Meet the Strategy Group

The Funders Collaborative Hub is supported by a group of experienced collaborators, who are all passionate advocates for funders working in more joined-up ways.

Here, members of our Strategy Group share why they got involved and the difference they hope the Hub can make.

Carol Mack (Chief executive, ACF)

"Collaboration is at the heart of what a membership association like ACF is about. Increasingly, our members tell us that they can’t achieve their missions on their own – working well with others is key to their success.

Foundations’ response to the pandemic highlighted the benefits of being connected and collaborative. ACF and our partners have developed the Funders Collaborative Hub to help sustain these benefits longer-term, making collaboration accessible to all funders and effective at improving outcomes for charities and communities."

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 Anna de Pulford (Director, The Dulverton Trust)

"In my role, I am constantly inspired by how much more funders are able to achieve when we work together. I got involved with the Hub because I wanted to contribute to making funder collaboration more accessible, inclusive and effective.

As part of the Strategy Group, we’ve had to step out of funder comfort to design a service. It has been a great challenge to have the shoe on the other foot!"

Cassie Robinson (working with Joseph Rowntree Foundation, Earth Percent, Philea and others)

"I truly believe that we can do more together than we can alone, and also that we need to use our resources much more wisely. The Funders Collaborative Hub is such an important piece of shared infrastructure to make coordination, cooperation and collaboration more possible between funders and a wider finance ecology.  

What I love most about being involved in the Hub though, is that as a team we know that to figure things out, you have to make them, put them out into the world, try them out and then change what you need to. It’s not a talking shop - we’re reflective, but we also just get things done."

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Sharon Shea (Director of portfolio, Esmée Fairbairn Foundation)

"We funders talk a lot about collaboration. But despite seeing the value of working together for those we fund, we are often more likely to see barriers rather than bridges when it comes to collaborating ourselves.

It’s been exciting and a privilege to be part of the Funders Collaborative Hub, which has the potential to shape and improve our practice collectively and individually. What I’ve valued most about being involved with this initiative is the level of honesty about what’s needed to drive effective collaboration, and our shared commitment to working in different ways with our peers."

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Aleema Shivji (Chief impact officer, Oxfam GB)

"When funders collaborate, not only do we achieve more, but importantly, so do the organisations we are there to support. I see so many benefits to funder collaboration, including larger and diverse pools of funding to achieve deeper impact, improvements in our practice by learning from each other and reduced burden on charities through fewer and larger calls for proposals.

I'm excited to join the Strategy Group to contribute to turning these ambitions into reality."

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Duncan Shrubsole (Director of policy, communications & research, Lloyds Bank Foundation for England & Wales)

"We can always achieve more when we talk, listen and work together, but Covid showed that collaboration could no longer be a nice-to-have, but a must-have. Through the Funders Collaborative Hub we are helping funders to connect, convene and collaborate, but we are very aware that there is no single model of collaboration. Informal conversations can be just as important as multi-million-pound partnerships.

I’ve certainly learnt a lot being part of the Strategy Group. New insights and ideas are really helpful and important, so do please get involved to share and shape it going forward."

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Nick Stanhope (Founder, Shift)

"The Funders Collaborative Hub is a really practical response to the urgent need - and growing demand - for loads more mutual awareness, interdependence and collective action amongst funders. That's why I've got so much out of being involved.

The Hub has achieved a lot in a short space of time and it's still just scratching the surface of what's possible, so I'm excited to have the chance to keep on learning, adapting and progressing with this ambitious team and group."

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Elaine Wilson (Head of learning and development, Corra Foundation)

"I’m passionate about collaborating. I value the variety and different definitions of collaborations, whether a formal partnership with a specific goal that aims to have greater impact or shared opportunities for learning – there is space for all. The Funders Collaborative Hub is an exciting opportunity that enables this to happen, and I am delighted to be part of this work.

The flexibility and agility of the Hub offers so many possibilities. It creates opportunities to offer safe reflective conversations on why and how we do things.  I am particularly struck that the Hub isn’t for a select few, but available to all. The emphasis is about the ideas you have, insights and knowledge you bring and sharing with like-minded people."