Dear Partners,

On behalf of Oak Foundation Trustees and staff, I thank you for taking the time to complete our first Grantee Perception Survey (GPS), which was conducted by the Center for Effective Philanthropy last July. We analysed the results of the GPS carefully during a recent Global Staff Retreat, in which our Trustees participated. Over the next three months, we will explore in more depth the implications of the GPS and develop a plan to build upon and improve the way we work.

In the meantime, we want you to know that we appreciate your input and suggestions. A few of the messages that came through in the results include:

1. our application and selection process is helpful but time-consuming and sometimes slow;
2. we build solid relationships with partners and are responsive to needs and problems throughout the grant period, but our communication needs to be clearer and more consistent;
3. we are appreciated for our knowledge of and expertise in the fields that we work and for our understanding of the problems that partners face in difficult situations and contexts but there is a feeling that we could do more to strengthen the sustainability of the organizations that we support; and
4. our partners would like more contact with us and would welcome further engagement, e.g., through assistance “beyond the grant check”.

During the course of the next few months, we will be consulting on a number of the areas mentioned above and will consider how we can streamline our processes, address issues related to sustainability and enhance our interaction with individual partners as well as coalitions and networks in our programme areas. We hope to have a range of follow up measures in place by mid-2012.

For more information, please read the full results of the Grantee Perception Survey.

Thank you again for your inputs. We look forward to continued collaboration in the years ahead.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Cravero

President