This blog underlines valuable insights into how funder collaboration can drive transformative change, practical strategies for leveraging it to advance gender equality, and key considerations for overcoming challenges in the international development and philanthropic sectors.
At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five generations from now, to reach full gender parity, according to data from the World Economic Forum. Accelerating Action is vital, and also the theme of International Women’s Day 2025. Acceleration refers to the process of rapidly advancing progress towards specific objectives, such as achieving gender equality. Funders working together contributes to this acceleration by fostering collaboration, aligning agendas, and facilitating the swift adoption of effective strategies among stakeholders.
One of the best ways to accelerate action for gender equality and social inclusion is to understand what works and to do more of this faster. This is why we are sharing early lessons from William and Flora Hewlett Foundation’s PEAL (Progress, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning) framework, that sits within the foundation’s Women’s Economic Empowerment Strategy (WEE). The main objective of the PEAL framework is to draw out learning from the WEE strategy’s implementation about change that is happening, and how this change is occurring.
The power of peer funders working together
In the past decade, peer funders have started working together more in the development and philanthropic world as a useful tool to support strategic collaboration for gender equality.
Though there is no one definition, ‘peer funders’ may include donors or funding bodies within the same network or sector who support each other’s philanthropic decisions through partnerships, co-funding, or strategic alignment. They directly or indirectly shape each other’s strategies and funding priorities. A study by Philanthropy Workshop found that 57% of wealthy donors consult peers in their professional industries when making philanthropic decisions, and 56% seek advice from friends and family.
A successful model to learn from
The PEAL framework offers some emerging learning on what a successful model for advocating amongst peer funders for a new body of work looks like. In this case, the body of work is strengthening the field of actors seeking to advance macro-level policies that support women’s economic opportunity and wellbeing. Itad is supporting Hewlett to deliver their Women’s Economic Empowerment PEAL process, encouraging collaboration between different stakeholders, including feminist economists, economic justice advocates, women’s rights organisations, and development practitioners.
In 2022, Hewlett began working closely with peer funders, collaborating on investments that value gender as a critical factor for a just economic transformation. Currently, their engagement operates on multiple levels: working collaboratively with grantee partners and co-funding large initiatives. Furthermore, Hewlett is also collaborating with other funders on the Growth and Economic Opportunities for Women (GrOW) programme.
Conditions for success
Bringing funders together is essential for aligning agendas and highlighting shared priorities, whether through direct collaboration, modelling, or more subtle forms of encouragement. A key way to achieve this is by facilitating strategic partnerships; connecting peer funders with potential grantee partners to drive collective impact. For example, Hewlett engages funders on three levels:
- Positioning gender-responsive macroeconomic policies as central to achieving gender equality.
- Fostering cross-sector collaborations, including partnerships between feminist economists, economic justice movements, and development practitioners.
- Advancing advocacy initiatives led by women’s rights organisations (WROs) that promote narrative shifts and alternative economic solutions, particularly through their engagement in global spaces.
This has also indirectly affected peer funders, who are being introduced to new perspectives which can easily find a place within their existing strategies.
Challenges to funder collaboration
This has not come without challenges. Bringing funders together requires close coordination. Staff turnover and shifts in philanthropic priorities disrupt long-standing efforts in relationship building. Lack of coordination among funders and stakeholders may lead to inefficiencies, duplication of efforts, and missed opportunities for impact. Historically, advocates of gender justice and feminist economics have driven the discourse on macroeconomic women’s empowerment, but their work remains marginalised. Strong funding and commitment are needed for systemic change. Though there is notable progress in recent years bringing feminist economists into mainstream debates.
Moving forward: advancing gender equality in a changing landscape
The philanthropic sector is in the midst of significant transformation. Some funders are leaving, new funders are entering the space, and traditional funders are adapting to changing times. The rise of high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) is shifting funding dynamics in the landscape. Some HNWIs are more focused on responding to crisis, juxtaposing the efforts of more traditional philanthropies who are targeting long-term systems change. As these dynamics continue to evolve, it becomes essential to adapt funder collaboration approaches to ensure that gender equality remains a central concern in all development efforts.
As we reflect on the progress made and the work still to be done, it is clear that accelerating action for gender equality will require sustained effort from all actors involved, including funders, field leaders, and governments. Strategic advocacy, peer influencing, and cross-sector collaboration can actively shape the global funding landscape, ensuring that gender equality remains a core driver of development. In the end, it’s simple: When peers connect, progress doesn’t just happen… it accelerates, and that’s where the real magic is!
