Bridging the Gap: Insights from the Insight Swap NGO-Business Workshop

“These are the kinds of conversations that help real collaboration happen.”

At the 4th edition of the Academy of Givers Annual Conference, held on the 25th of March 2025 at Corinthia, St George's Bay, the Insight Swap: A Speed Exchange Between NGOs and Businesses workshop, led by Melanie Vella, Sustainability and ESG Solutionist, and Founder of Tides Rising, and Julia Zammit Galea Testaferrata, Freelance Project Manager, brought together NGOs and businesses in an interactive session to foster understanding, communication, and collaboration.

This design thinking session was structured as a speed-dating format, where NGOs and businesses engaged in rapid, thought-provoking exchanges. Each pair had limited time to respond to carefully curated questions, share insights, and write down key takeaways and possible solutions.

The questions were based on data from the 2025 Giving Report for Malta, a research-driven publication by the Academy of Givers that maps out the giving sector, highlighting the evolving landscape of philanthropy and business engagement with the voluntary sector.

Through structured discussions, participants explored five core questions, each revealing critical insights into the challenges and opportunities within NGO-business partnerships, while also identifying possible solutions and ways to improve collaborations:

1. The Value of Funding Operational Costs

Question: How do NGOs show businesses the value of funding operational costs when they are hesitant to provide this support?

Key Takeaways:

• Demonstrate impact by showcasing past successes.
• Emphasise honesty and transparency in reporting.
• Use data-driven insights to measure impact.
• Share success stories and concrete examples of operational needs.
• Provide businesses with opportunities to understand administrative challenges.
  
  

2. Business Hesitation in Funding Operational Costs

Question: What concerns might businesses have about funding NGO operational costs, such as salaries? How can NGOs better demonstrate the long-term impact of these expenses?

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Key Takeaways:

• Businesses prefer a return on investment—NGOs should propose collaborations rather than just requesting funds.
• Transparency in budget allocation is key.
• NGOs should engage in continuous reporting to maintain trust.
  
  

3. Standing Out in a Competitive Funding Landscape

Question: What are NGOs doing to stand out in a competitive funding landscape where businesses tend to support more well-known organisations?

Key Takeaways:

• Build strong relationships and connections with potential funders.
• Collaborate with other NGOs to amplify impact.
• Develop unique projects that differentiate them from others.
• Prioritise good governance, accountability, and transparency.
• Offer volunteering opportunities and individualised campaigns.
  
  

4. Engaging with Smaller NGOs

Question: How often do businesses seek out smaller or lesser-known NGOs rather than partnering with large, well-established organisations?

Key Takeaways:

• Smaller NGOs often have a stronger alignment with core values but struggle with visibility.
• Businesses find communication with smaller NGOs challenging, especially if response times are slow.
• Smaller organisations offer stronger relationships but often lack resources and time for extensive collaboration.
  
  

5. Building Long-Term Partnerships

Question: How do NGOs build long-term partnerships with businesses that align with their mission rather than just focusing on short-term support?

Key Takeaways:

• NGOs should create donor packages to outline engagement opportunities.
• Consistency and face-to-face relationship-building are crucial.
• Transparency and regular updates (emails, newsletters) foster trust.
• Frequent communication and idea-sharing strengthen partnerships.
• Involving business partners in decision-making increases their investment in the cause.
  
  

At the end of the workshop, participants engaged in a group discussion, bringing together everything discussed during the session, sharing insights, takeaways, new things learnt, and new things to think about and consider:

1. ‍Mutual Learning: NGOs and businesses each have unique expertise and challenges, and collaboration is essential to maximise impact.‍
2. Diverse Funding Needs: NGOs require funding for operational costs beyond salaries, such as administration.‍
3. The Project-Based Funding Challenge: Many local funding opportunities are project-based, leaving NGOs struggling to cover essential admin costs.‍
4. Passion-Driven Work: NGOs do what they do out of love and dedication to their mission, and businesses should recognise and support this impactful work. NGOs want to share this impact and the beauty of helping others and causes with businesses, fostering a deeper connection and collaboration.

The Insight Swap Workshop highlighted the importance of structured dialogue between NGOs and businesses to address funding concerns, build partnerships, and align expectations. By fostering honest, transparent, and solution-driven exchanges, both sectors can work together more effectively to create sustainable, long-term impact.

As we continue to strengthen these partnerships, workshops like this serve as a catalyst for bridging the gap between the business and non-profit sectors. Another session of Insight Swap will soon be organised again in 2025, stay tuned for more information.

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