Building Stronger Partnerships with Government - A Roundtable with the Gates Foundation

by Sinéad Dalton in Philanthropy Ireland

Irish philanthropy is growing and evolving in how it engages with public policy and Government.

Ireland’s National Philanthropy Policy creates an opportunity to explore how partnership can deliver greater public value. As this work develops, important questions remain around how engagement works best in practice particularly in relation to roles, boundaries and partnership structures.

To explore this, Philanthropy Ireland convened a roundtable, bringing together sector leaders with colleagues from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

With over two decades of experience working alongside governments globally, Joe Cerrell, alongside colleagues Chelsea Phipps and Lucy Hayes, shared their perspective grounded in what has worked in practice. One idea came through clearly:

Where the goal is long-term, system-level change, engagement with Government becomes an important part of how impact is achieved.

Policy and funding working together

Joe spoke about the Foundation’s shift from primarily funding programmes to placing greater emphasis on policy, advocacy and government engagement.

Working across more than 20 governments, the Foundation brings evidence and expertise into policy discussions, helping identify where resources and innovation are most needed. As Joe emphasised, this is not about directing Government policy, but about working alongside it- aligning around shared priorities and supporting better and long-term outcomes.

Relationships drive everything

A consistent theme was simple but critical: Partnerships don’t start with proposals. They start with relationships.

Effective engagement requires understanding how Government works in practice - its incentives, pressures and priorities and identifying the people working on the issues that matter.

Joe highlighted the importance of both civil servant champions, who can navigate systems internally, and political sponsorship to unlock momentum. It also means recognising that not every conversation leads to a partnership and knowing when not to proceed.

Alignment is the entry point

Partnership works best when it starts from alignment. Where Government priorities are clear, philanthropy can add real value through expertise, flexibility and innovation. Their examples from agriculture to global health showed that progress often comes from building on what already exists, rather than introducing something new.

Transparency builds trust

The discussion also addressed questions around scepticism, influence, and transparency. Joe’s perspective was clear: respond by engaging openly.

Be clear. Be transparent. Be accountable.

That means being upfront about funding, defining roles clearly, and communicating the purpose and limits of engagement. Trust is built over time.

Working together

Another strong insight was the value of collective effort. Internationally, some effective initiatives involve coalitions of philanthropic organisations aligned around shared goals, engaging Government with a more coordinated voice. For Ireland, this raises a simple question: where could we do more together?

AI, Tech and Philanthropy

The conversation also explored how the landscape is evolving, particularly in relation to AI and digital engagement. There was strong interest in how technology could support more inclusive participation with Joe sharing the example of developing AI tools across diverse languages so ‘no one is left behind’. At the same time, there was a clear note of caution: while tools may evolve, the fundamentals remain the same trust, relationships and credibility.

What this means for Ireland

Ireland is not starting from scratch. There are strong examples of collaboration, growing interest across the sector, and a policy framework in place.

Realising the potential of this moment will require clearer pathways for engagement, stronger shared understanding, and continued investment in relationships.

A shared next step

What stood out was not just the discussion but the appetite in the room. There is a clear willingness to learn, collaborate and explore what more is possible.

As Philanthropy Ireland develops a government messaging framework to support consistent language, a policy playbook on philanthropic–government partnerships, and a national case study library, these insights will shape the next phase of work.

Final reflection

Effective partnership is not about scale. It is about alignment, trust and clarity of purpose.

When philanthropy and government work well together, it can extend the reach and longevity of impact.