Amid the compounded crises of COVID-19 and the long-standing structural inequities and racism the pandemic is exacerbating, the myriad calls for funders to make fundamental changes in how they approach their work have grown in number and intensity. How are foundations responding to 2020’s unprecedented challenges? What high-level changes in practice are they making — and will these changes be for the long term?

CEP turned to foundation leaders for answers to these pressing questions. Findings from these reports are based on survey data gathered from 236 foundations — 170 of which signed the Council on Foundations’ pledge to act urgently in response to COVID-19, and 66 of which had not — as well as in-depth interviews with leaders of 41 foundations that signed the pledge. (All data was collected in July and August 2020.)