While societal polarisation poses threat to collective action, it is important that platforms are built and convening opportunities are initiated that embrace knowledge-sharing and address systemic factors that contribute to division. Ideological distance is complex and multifaceted, requiring us to promote inclusive dialogue, understanding, and embrace values-based action to conquer divergence and its consequences in the broader global landscape. Strategic philanthropists strive for peace and prosperity, actioned through funding evidence-based research, and convening multiple stakeholders to share insight across various sectors for broad-scale change. Data-driven philanthropy allows for social impact to be measured, resources to be optimised, and collective impact for such systems-level change to be realised. Collaboration is a key element of strategic philanthropy.
In recent years, there has been a shift away from competition and ‘hyper individualism’ towards synergy and being ‘hyper connected’. There is far greater importance on celebrating moments of friction, and the realisation that the act of ‘partnering’ and actively nurturing a relationship is very different to a static partnership. Relationships that are richest are those that may unsettle us and challenge our views, where we truly learn to build bridges across difference and value diversity, and where we strengthen (research) networks to play a role in co-creating and scaling local responses.
“Essentially, partnerships are at the core of sustainable change.” – Simone Carter
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), launched in 2015, emphasise a ‘collective approach’ to global sustainable development – balancing social, economic, and environmental sustainability. The introduction of the SDGs, which is a set of 17 targets intended to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all by 2030, marks a universal desire for peace and prosperity in the world. Interestingly, these SDGs showcase the interdependencies of action and outcomes in each area, where action in one area affects outcomes in others, and while each goal matters on its own, they all interconnect. Notably, cross-functional interdependent goals such as SDGs require all sectors of society to play their roles collaboratively at an unprecedented scale. Collective adoption of global goals such as the SDGs and alignment for common purpose encourages peer pressure among political leaders and ecosystem builders, mobilises stakeholder networks across sectors and regions, and spurs networks of pooled expertise, wisdom, and resources into action. Sharing knowledge and resourcing strategies to foster innovation, coordinating policies to help developing countries, promoting cross-border investment, and building co-creative leadership capacities are but a few much-needed steps to achieve global sustainability. The common denominator here? Collective Impact.
President and Founding CEO of Virgin Unite, Jean Oelwang, believes that partnership is what truly allows us to make a bigger impact in the world, and that the ability to form partnerships is what truly distinguishes the great from the good. Jean’s new book, Partnering, unpacks lessons from working with the world’s greatest partnerships and just how exactly we can forge deeper, meaningful connections for impact. Collective action through partnering is the sum of individual actions directed towards a common goal, where learning takes place at multiple levels, and the primary driver must be that by combining resources and knowledge, we can deliver far more together. Esteemed Entrepreneur, Sir Richard Branson, Founder of the Virgin Group, believes that strong partnerships are at the core of Virgin and Virgin Unite – enabling business for good, where people and entrepreneurial ideas are united to create opportunities for a better world:
“It is a refreshing antidote to a disconnected and divided world. It is the answer to how we can increase depth and meaning in all of our most important relationships. It is also the answer to how we can use those relationships to build collaborative efforts to respond to humanity’s most pressing issues.”
Emerging Trend: Partnering for Collective Impact
No single organisation can succeed alone.
Let’s consider the importance of partnering for (collective) impact, and what this means within strategic philanthropy and the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Partnering for impact emphasises the idea that collective action, collaboration, and values-based multi-stakeholder alignment can lead to more significant and sustainable outcomes than individual efforts. This concept is often seen in the context of social impact, philanthropy, business, and various development-focused sectors which embrace adaptive, holistic planning to address complex challenges and drive positive change. Partnership for impact is most effective when the involved parties share common goals and values, can be measured effectively, involves reciprocal learning, increased visibility, and allows for expanded networks. The key to this success is a structured collective impact approach.
Adapted from: Collective Impact Forum
Convening plays a crucial role in fostering a collective impact approach.
The future of convening is dynamic, and it will continue to adapt to the evolving needs and expectations of philanthropists, ecosystem builders, and the broader global landscape. Convening not only raises the visibility of global and local (entrepreneurship) ecosystems, showcasing the vibrancy and diversity of the communities, but creates a sense of belonging and shared purpose amongst ecosystem stakeholders. Such convenings contribute to the development of favourable regulatory environments, access to resources, startup exposure, policy advocacy, knowledge exchange, and simply-put, the opportunity for partnering to be actualised – a call-to-action for the ecosystem.
Unlocking the Power of Collective Impact through Motse
Achieving systemic change requires coordinated efforts across various sectors.
November 2023 marked the launch of Motse Collective Impact – a convening programme of Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropies (AGGP). ‘Motse’, meaning village in Setswana, unites diverse, and yet interdependent stakeholders, such as ecosystem builders, policy makers, and entrepreneurs to contribute to the advancement of entrepreneurship ecosystems in South Africa through structured convenings and working groups. The introduction of this platform serves as a village of structured support through hyper connectedness, shared purpose, and knowledge-sharing, which is underpinned by Allan & Gill Gray Philanthropy South Africa’s vision to provide for an empowered, prosperous, productively engaged African citizenry.
In striving to drive prosperity, close ideological gaps, and elevate the ecosystem we must reflect on the following pertinent questions. How can we foster meaningful connections, commit to share, and engage with others? How can we act with greater urgency? How can the ecosystem better support entrepreneurs’ challenges?
Success is rarely the result of individual effort alone, and partnering for impact is the answer to a divided world; enabling us to make the journey for another prosperous, peaceful, and most importantly, possible.
Sources:
Partnering with Jean Oelwang
Partnering for Philanthropic Impact
World Economic Forum – The Global Risks Report 2024
The Power of Partnership – Sir Richard Branson
Collective Impact Forum
