The effectiveness of codes always depends on the degree to which they are enforced by the leadership of an organization. The Council on Foundations has a special responsibility for providing leadership on the matter of strengthening donor-grantee relationships, because, by virtue of their money and perceived power, foundations are in fact the senior partner in the philanthropic partnership. Just as some universities have practitioners in residence for a year, foundations could do the same. Bringing on a experienced nonprofit representative could help the foundation enhance its understanding of a particular field, gain new perspectives about the grantee community, improve its grantmaking process by making it more sensitive to grantee needs and provide an occasion for grantees to get a better understanding of philanthropy. Many program officers could also benefit by the opportunity of spending time working at grantee organizations.
Sabbaticals remain rare in both the nonprofit and foundation worlds.
They should be widely introduced. Evaluations of grantees are a trendy topic. A few, including the Kellogg and David and Lucile Packard foundations and the French American Charitable Trust, have hired consultants and sent questionnaires to grantees. This is a positive beginning. But many more foundations need to undergo evaluations, and nonprofit representatives could play a much bigger role in such assessments, including being part of outside evaluation teams.