Collaboration, before competition

Only by working together can charities address the lack of trust and perceived lack of accountability across the sector.

Our research showed us that collaboration across the entire sector could address the issues of eroding trust, reinvigorate the culture of giving, and tackle the failing governance model.

Asif Afridi, the Deputy CEO of BRAP, a national equalities charity, was on the panel for the Civil Society Future Inquiry, and spoke at July's Future Charity event on the importance of putting collaboration before competition, within the charity sector.

Asif’s talk spoke to similarities across the Future Civil Society research, for which he was on the panel, and the Future Charity Report. Focusing on collaboration and the action we need to take as individuals, he said “We need to think about how we act, our kindness and how we relate to people.”

“To make real change in the sector, we need to engage with some of our own stuff. We need to engage with our bias, our own self-interest and our prejudices.”

He said that without collaboration we miss opportunities to respond collectively to things that affect all of us across civil society, such as declining trust and perceived lack of accountability to the public.

Asif suggested that “if civil society is going to respond to the changes we face, it needs to change the way it behaves. If we are thinking differently about our relationship <as charities> and how we think about each other, we’ll be in a much better place.”

He said that this was especially important as people are bypassing civil society altogether to have an impact, and so we need to get ahead if we see a role for ourselves in the future.

Asif talked about the Civil Society Futures Inquiry PACT framework, designed to help charities build more trust with those they work with through using their power to ensure the right people are included, being accountable to collaborators, and building connection by recognising that the things that the biases and inequalities that divide society, are also present in our relationship with others within the sector.

He reflected on the importance of placing a duty on trustees to not only act in the charity’s best interests, but in the interests of the sector as a whole, and he reflected on the fact that this will involve engaging with the past, and past mistakes in engaging with other charities – “if we’ve treated someone badly in the past, those dynamics don’t go away. We need to engage with them, take accountability for them.”

The Civil Society Inquiry found that small charities are disillusioned with working with bigger charities, Asif asked: “What would it take to get to a point where we’re creating a space within which people are willing to show vulnerability?”

“To make real change in the sector, we need to engage with some of our own stuff. We need to engage with our bias, our own self-interest and our prejudices.”

Asif concluded that true collaboration is all about diversity and that we need to get to a place where we’re meeting as equals, even if we don't communicate in the same way. 

THE BARRIERS WE NEED TO OVERCOME

In our Future Charity report, we identified a number of barriers to active collaboration. These are systemic issues that won't be easy to unpick, but by reminding ourselves that they're here (It's not you, it's them) we can build the confidence to address them, together.

Reluctance to share information

Organisations tend to treat all data as confidential by default, even when that data isn’t commercially sensitive. Intense competition exacerbates this tendency, making it hard to gain an accurate picture of key features of the sector (and forcing a reliance on third-party surveys.

?Internal reporting is unfit for purpose

There is a lack of confidence in the data generated internally by most charities. When two departments come up with different numbers, which would you share with external organisations? Or do you own up to the inconsistency, and make yourselves look foolish?  

Can’t see the value of collaboration

The value of collaborative efforts across the entire sector, or even across sub-sectors, isn’t immediately apparent to individual charities wrestling with their day-to-day challenges. In addition, any such collaboration is likely to take some time to pay off.

Lack of joined-up thinking

Current efforts at collaboration between charities are ad hoc (e.g. Gradunique), small in scope and inconsistent. The lack of a sector-wide vision precludes the possibility of tackling strategic objectives over the long term.  

"How can we change our relationships and the stories we tell about one another, to build a better future"

BE PART OF THE SOLUTION

If you've read the Future Charity report you'll know that, whilst it wasn't shy on stating the challenges we all face, it also gives us options and actions that we can all take to start changing the record. At July's event, event more leaders and change makers fed into these suggestions, to give us less excuses and more agency.

Build consistent sharing

A framework needs to be established for the consistent sharing of non-commercially sensitive data across the whole sector. Understanding prevailing trends in giving, fundraising, volunteering and more are essential for confronting the challenges presented by new technologies and rapid social change.

Embrace the whole sector

The press often takes aim at the sector as a whole but responses come only from individual charities or organisations without the authority to speak?for the whole-sector. Building a collective voice requires participation in long-term conversations and initiatives with other charities that have the potential for taking practical action.

Create a shared enterprise

One of the goals of a collective body could be to set up a social enterprise to provide charities with enterprise-level technology – a commercial venture that puts all its profits back into developing the capabilities of the sector and reducing its reliance on for-profit platforms.

Define what true collaboration looks and feels

Do this internally, first. Then be bold and honest around what is getting in the way of effective collaboration.

Change our language

Change the way we talk about competition and collaboration. Create a narrative and language that shows we’re all in this together. Build the urgency and essential need for collaboration to deliver our purpose. What will staying the same cost us? 

Get involved.

If there is anything you can do to start moving us towards a more collabotive and effective sector, do it. If you need any help in working out what that might be, or you want to get involved with future activities, get in touch [email protected]