Change Philanthropy’s Diversity Among Philanthropic Professionals Survey
For 2024, CNJG will help promote Change Philanthropy’s Diversity Among Philanthropic Professionals survey. This differs from CNJG’s own demographics survey that we just completed in 2023. While ours asked one person to complete the demographic profile, Change works with organizations to have staff and board self complete the survey resulting in more accurate results as it’s anonymous. It’s a better way for individuals to relay their identities. Then Change also is working to share this data right with Candid for their Demographics Via Candid project, which Craig/CNJG were considering deferring the demographic survey to in 2026. DAPP is done every two years, so the next time this will be done will be in 2026 when CNJG is scheduled to do our benefits survey again.
CNJG encourages our members to participate and complete CHANGE Philanthropy’s 2024 Diversity Among Philanthropic Professionals (DAPP) survey.
How do I/my organization participate?
Only grantmaking institutions can sign-up. This survey is designed to specifically assess foundations, grantmaking institutions or intermediaries whose primary work (over 75%) is dedicated to grantmaking. Individuals, consulting firms, or nonprofits who don’t primarily award funding are not eligible to participate.
Each participating foundation commits to sending a brief survey link to their staff and board. The survey is completely anonymous and confidential so no single respondent will ever be identified. Participating foundations will receive survey dissemination instructions, communications templates, and an organizational specific dashboard.
Sign up for the 2024 DAPP here.
What is the DAPP?
The DAPP Survey and Report aims to help the philanthropic community better understand its workforce and leadership. While grantmakers have a number of resources to assess what issues, geographic areas, and populations are being supported by grant dollars, there is far less data on who works in the field of philanthropy.
The DAPP report is a landmark tool for analyzing the philanthropic sector’s ongoing commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts, helping grantmakers accurately assess the culture and climate of their institutions, and provides a temperature gauge for progress toward a more inclusive sector.
About the DAPP
The DAPP is unique in that it solicits anonymous, self-reported information directly from individuals working in philanthropy. The Reception of Identity Index (RII) is a first-of-its-kind form of sentiment analysis that provides insight into the feelings and experiences of survey participants related to their institution’s response to various identity factors. The seven-minute survey allows respondents to self-identify their race, national origin, age, gender expression, sexual orientation, and disability status, and perception of safety, well-being, and happiness in their workplace.
SMU DataArts’ online platform and proprietary survey protect the data of individuals while collecting detailed information. In addition, respondents may choose to skip any question in the survey. SMU DataArts will create a workforce report for each institution that receives enough survey responses to meet a statistically significant response threshold.
How does this differ from CNJG’s demographic survey that we completed last year as part of the benefits survey?
The DAPP’s data is collected through self-reported means, unlike CNJG’s data (which is still a good, valid, and valuable data set) that was reported by one person at the organization. The DAPP also collects different and valuable information, including the Reception of Identity index. Depending on how many CNJG members we can get this year to complete the DAPP survey, CNJG may discontinue our demographic survey, which has been part of our Benefits Survey, and rely on the DAPP going forward.
Who is CHANGE Philanthropy?
CHANGE Philanthropy is a coalition of philanthropy-supporting organizations working together to strengthen bridges across funders and communities. CHANGE Philanthropy is transforming philanthropy from within by building knowledge, fostering diversity, and creating connections. CHANGE Philanthropy and CNJG are both members of the United Philanthropy Forum, a network of nearly 100 philanthropy-supporting organizations.
Participation and Benefits
• Participating grantmakers commit to sending a brief survey link to their staff and board. The survey is completely anonymous and confidential so no single respondent will ever be identified.
• Participating foundations will receive survey dissemination instructions, communications templates, and an organizational specific dashboard.
• Participating in this study can help your organization better understand the diverse makeup of your staff, board, and volunteers to remain relevant to and representative of our changing society.
• If you have ten or more staff and board participating and reach statistical significance to meet SMU DataArts’ threshold for anonymity, you qualify for a free aggregate summary of the demographics of your institution.
• As with previous DAPP surveys and reports, individual responses are completely anonymous and confidential. The findings will only ever be reported on in aggregate form.
• The report includes recommendations from the CHANGE partner organizations on how to support your staff and deepen connections to communities.
• Drawing on the aggregate findings, CHANGE Philanthropy will produce a series of reports and infographics on the demographics of the philanthropic workforce.
• If CNJG members (and nonmembers) help recruit 500 individual survey participants (staff and board) from New Jersey, CHANGE Philanthropy will provide CNJG will a detailed infographic of findings in the state.
Important Dates
• 2024 DAPP Recruitment Period January 10 - March 15
• 2024 DAPP Survey Period April 14 - May 24
• 2024 DAPP Reports Quarter 4, 2024
Important Links
• DAPP Landing Page
• DAPP Mailing List Sign Up
• Frequently Asked Questions About the DAPP
• DAPP 2022 Report
• DAPP 2020 Report
• DAPP 2018 Report
For any questions, please contact Craig Weinrich, CNJG’s Director of Member Services, or email Tenaja Jordan, Research and Communications Director, CHANGE Philanthropy.