# The Center for Effective Philanthropy

> organization

**Wikidata**: [Q7721889](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7721889)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Center_for_Effective_Philanthropy)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/the-center-for-effective-philanthropy

## Summary
The Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) is a U.S.-based nonprofit research institute focused on the study of philanthropy. Founded in 2000 and headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, CEP conducts research, publishes findings, and maintains online resources (cep.org) and social channels to inform philanthropic practice.

## Key Facts
- Founded in 2000; founded_by: Michael Porter.  
- Legal form: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; IRS EIN: 04-3523528.  
- Headquarters: Cambridge, Massachusetts (coordinates: 42.2225, -71.0638).  
- Primary field_of_work: philanthropy; instance_of: nonprofit organization and research institute.  
- Official website (preferred): https://cep.org/; legacy/alternate sites: http://www.effectivephilanthropy.org, effectivephilanthropy.org, effectivephilanthropy.com.  
- ROR ID: 04ngqe873; GRID ID: grid.474976.f; Freebase ID: /m/06w3b2m.  
- Revenue (selected years): $6,250,956 (2011); $9,620,043 (2012); $4,989,011 (2013); $6,031,978 (2014); $7,555,344 (2015); $6,306,786 (2016); $9,451,015 (2017); $8,893,532 (2018); $13,719,145 (2022); $13,668,584 (2023).  
- Donations (selected years): $2,227,983 (2011); $6,410,285 (2012); $2,631,618 (2013); $3,689,584 (2014); $4,629,649 (2015); $3,296,607 (2016); $5,399,015 (2017); $4,895,518 (2018); $6,662,528 (2022); $5,200,916 (2023).  
- Total assets (selected years): $5,213,033 (2011); $8,068,151 (2012); $6,142,303 (2013); $6,661,523 (2014); $7,077,042 (2015); $6,206,643 (2016); $7,570,025 (2017); $8,302,553 (2018); $22,093,437 (2022); $22,242,124 (2023).  
- Memberships: Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (institutional member, noted 2022-06); United Philanthropy Forum; Independent Sector.  
- Social and media identifiers: Twitter handle CEPData; YouTube handle effectivephilanthropy (channel ID UCQxIcUPO-toiE0TRp78QBOg); LinkedIn: the-center-for-effective-philanthropy.  
- Official blog URL: https://cep.org/blog/.

## FAQs
### Q: What is The Center for Effective Philanthropy?
A: The Center for Effective Philanthropy is a U.S.-based nonprofit research institute that studies philanthropy. It was founded in 2000 and publishes research and resources for philanthropic organizations.

### Q: Who founded CEP?
A: CEP was founded by Michael Porter; its inception year is 2000.

### Q: Where is CEP headquartered?
A: CEP is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts (latitude 42.2225, longitude -71.0638).

### Q: How is CEP organized legally and funded?
A: CEP is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (EIN 04-3523528). Its reported revenue and donations have been publicly recorded for multiple years, including revenues of about $13.7 million in 2022 and $13.7 million in 2023 and donations of about $6.7 million in 2022 and $5.2 million in 2023.

### Q: How can I access CEP’s publications and updates?
A: CEP’s primary website is https://cep.org/, and it maintains a blog at https://cep.org/blog/. It also publishes content via social channels (Twitter: CEPData; YouTube: effectivephilanthropy).

## Why It Matters
The Center for Effective Philanthropy occupies a focused niche as a research institute dedicated to philanthropy. By collecting data, conducting research, and publishing findings, CEP provides evidence and analytical resources that can inform how foundations, grantmakers, and philanthropic practitioners design strategy, assess performance, and make funding decisions. Its longevity (founded in 2000), organizational scale (reported multi-million-dollar revenues and assets), and institutional memberships in sector networks position it as a recognizable actor within the philanthropic infrastructure. CEP’s web and social channels extend its reach, making research outputs accessible to practitioners and stakeholders. For funders and nonprofit leaders seeking empirical input on effectiveness, governance, and performance, CEP offers a centralized source of sector-specific research and tools. Its role matters because improved information can influence allocation decisions and organizational practices across the philanthropic field.

