Toward equity-focused & community-centered multisector collaborative capacity: A Blue Shield of California Foundation learning paper

This paper zeroes in on learning particularly focused on BSCF’s investments in multisector collaboration (MSC), which includes support for several health-focused multisector collaboratives including the California Accountable Communities for Health Initiative (CACHI) and BUILD Health Challenge, as well as cohorts of domestic violence prevention collaboratives such as Leveraging Collaboration to End Domestic Violence (LCDV) and Safety Through Connection (STC). While this strategy to date has been shaped by rapid-fire and real-time meaning making from these efforts, as a follow up to a formal BSCF strategy refinement process in 2021, the BSCF team wanted to step back, reflect on all that has taken place, and draw upon insights from trusted partners within and outside the foundation to formally capture the richness of what has been learned and confirm directions forward. Partners at Eternal Knot Evaluation and Social Policy Research Associates therefore engaged in a retrospective learning effort toward that end.
The specific learning objective centered on supporting BSCF and the broader field in specifically understanding MSC collaborative capacity. Beyond traditional notions of capacity rooted in measuring organizational strength and stability—how are equity-focused and community-centered MSCs conceptualizing collaborative capacity, what new learning is being surfaced, and what are the implications for BSCF’s and the broader field’s support in this area going forward? 
The following draws from a comprehensive review of evaluation reports, issue briefs, and papers from BSCF’s multisector collaborative investments, as well as interviews with 14 individuals who represented MSC funders, field partners and grantees who could offer particular insight into these areas. The next section briefly underscores what has been learned about the power and potential of MSCs as an approach to prevent domestic violence and advance health equity, followed by a fuller summary of emerging learning about collaborative capacity required to realize that potential. The paper then concludes with considerations for further dialogue and action. (author description) #P4HEwebinarNovember2024