Partnerships & Collaboration
Collaboration is an effective way for foundations to increase their impact and engage a broader audience on a key issue. Whether your foundation partners with private sector, government, or even another foundation, philanthropy is uniquely positioned to fuel innovative strategies and improve alignment of investments to enhance collective impact around a shared mission.
Publication, Research
In September 2023, a group of 15 foundations joined 20 bilateral donors in signing a Donor Statement committing to advancing locally led development. After recent global shifts in foreign assistance and the dismantling of USAID, the Council on Foundations wanted to understand how philanthropy has…
Fundamentals
Foundations have been partnering with USAID in a variety of ways to advance locally led development, and below are how some of those partnerships are being executed. For member foundations interested in working with USAID on their own locally led development initiatives, Council on Foundations…
The Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy recently completed a study on American attitudes and knowledge about philanthropy. The findings, in short: Americans have favorable impressions of charitable giving and nonprofits, but many are unfamiliar with the sector itself,…
Recording
View the Slides
Community Foundations around the country recognize that they must deploy capital beyond financial assets to improve their regions. At the same time, our community leadership has grown frustrated by the pace of change. Most of these leaders have come to understand that…
Webinar Recording: National Trust for Historic Preservation: African American Cultural Heritage Fund
Recording
The events in Charlottesville and the subsequent debates regarding the treatment of monuments and memorials to Confederate leaders and heroes has contributed to further divisions within our society. Many of our communities are grappling with these issues and seeking ways to bridge the…
Publication
The report explores the ways in which infrastructure organizations think about the value and the mechanics of collaboration—the drivers and barriers to collaborative work—and determine ways to encourage more effective partnerships. The publication features a framework for understanding…
External Resource
Collective action is an effective way for nonprofits to increase their impact, but they often lack the key capacities that enable these types of partnerships to thrive. This publication from Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO) offers insights on the core capacities nonprofits need to…
Publication
The challenges of the recent financial downturn have inspired many community foundations to find new paths to business model innovation. Alliances, affiliations, and mergers offer one path to “shared success.” Seeking shared success with other community foundations is one intriguing way to innovate…