Stop, Collaborative, and Listen: How donor collaboratives amplify diverse perspectives to measure impact

Abstract Information: In the field of social justice and development, most actors can agree on intent: organizations implementing initiatives want to improve the world, and funders supporting them want to put their resources towards this. But when it comes to defining success—what counts as impact and how to measure it—the views can be quite divergent. Unsurprisingly, the interests of those holding the purse are often prioritized. Then, enter the idea of donor collaboratives. Donor collaboratives leverage collective resources to catalyze more ambitious projects that tilt towards field and movement-building. How do collaboratives tackle the challenge of measuring and communicating impact while balancing the diverse needs of funders and grantees? This session dives into the challenges and opportunities of donor collaboratives, bringing together panelists from two collaboratives and an external consulting firm to discuss how they manage expectations, foster trust, and align on a shared approach to measurement and evaluation. The first two presentations will share tangible strategies and guiding principles to balance power dynamics—honoring the expertise and learning needs of grantee partners while satisfying the strategic objectives of funders. The third presentation will shine light on the understated role of external consultants in harmonizing diverse perspectives in philanthropy and supporting the backbone teams of collaboratives.