Convene and Engage Other Funders

The ability to engage other funders as peers is something unique to private philanthropy. Funders have relationships with issue-based and regional affinity groups and professional associations that can be leveraged to introduce other funders to the NHAS and identify overlapping areas of interest. 

Opportunities

Funders can:

• Bring other funders together to discuss potential collaborations
• Host regular convenings with other funders in overlapping and tangential arenas, i.e. health systems, reproductive health, LGBT rights, social justice, etc.
• Help other funders to consider how their funding impacts the NHAS
• Participate in HIV-related collaborative funding efforts that deepen impact and bring innovative programs to scale
• Participate in funding collaboratives that bring HIV/AIDS to the discussion of related issues (i.e. social justice issues, human rights, reproductive rights, etc.) 

Challenges

• Convenings and relationship building takes time and may challenge internal resources
• Other funders who do not consider themselves AIDS funders may take some convincing that their interests intersect with the NHAS
• It may take more than one attempt to convene fellow funders before any traction is developed
• There will always be resistance to change even among the most forward thinking