VA Insight | How Joint Philanthropy Networks Can Achieve Effective Collaboration
Joint Philanthropy, also known as Collaborative Philanthropy, is defined as investors and nonprofits working together toward a social cause. Joint Philanthropy is of great significance to developing the social sectors and solving social issues. In China, the existing social issues are massive, wide-ranging and complex. The Joint Philanthropy, compared to single sectors with less power and resource, is more likely to find solutions with magnified effect to social issues by virtue of resource integration, capability complementation, and knowledge reciprocity within the collaboration among involved sectors.
How can Joint Philanthropy avoid formalism? We would like to share our views on “How Joint Philanthropy Networks can achieve effective collaboration”.
Joint Philanthropy Networks have different forms and focuses, including product-driven, fundraising-driven, topic-driven, etc., leading to different types of management and operation. Therefore, the joint philanthropy described in this article focuses more on the topic-driven network, which means, the network is formed to solve the same issue jointly.
The prerequisite for establishing a topic network are shared values and strategic goals. The network attracts people who work together through value-based recognition and guide joint efforts through a set of strategies that based on collective consensus. With the basis of the shared values and strategic goals, to promote the effective integration of the network, the secretariat of the network needs to think from the perspectives of network management and topic development, considering Open Governance, Variation Management, Professional Capabilities, Knowledge Accumulation as four key points.
Open Governance
First, the Topic Network needs to establish a collective decision-making mechanism to ensure the opinions and suggestions can be conveyed smoothly. Second, the network’s secretariat should authorize key partners appropriately to encourage the emergence of more excellent partners and solutions.
Variation Management
The Topic Network can have a louder voice than a sole organization to respond to the social issues because there are numerous diverse and widespread organizations in the network. The network’s secretariat must match differentiated products and provide support while launching the products for member organizations to meet the needs of organizations at different stages of development.
Professional Capabilities
The professionalism of the Network Secretariat is mainly reflected in its ability to organize the topics. More specifically, the Secretariat needs to research the macro-environment regularly, analyze the critical issues of this topic, and identify the suitable partners launching the products according to their location, capability, size of the organization and other dimensions. Meanwhile, the Secretariat offers support in funding, coordination, dissemination, and capacity building to empower network members to explore solutions.
Knowledge Accumulation
Collaboration is essential to ensure that multiple stakeholders can benefit from it. Knowledge accumulation within the network is a viable path. As the “Front Desk” of the Network, member organizations facing the frontline’s needs and providing services are the powerful engine of the developing network. In some subarea, the rich expertise of some frontline organizations makes their professional capability and practical experience more advanced than the Secretariat. The Secretariat needs to consider them partners, explore their folk wisdom, and collaboratively create a more excellent value.