This article first appeared on Devex on Nov. 11, 2019.
The philanthropic community is facing two very real truths today: there is an average $2.5 trillion annual financing gap in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030 and programmatic advancements on any one of the 169 targets cannot be made in a silo. Partnerships of all shapes and sizes are underway in and between sectors, leveraging diverse resources and propping up programs around the world with laser-focused, measurable goals.
In some, not all, cases, there is a formula in place for achieving greater impact: co-creation. This is an iterative, equitable process that removes barriers for all actors to meaningfully contribute their knowledge and skills to achieve sustainable and scalable solutions to bring positive social innovation into the world. Examples of co-creation include collaborative philanthropic funds, social enterprise initiatives, and programmatic partnerships.
Operating as philanthropic intermediaries, Global Impact and Geneva Global — organizations that aim to build lasting partnerships and resources for the world’s most vulnerable — have supported a myriad of co-created programs that have influenced giving from institutions, philanthropists, and every day donors, advancing progress on issues including education, disaster response, and child marriage. In October 2019, Global Impact merged with Geneva Global, giving co-creation experts seats at the same table.
