On 22 October is the annual conference of the Association of Charitable Funders. Members of the Coalition will be running a workshop called “Funder coalitions – a new way of working?”

The conference programme says:

The session will look at the development of the Corston Independent Funders Coalition (CIFC), a unique partnership between 19 independent grant-makers and philanthropists who have come together to support the implementation of the Corston Report: the Government review into vulnerable women in the Criminal Justice System.

Funders, such as grantmaking trusts, foundations and individual philanthropists, know that this collaboration is unusual, to say the least. Although many funders share information and may even co-fund individual projects, there has never been a coalition focussed on achieving sustainable policy change before. At least, not in the UK – this way of working has been tried in the United States, with some success. The Philanthropic Initiative have written an excellent paper on some of the models tried out by funders in US, Donor Collaboration: Power in Numbers, which is available here (registration required). Definitely worth a read – and if that whets your appetite to find out more, do join us at the workshop at the ACF conference!