By Sara Beggs, Exponent Philanthropy

Whether across sectors or among funders, collaboration is increasingly touted as a way to achieve impact. But what makes a collaboration successful? Is it a practical strategy for funders with few or no staff?

For insights, I talked with Exponent Philanthropy member Liz Sak, executive director of The Cricket Island Foundation. Liz initiated and participates in several funder collaboratives and uses nonprofit collaboration as a key strategy to affect change in the field of youth development.

What are the ways you use collaboration to achieve your mission?

Liz: We use it to learn about youth development, influence other funders with regard to practices and grantees, and build opportunities for nonprofits to collaborate together.

What were your first steps in creating a funder collaborative? 

Liz: We first invited individual organizations and groups of organizations to the foundation to educate us about the field of youth development. We also met with funders and other key stakeholders, relying on each connection to lead to another. The meetings were about listening and being open, and the collaboration developed organically out of these conversations.

What drew other funders to the collaborative? Did you have a clear vision that attracted others, or did the group create a shared one? 

Liz: I think one of the most critical elements of a collaborative, at least at the beginning, is providing space for partners to participate in shaping the work. It is important that all partners come in with a shared big picture goal and a general sense of the path to achieve it, and then work together to flesh out the specifics. When we have joined an existing collaborative, we entered knowing we share its broad goal, and we worked collectively to figure out what that means in terms of grantmaking and strategy. When we have initiated things on our own, we typically articulate a similarly broad goal and then invite local partners to help us figure out the best way to do that in their community.

It sounds like collaborations can take a lot of time. Is the strategy practical for a funder with few or no staff? 

Liz: About 50% or more of our foundation’s time is meeting with people, building trust, and building relationships in formal and informal settings. Although that seems like a lot, this is a deliberate part of our strategy. We have more time for relationships because we’ve adopted a long-term grant strategy; staff aren’t reissuing grants every year. A funder that understands the power of collaboration will find ways to make it work.

What are some keys to your collaborative success? 

Liz: Before entering a collaboration, we always ask ourselves, What are we willing to give up? We’ve had to give up control around grantmaking. And, in a lot of cases, we’ve had to be willing to be a follower as much as a leader. I also think a strong sense of shared values and a shared commitment to clear and defined goals are critical when asking other funders to put money on the table. When these things are in place, it becomes easier to establish trust and to negotiate the means to the shared end.

Read my full Q&A with Liz and fellow Exponent Philanthropy member Emily Tow Jackson

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Senior Program Director Sara Beggs focuses her time and energy on Exponent Philanthropy’s Getting to Impact Initiative, an effort to equip philanthropists with the information and inspiration to achieve greater impact over time. Her greatest philanthropic joy is participation in Blooming Kids for Kindness, a group of ten families who encourage their children to care about their communities and recognize that each can make a difference through local and international volunteer and fundraising activities.