Assume Collaboration: Philanthropic Opportunities for Aggregating Impact

This conversation engaged philanthropic leaders working at the national, state and local levels and practitioners from leading early childhood organizations in a discussion exploring the importance of cross-sector, cross-program collaboration and the roles that funders can play in fostering collaboration. 

Presenters included:

• Brenda Blasingame, Program Officer, Pritzker Children’s Initiative, J.B. and M.K. Pritzker Family Foundation 
• Rebecca Cisek, Ed.D., Vice President, Organizational Learning and Effectiveness, Bainum Family Foundation 
• Celine Coggins, Ph.D., Executive Director, Grantmakers for Education 
• Katherine Correll, Principal, Philanthropic Partnerships, LENA 
• Anu Malipatil, Vice President, Education, Overdeck Family Foundation 
• Sarah McBroom, Equity Officer, Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation 
• Natalie Tackitt, NC HealthySteps Coordinator, ZERO TO THREE 

Coggins provided a macro-level view of the ways in which funders are tilting increasingly toward collaboration and described how funders are responding to the challenges posed by the pandemic. The four funders then drilled down, offering concrete examples of the ways in which they are creating connections among grantees; providing long-term, flexible funding that includes staffing required for convening and collaborating; promoting peer sharing and problem solving; and utilizing a human-centered design approach where residents and service providers craft the strategies and solutions. They stressed that relationship building is not a linear process and that collaboration involves “time, trust and turf”.

Correll and Tackitt described how their organizations are engaged in collaborations at both the local and national levels and offered advice to funders for fostering collaboration among nonprofit programs that might feel competition for the resources needed to sustain and grow their programs. Tackitt explained how Ready for School, Ready for Life, a collaborative effort in Guilford County, North Carolina, is engaging cross-sector partners to support young children. Correll reflected on the dynamics of national organizations partnering with local organizations and highlighted the ways in which national, state and local funders can help pave the way for strong partnerships across those geographies. 

Even before the pandemic, it was clear that intentional and effective collaboration would be required to achieve bigger, better outcomes that are both scalable and sustainable for children experiencing economic disadvantage. The panelists in this session provided an array of critical insights about fostering and maintaining collaboration. If you missed this dynamic conversation, we encourage you to watch the recording, found in the archived materials linked below.