Scaling social initiatives is both an art and a science. PRF has reviewed its scaling efforts to identify what works and what doesn’t, focusing on expanding the reach of programs.
This review examines the question: ‘What have we learned about our partnerships that are supporting ideas to scale?’ by analysing the 15 grants – made prior to March 2023 and totalling $91.6m – that focus on scaling. Of these, one partner far exceeded scaling targets, five scaled as expected to their intended target, and nine underperformed in relation to intended targets.
There are some surprising insights, such as clear evidence of impact not being a pre-requisite for scaling. There are also some unsurprising insights: well-networked organisations performed better; collaborative funding yields better results; reflection and adjustment are critical; leadership matters and a constellation of factors working in concert tends to result in better outcomes.
The lessons have also been truncated into a guide designed to help not-for-profit organisations understand key insights from this review and how to apply them to improve collaboration with funders.