Giving Compass' Take:

• This Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors' case study focuses on the Antioquia Collective Project, which sought to address community needs in Colombia through a coordinated effort among various foundations.

• Access to clean water was the goal of the project, which has a ripple effect in other areas. But the biggest challenge — and opportunity — here was trust-building.

• Here's why the world needs more collective action in general.

After an annual event promoted by Asociación de Fundaciones Familiares y Empresariales (AFE) of Colombia in 2015, 17 member foundations formed a partnership to launch "Learning Together to Work Together" — the Antioquia Collective Project.

Each of the foundations held a stake in improving the same geographic area, and believed they could increase social impact in their community by working in a more integrated way, with results measured by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) framework. To understand the unique needs and priorities of this region, the foundations performed a landscape scan and diagnosis with community-based participatory dialogue. By September 2017, the foundations had agreed to focus their project on water. Carolina Suarez, former CEO of AFE, shared, “By starting with water, we can then help achieve other SDGs such as poverty, food, and health. Water is the base to improve quality of life.” Implementation of the project began January 2018, and there is a projected end in December of 2020, at which time the community will take ownership of the project.

Read the full article about AFE and the Antioquia Collective Project at Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.