ICYMI: The role of collaboratives when the world needs them most

Mark Suzman, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Foundation, lifts up collaborative giving in his latest Annual Letter
The role of collaboratives

In case you missed it, last month our CEO Mark Suzman’s Annual Letter lifted up the power and potential of collaborative funds! As the foundation's lead on collaborative philanthropy, I was particularly excited to see this strong endorsement for collaborative funds be circulated to thousands of readers.

Focused on the critical role of philanthropy at a time of great need around the world, the letter highlighted the importance of collaborative funds in the philanthropic ecosystem. It lifted up specific collaborative funds as innovative models of large-scale giving, and also featured the Skoll Foundation, another foundation that sees the strong value of collaboratives for their programmatic work and for the sector. 

Here are some of my favorite bits from the letter:

“There’s so much generosity in the world. And there are more resources than ever before to help philanthropists translate their generosity into impact, from donor collaboratives—also referred to as collaborative funds—to new models of large-scale giving.”


“Seventy percent of collaboratives report explicitly prioritizing gender or racial equity. Some are issue-specific, like the END Fund, which is focused on eliminating neglected tropical diseases, or the Co-Impact Gender Fund, which supports women’s leadership. Others help specific communities. Anamaya focuses on the health and nutrition of tribal communities in India. Blue Meridian Partners looks to scale solutions that expand opportunity for people living in poverty in the United States and has raised $4.5 billion since its inception.”


“I’m excited by the work of collaborative funds…which help donors increase their impact and ensure they don’t have to navigate the journey alone.”


After the letter was released to rave reviews, Suzman also penned an op-ed in the Chronicle of Philanthropy that lifted up collaborative funds even more explicitly.

I encourage you to read the full letter and op-ed, and lift up the impactful work of collaboratives within your own networks today!