Jane van Zyl, CEO of Working Families shares her thoughts on charity collaboration and how organisations can become stronger when working together
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There are 168,893 charities in the UK. A remarkable number that represents the altruism and compassion of our nation. Ranging from the internationally recognised to those at the other end of the scale embedded in our communities, all providing crucial services and playing a vital role in the functioning of our society. And yet. Can we, hand-on-heart, say that we are all operating as effectively as we could?

That is not to place the blame at the door of the many tireless volunteers or employees that go the extra mile to keep things going in tough times. As the CEO of a small charity, it is my greatest joy to be surrounded by an army of activists, where commitment to the cause runs through our veins. The charity landscape has been particularly tough in the past few years, and I have the highest admiration for those who stick with it, because sticking with it is the only route to better times. But as we’re so often pitted against each other for scarce and valuable funding, sometimes it feels like it’s every charity for themselves in the current climate.

But many charities, particularly the smaller organisations, are so focused on survival, the ‘getting by’ mentality is preventing us from seeing what is staring us in the face. That instead of being competitors, we should be co-operators and collaborators. There is clearly richness in diversity, and charities should reflect the myriad experiences, people and passions in our communities. But where we have a common purpose, we should be pooling our resources, because we are undoubtedly stronger when we act together.

A full disclaimer, I’m already a signed-up superfan of collaboration. At Working Families, it’s one of our core values, so I see its value in our everyday work and how it has progressed our mission. But it’s precisely because I see it in action that I am evangelical about the benefits of collaboration. Most recently it has led us to work with an organisation which has a different mission, but our audiences intersect. It has taken many conversations, some compromise and innovative thinking to achieve our working relationship. However, we both recognise that, merging on a future project will add depth to our work. And happily, we’re now on a shortlist with a funder who values collaboration..

Just think, if we all opened our minds to working differently, together, about the possible opportunities that could be unlocked. If we all acknowledged what we did well, and were vulnerable enough to admit what we don’t, we could let another organisation pick up the baton and run with it, so we can all do the best for the people, places or creatures we serve.

In my experience, reaching this place is a simple, yet sometimes challenging, process:

- Maintain laser-focus on your mission. Be relentless about coming back to what the organisation is trying to achieve. It will keep you on track and help avoid muddying the water.

- Find your sweet spot. What is it that the organisation excels at, and what do you not have the time, skills or resources to devote to? It can be daunting to acknowledge, but worth it in the end.

-Be brave and give up what doesn’t serve. It can be tough to relinquish work that is part of the charity identity, but by finding a collaborator that does it better, the organisation will be more effective and audiences will be better served by not having to make a false choice.

-Expand what you do well. Pour your effort into honing your USP and shouting about it. Be the specialist in your area. When you are looking for partner organisations, look for those where your audiences overlap, so you can join forces and work toward a shared goal.

As charities, we’re experts in our field, but we can get stuck in our own rut. By recalibrating to double down on what we’re good at, and teaming up with others who are similarly specialist, we can zoom out on the bigger picture. Through cooperation we can learn from each other and grow together. We can understand more, reach more, achieve more.

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