Joining Forces: A Skills-Building Workshop in Collaborative Funding

As coordinator of the Sexual Health and Rights Working Group (SHRWG), SHARP organized a skills building workshop on collaborative funding models that took place at the International Human Rights Funders Group (IHRFG) semi-annual conference. The session responded to the great deal of interest conveyed by SHRWG members at the previous IHRFG meeting in collaborative funding.

The goal of the workshop was two-fold: 1) to introduce innovative collaborative funding models on sexual health and rights issues to members of the SHRWG and 2) to explore how different models are organized and managed.

A panel session highlighting relevant collaborative models included:

• Heidi Dorow of Wellspring Advisors who spoke on the Civil Marriage Collaborative, a collaborative that addresses marriage equality in the United States
• Lourdes Rivera, Program Officer with the Ford Foundation, who spoke on the Catalyst Fund Collaborative which addresses reproductive justice within the United States
• Carla Sutherland of the Arcus Foundation who spoke of her involvement with the East Africa Sexual Health and Rights Initiative collaborative model, focusing on the advancement of sexual minorities’ health and rights in East Africa.

The session was moderated by Executive Director of Public Interest Projects Michele Lord, a seasoned professional in the philanthropic sector with in-depth experience in managing collaborative funding models.