Studies

01
07
Demographic Data 
Strategic Leadership
Inclusive Practice Training

Candid. Demographic Taxonomy

What we did
Conducted extensive research on best practice and current terminology with respect to demographics and data collection practices, including the engagement of NPO stakeholders and foundations
RESULTS

·     Comprehensive summary of current research and evolving issues with respect to demographic data collection

·     Recommendations for revisions to Candid.'s demographic data page

·     Recommendations for deeper analysis of NPO engagement with Candid.’s organizational profiles

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CA Demographic Data Collaborative

What we did
Engaged NPOs through a survey and focus groups, Curated current research on demographic terms, Assessed field-wide data aggregators, Developed recommendations for alignment
RESULTS

Key learnings:

1.    NPOs are deeply engaged with demographic data to inform their strategies and to report to funders/partners, but need support to strengthen their capacity to collect and use it effectively,

2.    Demographic parameters should be terms that are broadly understood, align with other requestors, and are useful to NPOs

3.    There is growing interest in philanthropy to align around both parameters and data collection approaches, but the best mechanism to meet both funder and NPO needs, is still to be determined.

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Heising Simons Foundation

What we did
Reviewed foundation-wide demographic data collection efforts, identified shortcomings and opportunities for increased clarity, and proposed strategies for improved engagement with demographics.
RESULTS

·     Re-centered rationale for demographic data collection to focus on data leading to strategy

·     Shifted focus to exploring why the ‘who’ of what is funded is critical to understanding impact

·     Increased clarity on the importance of demographics as administrative data for meaningful analysis

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Surdna Foundation

What we did
Designed and launched a demographic survey of the Surdna and Andrus Foundations' staff, board and nonprofit partners
RESULTS

Developed an inclusive and effective process for engaging nonprofits

Achieved a 74% response rate across stakeholders

Included analysis of response rates, response bias, and implications of outliers

Established a baseline of demographic data for subsequent inquiries

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VentureWell

What we did
Developed recommendations for integrating demographic data into core programs to inform strategies for expanding outreach and inclusive practices
RESULTS

Demographic data integrated into application process for E-Teams and Faculty Grants

Defined use case for demographics as part of enterprise-wide approach to strengthen commitment to inclusion and equity

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PEAK Grantmaking

What we did
Viewpoint Consulting conducted the only field-wide survey of demographic data collection practices by foundations, and developed several tools to build capacity for demographic data collection.
RESULTS
  • Provided key insights on the state of philanthropic demographic data collection practice to nationwide network of 3,500 grants management professionals
  • Established a Demographic Data Community of Practice for over 20 foundations
  • Developed a How To Manual on Demographic Data

The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

What we did
Viewpoint Consulting developed a comprehensive learning curriculum for a Peer Learning Lab to guide field-wide foundation demographic collection efforts.
RESULTS
  • Launched a series of learning opportunities for delivering the curriculum to strengthen field-wide demographic data collection strategies
  • Promoted field-wide alignment of data collection practices to increase accuracy and reduce reporting efforts

D5 Coalition CEO Sunset Assessment

What we did
The D5 Coalition hosted a convening of foundation CEOs to evaluate the progress of a 5 year diversity, equity, and inclusion initiative and to surface insights for ongoing field-wide work.
RESULTS
  • Connected 30 foundation CEOs from across the country to discuss strategies for deepening a commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion
  • Launched Trustees for Equity, a planning effort to explore opportunities for engaging foundation Trustees in equity related work

Trustees for Equity

What we did
Under the auspices of D5 Compass, Viewpoint Consulting hosted Trustees for Equity, a gathering to discuss foundation trustees' role in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion
RESULTS
  • Connected 15 CEOs and Trustee teams from foundations around the country in strategic conversation about the governance role of foundation trustees in advancing  DEI
  • Laid the groundwork for ongoing strategies to engage foundation trustees in efforts to increase advance diversity, equity and inclusion

Annenberg Foundation Alchemy Plus Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Training

What we did
Designed inaugural training module for diversity, equity and inclusion as part of the foundation’s flagship nonprofit leadership development program.
RESULTS
  • Created a training module on DEI for over 80 nonprofit CEOs and Board Chairs
  • Expanded organization’s Nonprofit Capacity Building trainings to permanently include DEI and Implicit Bias modules

Comic Relief/Red Nose Day Annual Grantee Convenings

What we did
Designed DEI workshops for annual convenings for domestic and international partners.
RESULTS
  • Led to the launch of organization’s first demographic data collection process
  • Provided workshops for 20 partner organizations

Why It Matters

We use the power of data and analysis to help foundations understand the whole story about the communities they support. These insights illuminate the current impact of their investments and bring to light areas for growth and strategy.

Fragmented Data Problem

Fragmented Data Problem

Foundations contribute to the fragmented data problem, but can help solve it by aligning on queries, minimizing non-essential requests, and strengthening the field-wide data ecosystem so that social sector efforts, researchers, as well as funders can benefit from good data.

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Demographics Tell the Full Story

Data Can Tell the Full Story

Data Can Tell the Full Story

Having disaggregated data on key demographics can highlight areas for improvement, even for good programs. E.g., a program intended for all veterans, might be designed without a clear understanding of how those strategies land differently across gender. By collecting and analyzing disaggregated demographics, changes can be made to increase overall satisfaction and impact.

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