Mosaics of generosity
Generosity is a universal human impulse, and like-minded givers have long found ways to come together to achieve shared goals. But there is nothing natural about giving effectively at a large scale or ensuring resources are directed where they are needed most.
Collaborative funds are philanthropic organizations that bring givers together, supply deep subject matter expertise, and channel resources to the people and nonprofits best positioned to accelerate progress on complex, systemic issues such as poverty, climate change, racial equity, and global health.
Collaboratives are among the fastest growing segments of philanthropy. Through research commissioned by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Bridgespan Group identified more than 400 collaborative giving platforms in 2022, with more than half of them formed since 2010. Most are based in the US and Europe although they are also increasingly popular in India, parts of Africa, and elsewhere.
Collaborative funds take a range of approaches that evolve based on the needs of communities and the donors who support them. Most collaboratives follow one of three models:
- Issue-focused: This model targets specific topics or objectives, such as improving maternal health or combating climate change, and directs philanthropic dollars toward promising solutions.
- Curated: This model draws on strong networks and deep subject-matter expertise to identify high-impact funding opportunities. The collaboratives curate those options based on their strategic fit with donors’ passions and interests.
- Competition-based: Several popular collaborative funds hold competitions among social innovators and community-based organizations as a way to identify and fund promising solutions to pressing issues.
Collaborative funds take many forms and focus their giving on a range of issues. What they have in common is a collective purpose to address the needs of the individuals, communities, and nonprofits on the front lines of social issues.
Recent research identified hundreds of collaboratives that have collectively channeled more than US$20 billion to social causes, from ending neglected tropical diseases and childhood poverty, to advancing gender equality—and noted their capacity to do much more.
For grantees, collaboratives can open doors to new funding opportunities, reduce dependency on a single large donor, and streamline reporting processes by reducing the need to report results separately to multiple individual funders.
For donors, collaboratives provide the opportunity to learn from other givers, engage with trusted experts, and support high impact organizations ranging from intergenerational movement organizers to social innovators on the cusp of the next breakthrough.
The specialized knowledge, skills, and relationships that collaboratives possess enable them to bring donor attention to community leaders and organizations that they might not otherwise encounter.
How do collaboratives advance equity?
In a 2022 survey of collaborative leaders, the most frequently cited focus areas were gender equity and racial and ethnic justice. Over 70% of funds described racial and ethnic equity or gender equity as a “core” or “intentional” focus of their work.
That emphasis is also reflected in the diversity of leaders and staff at collaboratives. Collaboratives are far more likely to have leaders of color than traditional philanthropic organizations, with 58% of individuals in the top role identifying as a person of color. These funds are also more likely to be led by women or gender non-binary individuals.
Who gives through collaboratives?
