Six steps to developing an effective funder collaboration

Our funder collaboration toolkit was designed based on discussions with a wide range of funder collaborations and research into the ingredients of what makes funder collaboration effective.

The toolkit is structured around the key steps that effective funder collaborations commonly take and the activities that can help at each stage of their development.

This blog explores six key steps that will help you to lay the foundations for your funder collaboration, build its structure and steward its progress.  It will help you to choose the most appropriate tools to use – whether you’re just starting out or you’re already leading an established funder collaboration.

Laying the foundations

Step 1: find out what other funders are doing

If you’re just starting to think about the possibility of collaborating with other funders, one of the most important starting points is to understand what other funders are already doing. Who do you share common areas of focus with? Who else might be thinking about some of the same challenges that you want to address?

At this stage you might want to:

• Scan the funding landscape or ‘system’ that you are part of, to see what is already happening
• Clarify the questions that you are interesting in exploring with other funders
• Speak to some existing contacts to test your ideas or better understand needs
• Understand what good funder collaboration looks like and where to start.

Tools and resources that can help if you’re at this stage include:

• Explore the Funders Collaborative Hub to find out whether funders are already collaborating in your area of interest and how you can connect with them
• Use The Advantage Articulator (either on your own or with a group) to clarify the case for collaboration
• Use The Landscape Mapper to find out what other funders are doing and develop a list of potential partners
• Browse our funder collaboration case studies for inspiration about how funders can achieve more together. 

Step 2: get other funders involved

You’ve got a reasonably good understanding of the landscape and you think there’s potentially a good case for collaboration. Your next challenge is to find the right people to work with.

At this stage you might:

• Speak to contacts in your existing networks
• Reach out beyond your existing networks (which could include other stakeholders as well as funders)
• Put out a call on social media
• Introduce yourself to potential collaborators by email
• Find a core group of partners to lead the development of your collaboration
• Hold an informal event or drop-in sessions.

Tools and resources that can help if you’re at this stage include:

• Share what you’re working on by adding a collaboration opportunity on the Funders Collaborative Hub
• Use The Engagement Pack to reach out beyond your existing networks.

Building the structure

Step 3: agree shared goals and ways of working

You’ve found a group of people whose interests overlap with yours and you’re ready to start collaborating. How can you get things off to a strong start and give your collaboration the best chances of success?

Some of the things you might do at this stage include:

• Hold a workshop to develop a shared vision and purpose for the collaboration
• Hold a workshop to define what success looks like and agree how you will achieve your shared goals
• Clarify roles, responsibilities and expectations, such as who will lead on key aspects of the collaboration
• Get commitments from partners to provide any resources needed to progress the collaboration (such as time, money, expertise, networks, data or influence).
• Develop a set of shared values and ways of working for the collaboration
• Build trust and understanding between partners, surfacing and addressing any areas of disagreement or misalignment early on.

Tools that can help at this stage include:

• Use The Meeting Planner to make the best use of your first meetings together
• Use The Purpose Crafter to develop a shared purpose for your collaboration and define its scope
• Use The Role Definer to clarify roles and responsibilities within the collaboration.

Step 4: plan ahead

Funder collaborations can be very informal or highly structured. Either way, it’s usually helpful to set out some plans and agreements in writing, to guide your work as it gets underway.

Activities you might do at this stage include:

• Develop a forward plan of collaboration meetings
• Write a work plan or list of key activities that will contribute to your shared goals
• Set up a way for the group to communicate, like an email group or Slack channel
• Develop a communications and engagement plan to share what you are doing more widely or get others involved
• Agree on an exit plan to provide clarity on what will happen if any members leave the group, or when to end the collaboration completely
• Agree the most suitable governance structure for your collaboration
• Write up any important aspects of your collaboration (such as its purpose, goals, membership, ways of working, how you will make decisions) into a structured document such as Terms of Reference or a Memorandum of Understanding.

Use our Template Agreement to help you develop a bespoke form of agreement that is suitable for your collaboration.

Stewarding the collaboration