Partnerships and collective action are essential for advancing transformational impact. But what are the most effective and boundary-setting approaches to collaboration today? What perspective, strategies, and frameworks are unlocking deep value between organizations and across sectors?

On February 20, NationSwell hosted a virtual roundtable discussion on the Impact Imperative: Innovative and Effective Partnership Models.

Here are some of the key takeaways from the event:

Insights:

Invest in trust-building as a load-bearing feature of your partnerships. Successful collaborations are rooted in trust and relationship-building. Establishing trust requires ongoing engagement, transparency, and alignment on shared goals. Whether between funders and grantees or across coalitions, investing time in in-person collaboration and candid conversations strengthens long-term commitment and impact.

Create a backbone to facilitate cross-sector collaboration. Organizations that take on the role of a backbone entity can drive more effective cross-sector partnerships – coordinating efforts, providing structural support, and creating alignment among stakeholders. As a backbone organization, tap into real-time, data-driven insights, and third-party expertise. 

Identify the intersection of organizational self-interest and things that you absolutely can’t do alone. As a general rule, a strong understanding of your own opportunities for partnership starts here.

Engage third-party perspectives to spark new ideas and collaborations. Organizations often miss opportunities for innovation by staying within their own networks. External experts, intermediaries, and third-party organizations can help identify new collaboration opportunities, provide fresh perspectives, and facilitate partnerships that might not naturally emerge. 

Break down silos among funders to enhance collective impact. Many funders support the same nonprofits but fail to coordinate efforts, leading to inefficiencies and missed opportunities. Organizations should pool resources, align funding strategies, and pursue collaborative grant-making to maximize impact and reduce burdens on nonprofit partners. Independent conveners can play a key role in brokering connections and facilitating shared funding models.

Hire staff with cross-sector experience to strengthen partnership design and relationships. Having team members with firsthand experience in relevant sectors improves collaboration and bridges power dynamics between funders and grantees. For instance, staff with NGO backgrounds bring emotional intelligence and valuable insight into nonprofit challenges, making them better positioned to create more equitable, flexible, and responsive funding strategies at grantmaking organizations.

Support nonprofit sustainability during economic uncertainty. Given financial uncertainty and funding contractions, funders should explore operating support, flexible grant structures, and bridge funding to help nonprofits sustain their work. Small grants can provide immediate relief, while long-term investment strategies ensure stability in an evolving landscape.

The social sector is being broken down and upheaved in dramatic ways right now; therein lies opportunity to consider what a better model looks like. With many traditional funding and partnership models being challenged, this moment presents an opportunity to rebuild a more effective and sustainable system. Organizations should use this period of uncertainty to innovate, create new frameworks, and rethink how funders, nonprofits, and businesses collaborate to drive long-term impact.