What We Did
In 2025 and 2026, NB Social Justice Studio worked with the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht to support the development of a national framework for collaboration between government, philanthropy and civil society. The work formed part of Ireland’s National Philanthropy Policy and took place over two phases. It involved interviews, workshops, surveys, case studies and ongoing engagement with people working across government departments, philanthropic organisations, national NGOs, community groups and local initiatives
Over the course of the project, we engaged with a wide range of organisations and perspectives. Senior civil servants, philanthropic leaders, community organisations, local practitioners and independent experts all contributed to the process. The scale of participation reflected both the ambition of the work and a shared recognition that many of Ireland’s social challenges require collaboration across sectors.
Our role was to listen carefully, bring different perspectives together and help identify practical ways of strengthening relationships between government, philanthropy and communities.
What We Learned
One of the clearest messages from the project was that collaboration depends on relationships.People spoke about the importance of trust, openness, clarity and a willingness to understand different ways of working. Formal agreements and structures have an important role, but successful collaboration often begins with people taking the time to build understanding and confidence in one another.
The work also highlighted the different pressures faced by government, philanthropy and community organisations. Each brings distinct responsibilities, resources and ways of working. These differences can sometimes create tension, but they can also create opportunities when there is space for honest conversation and shared problem-solving.
Another lesson was that collaboration takes time. Strong partnerships rarely emerge from a single funding programme or policy initiative. They are built gradually through ongoing relationships, practical experience and a willingness to learn from both successes and setbacks.
Working Together
A significant part of this project involved creating opportunities for people from different sectors to think together about shared challenges.
The conversations were often thoughtful, generous and practical. Participants brought a deep commitment to public good, alongside a clear understanding of the constraints and realities within their own sectors.
Throughout the process, we worked to ensure that community voices sat alongside institutional perspectives and that practical experience informed the development of the framework. The aim was not to produce an abstract set of recommendations, but something grounded in the realities of how collaboration happens in Ireland today.
Reflections for NB Social Justice Studio
This project brought together many strands of our experience in community development, public policy, philanthropy and social change.
Over many years we have worked with grassroots organisations, national NGOs, philanthropic funders and public bodies. This project provided a rare opportunity to bring those experiences together within a single national process and to work at a scale that reached across multiple parts of government and civil society.
It reinforced something we have learned repeatedly throughout our work: people are usually more willing to collaborate than is often assumed. What is often missing is the time, space and support needed to build relationships, navigate differences and develop a shared understanding of what success looks like.
For NB Social Justice Studio, the project strengthened our experience of designing and facilitating large-scale engagement processes involving diverse stakeholders, while remaining grounded in practical action and real-world experience. It also deepened our understanding of how government, philanthropy and communities can work together in ways that respect the different roles each plays in public life.
The framework was one outcome of the work. Equally important were the conversations, relationships and shared learning that developed along the way. Those experiences continue to inform how we support collaboration, partnership-building and social change across our work today.
