Collaborative philanthropy has grown significantly over the past decade with many institutional funders taking part in a collaborative. But while foundation support for collaborative funds is increasingly common, individual high-net-wealth donors remain a largely untapped opportunity for collaborative funds to grow. For the right donor, a collaborative fund offers something rare: a chance to go deep on an issue they care about, leverage pooled giving for increased impact, and make transformational gifts that would be difficult to achieve alone.
A nine-month learning journey for collaborative fund leaders ready to grow their individual high-net-wealth fundraising.
The opportunity to bring in HNW donors is real, but it requires a different kind of fundraising.
Raising money from individual donors for a collaborative fund means translating concepts like shared governance, collective decision-making, and long-term systems change into something personal and compelling. It means finding HNW donors who are ready to think differently about their giving, and guiding them toward a model that may be new to them.
This cohort is built specifically for that challenge.
Over nine months, you will join a small group of peers navigating the same questions and ambitions. Together, you will move from uncertainty to clarity, from theory to practice, and from hesitation to action. This is not a passive learning experience — it is a working space where you will build, test, refine, and actually do the work of fundraising.
You will develop a pitch that feels true to your collaboration. You will identify and prioritize the right donors. You will practice your ask. And most importantly, you will go out and have real conversations with individual funders — supported by a cohort that is learning alongside you.
What to Expect
This cohort runs from June 2026 through March 2027 with eight group sessions, structured 1:1 coaching, and ongoing peer learning. Sessions are held virtually (2 hours each) unless otherwise noted. Participants will commit to holding real donor meetings during the program — this is a hands-on, applied learning experience, not a lecture series.
Each session builds on the last. By the time you reach your fall donor meetings, you will have a pitch you have workshopped, a prospect list you believe in, and a plan you are ready to execute.
June 2026
2-hour session
June 16, Noon – 2PM ET
Session 1: Foundations — Fundraising, Power, and Your Pitch
- Get to know your cohort
- Set the context: what is happening in the philanthropic landscape right now, and what it means for collaborative funds
- Introduction to major gifts: how high-net-worth relationships work and what motivates individual donors
July 2026
2-hour session
July 21, Noon – 2PM ET
Session 2: Finding Donors and Building Relationships Before You Ask
- Where to find aligned donors beyond your existing network: prospect research, warm introductions, and the family foundation landscape
- Building a cultivation timeline: how many touchpoints, how to deepen relationships, when to ask and when to wait
- Major Gifts 101, continued: the anatomy of a major gift relationship from first contact to multi-year commitment
- Homework: draft a first version of your pitch, to be workshopped next session
August 2026
2-hour session
August 11, Noon – 2PM ET
Session 3: Making the Case for Collaborative Funds — and Unlocking Noncash Gifts
- How to explain your collaborative model to individual donors: shared governance, pooled funds, ecosystem impact — in plain language
- Building fundraising infrastructure that outlasts any one person: CRMs, relationship documentation, and transition planning
- Noncash assets: donor advised funds, the philanthropic advisor ecosystem, and how to have these conversations with donors
- Guest: Kimberly Dasher Tripp on the DAF and philanthropic advisor landscape
- Pitch workshop: peer feedback on your June drafts — what is landing, what needs work
August-September 2026
60-minute 1:1 session
Individual Coaching Sessions (Required for All Participants)
- Each participating organization receives a dedicated 1:1 coaching session before fall outreach begins
- Topics: your specific fundraising plan, your pitch, your prospect list, and your biggest sticking points
- Come ready to talk through what feels ready — and what does not
September 2026
2-hour session
September 15, Noon – 2PM ET
Session 4: Fall Kickoff — Role Play, Final Pitch, and Donor Meeting Prep
- Role play the ask: practice in pairs with structured, honest feedback from peers and the facilitator
- Each participant shares their target list and prep for their first donor meeting of the fall
- Leave this session with a specific plan for your next 60 days of outreach
- Send-off: you are ready — now go have the meetings
October 2026
2-hour session
October 13, Noon – 2PM ET
Session 5: Mid-Fall Check-In — Troubleshooting in Real Time
- Guest: Mayra Peters-Quintero from Abundant Futures Fund
- Check-in while you are in the thick of fall donor meetings
- Share what is going well, what is surprising you, and where you are stuck
- Peer problem-solving: bring a specific challenge and leave with ideas
- Optional: additional 1:1 coaching available for participants who want extra support
October-December 2026
60-minute 1:1 session
Individual Coaching Sessions (Required for All Participants)
- Each participating organization receives a dedicated 1:1 coaching session before fall outreach begins
- Topics: your specific fundraising plan, your pitch, your prospect list, and your biggest sticking points
- Come ready to talk through what feels ready — and what does not
November 2026
2-hour session
November 10, Noon – 2PM ET
Session 6: Debrief — What Worked, What Surprised You, What Is Next
- Structured debrief: each participant reports back on their fall meetings — what landed, what did not, what you learned
- Celebrate wins, name what was hard, and extract lessons for the group
- Brainstorm solicitation strategies for the donors you have not yet asked
- Begin thinking about 2027: what do you want to do differently?
