Overview of the Study Design

The retrospective survey was conducted among a sample of 173 FBCOs served by nine of the 21 CCF
intermediaries funded during the FY 2002 grant cycle. All of the FBCOs were recipients of a subaward
(financial assistance) from the intermediaries during calendar year 2003. The survey was
distributed and returned by mail with follow-up of non-respondents conducted by telephone. This
data collection methodology resulted in 125 completed surveys for a response rate of 72%. The
survey was conducted during February and March of 2006, which was approximately three and onehalf
years after the award of the CCF grant to the intermediaries.

Limitations to the Study

Readers should be cautioned that the study results are based on self-reported information provided by
a limited sample of FBCOs. In addition, the study does not include any type of comparison or control
group, which precludes the conclusive attribution of results or changes to the assistance provided
through the CCF program.

Profile of Survey Respondents

Among the 125 FBCOs completing the survey, 53% of the organizations indicated they were faithbased
and 47% were secular organizations. The FBCOs that responded to the survey are
programmatically quite diverse, with nearly half (47%) reporting that they provide services in
multiple (more than two) social service areas. The most commonly reported areas of programming
were services to at-risk children and youth (47%), education and training (41%), and health services
(31%). While these three areas were a prominent focus of many organizations, the FBCOs
participating in the survey addressed a broad range of at-risk and hard-to-serve populations including
the homeless, prisoners re-entering the community, addicts, immigrants, the elderly, and the disabled
as well as those seeking marriage education services.

Overview of Findings

As noted, all organizations selected for the survey received financial assistance in the form of a subaward
from their CCF-funded intermediary. Approximately half (47%) of the sub-awards were
between $10,000 and $25,000 over the course of a year. Only one in five FBCOs (21%) received a
sub-award in excess of $25,000. Almost all of the FBCOs (91%) reported that the financial assistance
was coupled with one-on-one customized technical assistance and/or group training or workshops
provided by the CCF intermediary.

The study was designed to gather insight into the extent to which FBCOs perceived that CCF support
was beneficial in strengthening their financial, organizational, and service delivery capacity. A set of
summary questions provides an overview of FBCOs’ perceptions of the extent to which intermediary
support “made a positive difference.”