What Makes Collaborative Funds Powerful—Lessons from the Field and Tools for Putting It to Work
Authors: Jessica Robinson Love, Nikki Zarkh
We're proud to share The Collaborative Effect: Grantee Perspectives on How Collaborative Funds Work Best, a sector-wide study co-led by ViaNova with Redstone Strategy Group and Philanthropy Together, with support from the Hewlett Foundation.
Collaborative funds have become an increasingly prominent vehicle in philanthropy—but surprisingly little research has examined how they actually work from the perspective of the organizations they serve. This study set out to change that.
What the Research Involved
Over the course of a year, 22 collaborative funds and 647 grantees participated in the research. Drawing on one of the largest grantee datasets of its kind—combined with focus groups and in-depth interviews—the report takes a close look at what enables collaborative funds to build trust, strengthen alignment, and deepen their impact with grantees.
The findings illuminate the design choices and day-to-day practices that help collaboratives punch above their weight: shared-power governance, responsive communication, right-sized operations, and authentic proximity to the communities they serve. For practitioners in this space, much of it will resonate—and some of it may challenge assumptions worth revisiting.
Two Toolkits to Translate Research into Practice
Good research is only as useful as what you do with it. Alongside the report, we developed two companion toolkits—one for funders and one for collaborative funds—tailored to the distinct needs and vantage points of each audience. Both work through the same set of practical prompts organized around the Collaborative Cycle:
Ask conversation starters for due diligence and relationship-building calls
Look for specific indicators of strong practice, drawn directly from the research
Reflect on questions to consider about your own values, goals, and practices
Act on concrete behaviors and approaches that can reinforce and strengthen collaborative work
They’re practical by design—the kind of resource you can bring into a meeting or return to across different stages of a relationship.
Read the Report
You can download the full report from Philanthropy Together’s website. We’d love to hear what resonates with you—and if you’re thinking through how any of this applies to your own work, we’re always glad to talk.
