This blog contains ten top tips for people who are leading or facilitating a funder collaboration.
These tips were originally developed as part of our funder collaboration toolkit. They came about through discussions with a range of UK-based funders about their experiences of working in collaboration, and informed by wider research and learning about what makes collaborations effective.
1. Have a dedicated ‘collaboration steward’
Most types of funder collaborations will need someone who is responsible for stewarding, cultivating, facilitating and organising the collaboration. Agree what kind of commitment is appropriate for your collaboration, but don’t underestimate the time this role will take.
2. Know your partners
Take the time to develop strong working relationships with each member of your collaboration, learn what’s most important to each of them and what their own personal and organisational motivations and pressures are. Work with that knowledge in mind.
3. Facilitate continuous and open communication
Have a clear communication plan in place and agree on the right channels to keep in touch and engage with each other outside of meetings.
4. Invest in your time together
Make sure you meet regularly and invest plenty of time in preparing for your group meetings. Engage each partner and the group as a whole about what to focus on. Don’t be afraid to ask each other to do things between meetings and hold each other accountable. Set up smaller working groups for specific tasks to make the most of your time spent together.
5. Celebrate tangible examples of progress
Keeping up momentum for the duration of your collaboration can be difficult and there will naturally be periods where energy and engagement ebb. Sharing and celebrating small but tangible wins can help keep everyone motivated.
Don’t be afraid to challenge and surface potential points of disagreement.
6. Create a learning environment
Build in periodic opportunities to review your work and identify areas for improvement. Revisit your shared aims and goals together as often as possible to check if they are still relevant and appropriate. And don’t be afraid to challenge and surface potential points of disagreement.
7. Create a sense of shared ownership
Be conscious of power dynamics within the group, especially in situations where different financial contributions have been made. Be explicit early on about how you will address any power imbalances and create a space that enables all voices to be heard, allowing each partner in the collaboration to feel equally valued and involved.
8. Bring in new voices and perspectives
Always ask who is missing (such as other funders or wider stakeholders in your work), what additional experience and expertise could the group benefit from, and how might you bring in new voices and perspectives, for example through co-design sessions or presentations from subject matter experts.
9. Provide an orientation plan for new partners
If you have new members joining an established group, make sure they have a clear understanding of the collaboration, how it works, what is expected of them and any different ways that they can contribute.
10. Be patient (and determined)
Cultivating a community or group where each partner feels trust and ownership is challenging, and will often take more time and effort than you planned for. Give yourself and the group enough time to develop relationships and work through important details and questions together.
In more depth
Browse our collection of funder collaboration case studies to explore more in-depth learning from experienced collaboration leaders.
