At the California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF), we strive to foster a culture of inquiry. While this often involves evaluating the outcomes of individual grants and initiatives, we are also committed to assessing our programs and the foundation as a whole. In the spirit of continuous improvement, we reflect on lessons we have learned, share the results with others, and integrate that learning into future grantmaking.
Foundation-Wide Assessment
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Grantmaking Review. This annual overview tracks a number of measures related to the distribution of payout over the prior fiscal year. Download the analysis for fiscal years 2008-09, 2009-10, and 2010-11 (PDF).
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Grantee Perception Report. In 2009, CHCF commissioned our first Grantee Perception Report from the Center for Effective Philanthropy to assess how our grantees view the foundation and their experience in working with our staff. See highlights of the results and our response as well as a follow-up report on improving communication with grantees.
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Measuring Foundation Performance: Examples from the Field. To assist with development of foundation-wide assessment, CHCF commissioned a report from Putnam Community Investment Consulting. See the report.
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President's Perspective. CHCF President and CEO Mark D. Smith reflects on the foundation's successes and failures in areas where market interest and public interest converge. Read the complete interview with Dr. Smith in the February 2010 issue of Health Affairs.
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On Risk. As part of their overall strategic deliberations, all foundations must at some point tackle a fundamental question: How much risk are we willing to take? Dr. Smith considers the question in an essay for Grantmakers in Health.
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Automating Workflow. This report and companion essay describe how CHCF completed an assessment of its grantmaking processes and replaced outmoded procedures for documenting and tracking grants with a fully integrated, web-based system. Read No More Paper Chase.
Program Assessment
To help with ongoing evaluation of our work, each of CHCF's programs has defined specific objectives and outlined strategies. Details regarding key projects, accomplishments, and next steps are also available. See:
Project Evaluations
CHCF commissions independent evaluations of key projects when there are opportunities to learn, contribute to the field, or inform our grantmaking. The results of CHCF-funded evaluations are shared publicly as part of our commitment to assessment, learning, and transparency. See the list of projects with completed evaluations.
Feedback
CHCF welcomes ongoing comments and suggestions to improve our performance; please contact our
Research & Evaluation
team with your thoughts.