The charity sector is no stranger to change. But as David Holdsworth, Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, reminded us in his May 2025 speech, the challenges we face today are unprecedented. Economic pressures, rapid technological shifts and evolving social needs mean that charities can no longer afford to work in isolation. His call was clear: innovative collaboration is not just desirable, it is essential.
Why collaboration matters now
Holdsworth spoke of an “incredibly challenging economic environment” that has forced charities to contend with falling donations, rising operational costs and growing demand for their services. Alongside this, rapid advances in technology and shifts in how people want to engage with causes are reshaping the landscape. Against that backdrop, ideas once thought too radical, joint ventures, resource-sharing and even mergers, are suddenly not only possible, but necessary.
The core message was one of confidence: “Just as no home is built by a single pair of hands, no lasting social change comes from isolated efforts”. The implication is powerful: charities that embrace collaboration can achieve greater impact, while those that remain insular risk falling behind.
Proof that collaboration works
We have already seen what can be achieved when organisations join forces. FareShare’s partnerships enabled it to distribute 135 million meals last year, 92% more than the year before, reaching almost one million people in need.
Here in Wales, there are equally inspiring examples:
- The ManVan – a partnership between Tenovus, Prostate Cancer UK and the Movember Foundation, bringing mobile cancer support directly to men. This innovative service has reached thousands who might otherwise have struggled to access support in time.
- Kidney Wales and 2 Wish – working together to amplify support for families facing kidney disease and sudden bereavement. By combining resources, they have raised awareness and created more holistic pathways of care.
These stories illustrate a fundamental truth: collaboration is not about diluting an organisation’s identity, but about multiplying its reach.
What collaboration makes possible
Working together creates opportunities that individual charities may not achieve on their own. Among the most significant benefits are:
- Pooling resources – sharing premises, technology or volunteer networks reduces duplication and ensures support reaches further. For smaller charities, this can be the difference between surviving and thriving.
- Sharing expertise – partnerships enable organisations to tap into specialist knowledge they may not hold in-house, whether clinical, legal, digital or financial.
- A stronger collective voice – at a time when policymakers are balancing competing priorities, a coalition of charities can make a more compelling case for change than any one organisation alone.
- Unlocking innovation – collaboration encourages fresh thinking. Joint projects often bring together different perspectives, leading to solutions that would never have emerged in isolation.
These forms of collaboration can be as light-touch as knowledge sharing, or as structured as co-delivery of services, strategic alliances, back-office integration, and mergers.
Navigating the risks
Of course, collaboration is not without challenges. Cultural differences between organisations can create friction. Power imbalances, especially where a larger charity partners with a smaller one, may lead to mistrust. Competition for funding can also undermine goodwill. Add to this the legal and governance complexities of joint working, and it is clear that collaboration requires careful handling.
The lessons from both successful and failed partnerships are clear. Trust is the foundation. Without clarity of roles and respect for each organisation’s contribution, even the best-intentioned collaborations can unravel. Setting shared objectives, maintaining transparency, and investing in relationships are critical to making partnerships sustainable.
The questions we should be asking
As a sector, the challenge is not whether collaboration is valuable, that is now widely accepted, but how to do it well. Charities should be asking themselves:
- Where are we already collaborating successfully, and what can we learn from those examples?
- How can we share staff, data or funding in ways that strengthen delivery without compromising autonomy?
- How can we use collaboration not just to cut costs, but to drive innovation in the way we support communities?
These questions move the debate beyond “if” to “how”, encouraging charities to think strategically about partnerships rather than approaching them as one-off opportunities.
Looking forward
There is no single model for collaboration. What matters is that charities are willing to test new approaches, learn from each other and, where necessary, take calculated risks. The rewards can be transformative – not only for the organisations involved, but for the communities they serve.
In times of uncertainty, collaboration offers charities the chance to become more resilient, more innovative and more impactful. The sector has always thrived on creativity and courage. Now, by working together, charities can ensure they continue to meet society’s biggest challenges head-on.