## Notable For
- Being founded in 2000 and established as a dedicated research institute focused on philanthropy.  
- Operating as a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit with public financial records documenting multi-year revenue, donation, and asset totals.  
- Headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with an established online presence (cep.org) and active social channels (Twitter: CEPData; YouTube: effectivephilanthropy).  
- Membership in sector organizations such as Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy, United Philanthropy Forum, and Independent Sector.

## Body

### Overview
- The Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP) is a nonprofit research institute focused on philanthropy.  
- It was founded in 2000.  
- The organization operates primarily from Cambridge, Massachusetts.

### Founding and Leadership
- Founded_by: Michael Porter.  
- Inception year: 2000.

### Legal and Organizational Details
- Legal form: 501(c)(3) organization.  
- IRS Employer Identification Number (EIN): 04-3523528.  
- Instance_of: nonprofit organization and research institute.  
- Field_of_work: philanthropy.

### Location and Identifiers
- Headquarters: Cambridge, Massachusetts (coordinates: 42.2225, -71.0638).  
- ROR ID: 04ngqe873.  
- GRID ID: grid.474976.f.  
- Freebase ID: /m/06w3b2m.

### Financials (selected years)
- Revenue:  
  - 2011: $6,250,956  
  - 2012: $9,620,043  
  - 2013: $4,989,011  
  - 2014: $6,031,978  
  - 2015: $7,555,344  
  - 2016: $6,306,786  
  - 2017: $9,451,015  
  - 2018: $8,893,532  
  - 2022: $13,719,145  
  - 2023: $13,668,584
- Donations:  
  - 2011: $2,227,983  
  - 2012: $6,410,285  
  - 2013: $2,631,618  
  - 2014: $3,689,584  
  - 2015: $4,629,649  
  - 2016: $3,296,607  
  - 2017: $5,399,015  
  - 2018: $4,895,518  
  - 2022: $6,662,528  
  - 2023: $5,200,916
- Total assets:  
  - 2011: $5,213,033  
  - 2012: $8,068,151  
  - 2013: $6,142,303  
  - 2014: $6,661,523  
  - 2015: $7,077,042  
  - 2016: $6,206,643  
  - 2017: $7,570,025  
  - 2018: $8,302,553  
  - 2022: $22,093,437  
  - 2023: $22,242,124

### Memberships and Partnerships
- Member of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (noted as institutional member in 2022).  
- Member of United Philanthropy Forum.  
- Member of Independent Sector.

### Online Presence and Media
- Preferred website: https://cep.org/.  
- Official blog: https://cep.org/blog/.  
- Twitter handle: CEPData (active since at least 2009-06-03).  
- YouTube handle: effectivephilanthropy; channel ID: UCQxIcUPO-toiE0TRp78QBOg (active since at least 2009-07-31).  
- LinkedIn: the-center-for-effective-philanthropy.  
- Recorded social media follower counts: ~26,049 (2021-01-01), ~29,367 (2022-01-08), ~30,725 (2023-02-06) for the Twitter handle identified.

### Publications and Outputs
- CEP maintains an official blog at /blog/ on its primary website.  
- The organization’s web presence and social channels are used to disseminate research and information (site: cep.org).

### Catalog and Authority Records
- LibraryThing author ID: centerforeffectiveph.  
- InfluenceWatch identifier: non-profit/center-for-effective-philanthropy.

(End of entry.)

## References

1. [Source](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/43523528)
2. [Source](https://cof.org/page/philanthropic-infrastructure)
3. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20010804120125/http://effectivephilanthropy.org/about/founders.htm)
4. [Source](https://www.epip.org/institutional_members)
5. [Source](https://www.unitedphilforum.org/directory)
6. [Source](https://independentsector.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/March-2025-Member-List.pdf)
7. [Source](https://philanthropynewsdigest.org/features/nonprofit-spotlight/center-for-effective-philanthropy)
8. [Source](https://web.archive.org/web/20010806014112/http://effectivephilanthropy.org/publications/pressreleases/00_06_22_reorganized.htm)
9. Google Knowledge Graph
10. [Home-CEP2023 - The Center for Effective Philanthropy](https://cep.org/)
11. [Source](https://cep.org/)
12. [Nonprofit Explorer](https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/43523528)
13. Nonprofit Explorer
14. GRID Release 2017-04-04
15. [(19) Center for Effective Philanthropy: Overview | LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-center-for-effective-philanthropy/)
16. YouTube API