Co-Creation: Viewing Partnerships Through A New Lens

"Co-Creation" is a series of case studies about the Connecticut Early Childhood Funder Collaborative, a project of the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy.

The case studies, written by Patricia Bowie, examine co-creation, an emerging systems change collaboration model which grew out of a funder-and-state partnership. This unique partnership led to the creation by executive order of a new and independent Office of Early Childhood, which was formally approved by the Connecticut State Legislature in 2013.

"Our three-part study is significant, as there is much written about funder partnerships and collaboration success stories, but little discussion on different kinds of collaborative ventures and the lessons learned by philanthropy and the public sector," states Collaborative Executive Director Carol O'Donnell.

The two companion pieces, "Taking on New Roles to Address 21st Century Problems" and "Co-Creation: The Public Sector Perspective," look at co-creation from the perspective of a regional association of grantmakers and government partners, respectively.

The Connecticut Early Childhood Funder Collaborative is a project of the Connecticut Council for Philanthropy (CCP) for which CCP serves as fiscal sponsor. The Collaborative comprises 14 funders from around the state who bring many years of experience in supporting and operating programs that serve the needs of children and families.

Photo: Richard Sussman, Director of Early Childhood Investments, Hartford Foundation for Public Giving; Patricia Bowie, Case Study Author; Carol O'Donnell, Executive Director, Connecticut Early Childhood Funder Collaborative.