A single organization cannot create and sustain systems change alone. It takes collaboration among networks, partnerships and coalitions to maximize the strengths and fill in the gaps of each partner. Successful collaborations require that all parties work toward a common cause rather than for individual accolades. To do this requires transparency. Each changemaker or organization must identify its specific expertise — as well as where it has gaps in its own competencies — and then work to create a holistic solution with others who fill those gaps. Partners should be treated as co-creators, not as order takers, each with specific measures of influence. Important ingredients also include organizations that act as conveners, or system orchestrators, to help facilitate mutually beneficial and effective partnerships and a funding ecosystem that minimizes competition among organizations.
Insight 2: Partner with Government Agencies
Government partnerships can provide access to funding on a larger scale. They also increase the possibility that the government will take over a program, which
