Operations Professionals Network – Bridges over Troubled Waters: Collaboration across Boundaries
The Operations Professionals Network will host “Bridges over Troubled Waters: Collaboration across Boundaries“ in London from 2-4 December 2025.
This two-day gathering will examine how foundations can deepen collaborative practices at three critical levels: between OPN member organisations, within individual foundations and in support of external partners and grantees. Participants will candidly assess both the benefits and barriers to effective collaboration, addressing persistent challenges including competing organisational priorities, limited time and resources, process alignment difficulties and the gap between initial enthusiasm and sustained implementation.
The working groups will engage in practical discussions about strengthening collaborative infrastructure, explore shared platforms and knowledge exchange between organisations, recognising that while enthusiasm for joint initiatives runs high, follow-through often falters when participants return to day-to-day priorities.
We will also examine how operational teams can break down silos within their own foundations through technology, culture and clearer processes. Throughout, participants will focus on identifying realistic, actionable strategies that acknowledge resource limitations while building on the genuine commitment to collaboration that is being expressed within the OPN community, in the broader world of philanthropy and that the current moment is calling for.
It is hoped that this can be a concrete opportunity to move beyond aspirational discussion towards practical frameworks for sustained collaborative action.
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