“Embrace Courageous Action”: A Recap of the October Public-Private Partnerships Gathering
By Elena Perez, Magic Cabinet, and Elsa Batres-Boni, Communities of Opportunity
A full house of 60 philanthropists and government grant-makers met October 3 at the Wing Luke Museum in Seattle for a successful and exciting event. “Public-Private Partnerships: Coming Together to Transform How We Fund Organizations and Invest in Communities” was created in direct response to community partners urging our sectors to collaborate and continue to support community-led initiatives.
Together, we began shaping a vision for how philanthropy, government, and community can collaboratively transform funding practices to better serve nonprofit organizations across King County and Washington state.
The event, co-hosted by Magic Cabinet and Communities of Opportunity, brought together about 60 leaders from philanthropy (45%), government (45%), and nonprofits (10%). This diverse group engaged in meaningful conversations about building community power, dismantling systemic barriers, and fostering bold partnerships.
Here’s a recap of what we accomplished together. And, please read on if you weren’t there and you’d like to get involved too.
Building Trust and Community Power: Bold Steps Toward Transformative Public-Private Partnerships
Keynote speaker Sili Savusa of PICA-WA and Co-founder of Communities of Opportunity urged us to embrace courageous action, challenging top-down approaches and empowering community-led solutions. She called on all sectors to prioritize trust and relationships, shifting focus to building community power and co-creating sustainable solutions.
Sili Savusa challenges us to embrace “courageous action.” Photo by Kelly Vang.
Matias Valenzuela (left) and Kathi Littman (right) talk about the challenges and opportunities of public-private partnerships. Photo by Kelly Vang.
Panelists Matias Valenzuela (Public Health – Seattle & King County/COO Governance Group) and Kathi Littmann (Greater Tacoma Community Foundation) shared candid reflections on navigating challenges and unlocking opportunities within public-private partnerships. They highlighted the importance of open dialogue, acknowledging that addressing fears about accountability, efficiency, and alignment is key to fostering trust. By demonstrating success through transparency and collaboration, these partnerships can overcome skepticism and serve as a model for impactful change.
Key Themes from Group Conversations
Attendees discussed opportunities for collaboration, surfacing themes that included:
Collaborative Funding: Streamline processes like shared funding profiles and umbrella contracts to reduce burdens on community-based organizations (CBOs).
Efficient Contracting: Advocate for reforms in public funding processes, such as faster turnarounds and equitable reimbursement policies.
Innovation and Capacity Building: Foster mentorship between organizations and invest in capacity-building for nonprofits.
Sustainable Partnerships: Prioritize multi-year, general operating funds and equitable grantmaking to address root causes.
These themes reflect a shared commitment to reducing barriers, amplifying community voices, and creating impactful partnerships.
Participants talk about opportunities for collaboration. Photo by Kelly Vang.
Attendees responding to the question, “Who in this room has worked for more than one sector?” Photo by Kelly Vang.
Next Steps: Building on Momentum
We heard excitement to participate in a second Public-Private Partnerships gathering and we are proposing to do it at the end of Q1 2025. This event will focus on actionable steps toward implementing ideas and opportunities we’ve collectively identified.
We invite both the people who attended in October, and others who work in government and philanthropy who want to explore public-private partnerships.
Let us know here how you’d like to engage, including:
Attend the following event: Expect details for our next gathering in late Q1 2025.
Invite others: Expand the network by sharing this effort with your peers. Please share this post with this link to sign up for updates.
Help organize: Join the planning committee and contribute your expertise to shape the next event.
Stay Connected
Thank you to those able to join us for the Public-Private Partnerships event! Your presence and insights were integral to making this gathering a resounding success.
We invite you to keep the dialogue alive. Let’s continue learning, sharing, and driving forward innovative solutions. Together, we can redefine how we fund and invest in the communities we serve.
Questions? Please contact Communities of Opportunity Director Elsa Batres-Boni, at ebatresboni@kingcounty.gov.
Special Thanks To: The original organizing team from Magic Cabinet and Communities of Opportunity Governance Group and COO staff and Learning Community consultants for their dedication to making this event possible.
Organizing Committee, L-R: Elena Perez, Elsa Batres-Boni, Yordanos Teferi, Jackie Vaughn, Michael Seiwerath, Matias Valenzuela. Photo by Kelly Vang.
COO’s consultants Caroline Burney and Jackie Mena.
Thank you for joining us in our mission to reimagine and deploy a new type of philanthropy that helps foster community-led change and impact.