In a time of escalating threats to our democracy and deepening economic inequality, advocates fighting tirelessly to change the systems that drive these issues need the backing of bold and forward-thinking funders working in more coordinated and collective ways.  

Yet, until late 2019, Australia lacked a space where democracy and fair economy funders and advocates could come together, organize and build their collective power.

Out of this gap, Mannifera was formed by a group of values-aligned Australian funders who came together to pool their resources in support of democracy and fair economy advocates. Beyond increased funding, the collective creates space for civil society organisations and funders to come together to share their learning, strategize, and collaborate.

Four years on from its launch, Mannifera has carried out a comprehensive evaluation of its work to date. This evaluation not only influenced the development of a new strategic plan, it surfaced a wealth of insights into the ways collective philanthropy can better support advocates pushing to strengthen democracy and create a more inclusive economy.

It’s often said in philanthropy ‘if you’ve met one foundation, you’ve met one foundation’. While this is true, this reality burdens grant seekers with needing to navigate the world of philanthropy one relationship at a time, and that’s if they can enter this world to begin with. As discovered through Mannifera’s evaluation, collective giving challenges this reality by enabling grant partners to form relationships with a network of funders in the same time it takes to secure a single grant.

After receiving a grant, Mannifera partners had a door opened to our 21 funder members. We then worked to connect our partners to our even broader philanthropic networks, leading to increased revenue, a deeper understanding of how philanthropy operates, and ultimately more time to focus on bringing about democratic and economic systems-change.

‘Beyond the benefits that come through civil society advocates being connected to more funders and funders having access to a larger number of civil society experts, our evaluation surfaced that operating as a collective also enriched our grant-making approaches and philanthropic practice.’

Take for instance, the Australian Democracy Network (ADN), a group that brings civil society organisations and communities together to campaign for changes to make Australia’s democracy more fair, open, participatory, and accountable. Mannifera provided ADN with the seed-funding it needed to get off the ground, with renewed funding every year since. We have also championed the work of ADN and facilitated connections with a range of other donors, whose ADN’s staff expertly stewarded and secured. In the time since our first grant ADN has led an alliance that defeated regulations that would have stifled the right for Australian charities to engage in advocacy. They collaborated with a range of organisations to block Voter ID legislation that would have prevented marginalized communities from casting a ballot. And in 2022, they supported coalitions that increased female representation in parliament and reformed the MPs’ Code of Conduct.

The networking benefits that come through collective models of philanthropy go both ways. As we’ve seen through Mannifera, our members are able to fund, connect with, and learn from a larger number of grant partners than if they were operating alone. This allows members to deepen their expertise on a wider range of democracy and fair economy issues and gain exposure to the different advocacy approaches being utilized to address them. This funder expertise and exposure are fundamental to building a more informed and connected movement with the power to secure systems change.

Beyond the benefits that come through civil society advocates being connected to more funders and funders having access to a larger number of civil society experts, our evaluation surfaced that operating as a collective also enriched our grant-making approaches and philanthropic practice.  A collective offers a safe space for funders to try new ways of operating because experimenting and learning together feels much less daunting than doing it alone.

For Mannifera there has been an ambition to experiment with power-shifting models of philanthropy by sharing and deferring grant-making decisions to civil society advocates with expert knowledge and networks. Where we have progressed this work the furthest is in our First Nations-led practice. A team of First Nations advisors have designed and implemented a process for distributing at least 20 percent of our grants budget to First Nations-led solutions. Through taking this new approach we’ve not only improved our grant-making strategy and outcomes, but greater trust was generated with our First Nations grant partners.

Finally, in an environment where we are seeing a back-sliding of hard-won democratic gains and an erosion of trust in public institutions, as funders we need to be bold enough to take risks on new and emerging approaches and organisations. Through the increased grant-making budget and room for experimentation that a collective offers,  members are enabled to push boundaries and support unconventional ideas, ultimately leading to greater opportunities for impactful and groundbreaking initiatives that might otherwise be overlooked.

If we are to succeed in our vision of creating a thriving democracy and fair economy, civil society leaders must have the time and capacity to focus on their work and not fundraising. Funders need to have a deeper understanding of the interconnected issues they seek to solve, and exposure to the diversity of solutions out there. They also need to learn about and operate with best practice processes that truly shift power, and be willing to fund new ideas and approaches. In this context, collective philanthropy serves as a comprehensive solution addressing all of these critical needs.

Harriet McCallum is the Executive Officer of Mannifera, a collective of Australian funders partnering with civil society to strengthen democracy and create a fair economy.