What If We Funded the Space Between Nonprofits?
This afternoon, I wandered into a fundraiser, more accurately, a friendraiser at Folly Beach, for Horizons at Ashley Hall and Waves 4 Women.
It was everything you want a local, grassroots event to be: grounded, generous, and deeply connected to the community.
And still, I left thinking about something we haven’t quite figured out.
The Pattern We Keep Repeating
This year, a theme that keeps showing up for me, personally and professionally, is breaking patterns. I’m seeing the pressure across the nonprofit sector: the old way of doing things isn't working, leaders are treading water in
One pattern that continues to show up across philanthropy is how we define and fund “collaboration.”
It often looks like this:
A lead organization secures funding.
They “partner” with other nonprofits.
Those partners deliver programming, fee for service, sometimes at a reduced rate.
On paper, it checks the box.
In practice, it’s transactional.
One organization holds the funding, the decision-making authority, and the narrative.
The others are positioned as implementers: valuable, but not truly equal.
And the relationship rarely strengthens the long-term capacity of everyone involved.
What If We Funded Collaboration… as Collaboration?
Imagine a different model:
Three organizations aligned around a shared outcome.
One jointly developed proposal.
One shared funding structure.
$100,000 total:
$25,000 to each organization to support leadership, infrastructure, and sustainability
$25,000 dedicated to the collective work they are building together
No subcontracting.
No hidden hierarchy.
No imbalance of power.
Just shared ownership and shared accountability.
Funding the Space Between
Here’s the shift:
We don’t just fund the collaborative programs.
We fund the space between them.
Because that’s where real impact happens:
Where services connect instead of compete
Where participants experience continuity instead of fragmentation
Where outcomes compound instead of dilute
And yet, that space is almost never resourced.
We ask nonprofits to collaborate, but we don’t fund the time, trust, coordination, or infrastructure required to do it well.
Breaking the Pattern
The ingredients already exist.
Strong organizations.
Aligned missions.
Deep commitment to community.
What’s missing isn’t willingness, it’s design.
If we are serious about collaboration, we have to stop funding it like a transaction and start building systems that support it from the start.
That’s the work CSG is building toward.
And it’s a pattern I’m committed to breaking.
If you’re a funder, nonprofit leader, or corporate partner thinking about this shift, I’d welcome the conversation.