January 2027
2-hour session
January 19, Noon – 2PM ET
Session 7: Looking Back and Looking Forward — Your 2027 Fundraising Plan
- Participants present their updated fundraising plans — revised based on everything you experienced and learned this fall
- What are you doing differently in 2027? What relationships are you deepening? What donors are you ready to ask?
- Peer feedback on updated plans and goals
- Reflect on how far you have come since June
February 2027
2-hour session
February 23, Noon – 2PM ET
Session 8: Additional topic TBD
- Additional information and discussion based on the needs of the cohort
March 2027
In-person
March 8-10 at the Global Summit of Collaborative Funds
Cohort Celebration at the Global Summit of Collaborative Funds
- Gather in person at the Global Summit of Collaborative Funds to close out the cohort
- Celebrate what the group built together — relationships, skills, and confidence
- Connect with the broader collaborative fund field and share what you learned
- Discussion: what does continued peer learning look like beyond the formal cohort?
Cost
This program is being offered for a reduced fee of $3,000, made possible through underwriting from Philanthropy Together’s funding partners, who are committed to making this learning accessible to practitioners across the field. Program cost covers all learning sessions and two 1-1 coaching sessions with Paul Dana and the Philanthropy Together team. Payment will be due by July 15, 2026 by credit card or invoice.
Enrollment is limited to 15 collaborative funds. We encourage you to apply early, as spots will be filled on a first come first serve basis for collaboratives that meet the criteria.
Who this is for
- Collaborative funds at various stages of fundraising maturity with some fundraising prospects and the capacity to hold HNW individual donor meetings during the cohort
- Funds with clear aspirations to grow individual giving and at least some individual HNW donor prospects in their midst
- Collaborative funds with annual grantmaking over $5M-10M are encouraged to apply.
- Global collaboratives are welcome to apply. Some learning frames may be more relevant for HNW donor contexts in more developed philanthropic landscapes like the US.
What you will leave with
Skills and confidence
- A fundraising approach that feels authentic to who you are
- Practical skills in prospecting, cultivation, and making the ask
- Experience with real donor conversations — not just practice runs
- Fluency with noncash assets and the philanthropic advisor ecosystem
Tools and infrastructure
- A HNWI fundraising plan for your collaborative
- A pitch you have workshopped and tested with real donors
- Donor meeting prep worksheets and take aways
Meet Your Facilitators
Paul Dana is a philanthropic advisor and fundraiser who has spent more than twenty years helping donors and institutions raise more money and give it away more effectively.
His career has centered on large, complex fundraising challenges, with particular depth in donor collaboratives and pooled fund philanthropy. He spent a decade at the ACLU, where he personally raised more than $400 million and built a philanthropic advisory practice for the organization’s most significant donors. He has held senior fundraising roles at the City University of New York, Girl Scouts of the USA, and the Drug Policy Alliance.
Paul has worked extensively with collaborative funds at every stage — from early fundraising strategy and pitch development to major gifts cultivation and closing. His clients include Co-Impact, one of the largest global collaborative funds in the world, and Liberation Ventures, and he serves as a Senior Advisor to the Abundant Futures Fund. Across these engagements he has helped collaborative funds make the case to high net worth individuals, family foundations, and family offices, and has supported organizations in securing some of the largest gifts in their histories.
He is the founder of Dana Advisory, a focused independent practice where he works with a small number of clients. Paul is based in Brooklyn, New York.
Isis Krause is an impact strategist and facilitator devoted to advancing a bolder and more collective vision for philanthropy. Through participatory design, she has led visioning and strategic planning for dozens of organizations and designed over 250 convenings and workshops around the world, including at the White House, Gates Foundation, Ford Foundation, TED, Africa Philanthropy Forum, and more.
In 2018, she led a yearlong co-design process that birthed Philanthropy Together—a global field catalyst for collaborative giving. As their Chief Strategy Officer, she expands the vision and develops field-wide programs. She is a co-author of multiple research reports, including The Collaborative Effect: Grantee Perspectives on How Collaborative Funds Work Best, Patterns in the Tapestry: A Typology of Collective Giving Groups, and the Collaborative Philanthropy Certificate with Daylight Advisors. She is a UCLA alumna, trained pastry chef, and firm believer in the power of collective action to change the world.
Sara Lomelin is a global leader in collective giving and the founding CEO of Philanthropy Together, a nonprofit on a mission to democratize and diversify philanthropy through the power of giving circles. A passionate connector and speaker, Sara has traveled the world championing people-powered philanthropy, including on the TED stage with her talk “Your Invitation to Disrupt Philanthropy.”
Her bold leadership has earned her recognition on the TIME100 Philanthropy list (2025), Forbes’ 50 Over 50: Impact list (2023), and the NonProfit Times Power & Influence Top 50 (2024). A proud Latina, Sara serves on several national and international boards advancing equity, generosity, and community-driven change.
Prior to Philanthropy Together, Sara served as Senior Director of Leadership Philanthropy at Opportunity Fund, now Accion Opportunity Fund. Previously at the Latino Community Foundation, Sara served as VP of Philanthropy for eight years and created the Latino Giving Circle Network®—the largest network of Latinx philanthropists in the United States.
Collaboratives Fundraising Cohort Application
Registration is now closed. Applicants will receive an update from the Philanthropy Together team in the coming weeks.