At a time when more funders are looking to pool their funding, a new space for distributing funding across sectors offers a model of shifting the dial toward more equitable funding. 

Back in May, we joined other members of the Collaboration Circle’s new Board to speak publicly for the first time about this new initiative and why we need to come together to tackle the collective challenges of our time.

Collaboration Circle was driven by a desire to make the whole funding process more equitable. It focuses on pooled funding because this model has shown it enables funding to be more strategic, equitable and collaborative^[1]. So alongside providing the infrastructure to host the money itself – away from the confines and power structures of any single ‘host’ funder – Collaboration Circle also brings together funders and civil society in equal number to design and make decisions at every stage of the funding process. It’s designed to really put into practice our desires to shift power, take risks together, and unlock new learning about how change can happen when funders and communities work together.

Like many of our colleagues who have been involved in Collaboration Circle, we are both deeply committed to social justice and have always sought out collaborative approaches to addressing systemic inequities. The Collaboration Circle, with its focus on empowering both funders and civil society, perfectly aligns with the values many of us share. We’ve both had roles in different civil society and funding organisations over the years, and this has reinforced our belief in the power of partnerships to drive meaningful change. It’s when we’ve seen more equitable power dynamics at play that we’ve also seen some of the most inspiring and effective solutions to the issues we’re trying to address.

We’re delighted to have this opportunity to work together on the Collaboration Circle Board, as we’re able to build on the journey we’ve shared together so far from Propel London – a long-term funder collaboration investing £100m in London’s communities to drive systemic change. This experience has underscored the importance of building trust, shared ownership, and collaborative decision-making that prioritises diverse voices. We’re bringing this invaluable learning to the Collaboration Circle so we can create a space where funders and civil society can work together as true partners, ensuring that funding and resources reach those who are best placed to do the work.

For us, equitable power sharing in the Collaboration Circle means moving beyond traditional funding models. What we’re creating is a space where funders and civil society organisations collaborate as equals, jointly determining priorities, allocating resources, and measuring impact. This requires open communication, transparent decision-making, and a commitment to long-term partnerships.

Since the launch, it’s been heartening to see so much enthusiasm from funders who are interested in exploring how they can work with the Collaboration Circle to pool some of their funding. Some have pooled funds before, and for others it’s newer territory. More and more people are seeing the potential of this way of funding– not only is the scale of the challenge we face huge, but we all recognise that together we can truly be more than the sum of our parts, that when we work alongside communities in a genuinely collaborative way, we see a different kind of energy and trust ignite.

While we’ve all had our personal motivations for getting involved in this work, we’re united by our ambitions for the Collaboration Circle to help transform the wider grant-making landscape and redefine how social justice work happens. This time next year, we hope we’ll be learning from how collaborations hosted by the Circle are leading to community-driven change, and how funders and civil society organisations are truly co-designing and implementing solutions that we’ve not tried before, and offer new insights that we can take elsewhere within the funding world.

There is some excellent learning out there already about why pooled funds hold potential in the future grantmaking landscape. We’re now offering an easier means to realise this, and in a way that is rooted in equity and a desire to learn together.

Ali Ahmed is Learning and Practice Manager at The Ubele Initiative, an African diaspora led, infrastructure plus organisation, and a member of the Collaboration Circle Board of Directors. James Banks is CEO of London Funders, the cross-sector membership network for funders and investors in London’s civil society, and chairs the Collaboration Circle Board of Directors.