• News
    • Latest news
    • News search
    • Health
    • Finance
    • Food
    • Career news
    • Content series
    • Try Devex Pro
  • Jobs
    • Job search
    • Post a job
    • Employer search
    • CV Writing
    • Upcoming career events
    • Try Career Account
  • Funding
    • Funding search
    • Funding news
  • Talent
    • Candidate search
    • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Events
    • Upcoming and past events
    • Partner on an event
  • Post a job
  • About
      • About us
      • Membership
      • Newsletters
      • Advertising partnerships
      • Devex Talent Solutions
      • Contact us
Join DevexSign in
Join DevexSign in

News

  • Latest news
  • News search
  • Health
  • Finance
  • Food
  • Career news
  • Content series
  • Try Devex Pro

Jobs

  • Job search
  • Post a job
  • Employer search
  • CV Writing
  • Upcoming career events
  • Try Career Account

Funding

  • Funding search
  • Funding news

Talent

  • Candidate search
  • Devex Talent Solutions

Events

  • Upcoming and past events
  • Partner on an event
Post a job

About

  • About us
  • Membership
  • Newsletters
  • Advertising partnerships
  • Devex Talent Solutions
  • Contact us
  • My Devex
  • Update my profile % complete
  • Account & privacy settings
  • My saved jobs
  • Manage newsletters
  • Support
  • Sign out
Latest newsNews searchHealthFinanceFoodCareer newsContent seriesTry Devex Pro
    • Devex Impact
    • #FutureINGO

    Rethinking partnerships for greater shared value

    The Levi Strauss Foundation had to form partnerships with NGOs to ensure the sustainability of its programs. It's been quite a process, one in which the actors have had to learn and grow, Executive Director Daniel Lee shares in this video interview for the Future of INGO series.

    By Jacques Jimeno // 22 May 2015
    Daniel Lee, executive director for the Levi Strauss Foundation, shares lessons learned in building partnerships with nongovernmental organizations.

    Nongovernmental organizations are changing the way they are working. They now place importance in building stronger partnerships to create shared value. But “against backgrounds that are often divisive,” how do partnerships persist?

    In the case of the Levi Strauss Foundation, there needed to be a “fundamental rethink” in the way it built its programs and ensure their sustainability, Executive Director Daniel Lee shares in a video interview.

    See more stories on the Future of INGO:
    ● Jeremy Farrar: Steering Wellcome into 'truly' international waters
    ● Partnering to unlock local market systems
    ● What's next for the shared value movement?
    ● How to keep INGOs relevant in a changing world
    ● How international NGOs choose corporate partners
    ● Carolyn Miles: New consensus challenging us to 'embrace previously unimaginable possibilities'

    It might not have been enough to invest 15 years and $10 million in worker empowerment programs that touched on health, financial security, sustainable living environments and rights.

    “How much of these are actually sustained by suppliers after funding has left?” he asked.

    Bringing together the brand, a local NGO and a critical local supplier has created space for mutual growth, Lee said, adding that these kinds of partnerships are often played out against backgrounds that are often divisive.

    “What we’ve learned is that shared value means building connective tissues between unlikely allies,” he said.

    Devex, in partnership with the Shared Value Initiative, FSG and Global Impact, is examining how the world’s largest international nongovernmental organizations are transitioning their partnership strategies from traditional corporate partnerships to more scalable initiatives. We’ll look at how these initiatives accelerate both social impact and a business return on investment, while highlighting engagement in shared value during this special series “The Future of International NGOs.” Join the conversation using #FutureINGO.

    • Institutional Development
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).

    About the author

    • Jacques Jimeno

      Jacques Jimeno

      Jacques is a former copy editor at Devex’s news production team. Previously, he worked with the Philippine Department of Tourism and the World Wide Fund for Nature.

    Search for articles

    Related Stories

    Devex NewswireSpecial edition: Germany steps into the void USAID left behind

    Special edition: Germany steps into the void USAID left behind

    Most Read

    • 1
      How low-emissions livestock are transforming dairy farming in Africa
    • 2
      Opinion: Mobile credit, savings, and insurance can drive financial health
    • 3
      Opinion: India’s bold leadership in turning the tide for TB
    • 4
      USAID's humanitarian bureau is under pressure and overstretched
    • 5
      The UN's changing of the guard
    • News
    • Jobs
    • Funding
    • Talent
    • Events

    Devex is the media platform for the global development community.

    A social enterprise, we connect and inform over 1.3 million development, health, humanitarian, and sustainability professionals through news, business intelligence, and funding & career opportunities so you can do more good for more people. We invite you to join us.

    • About us
    • Membership
    • Newsletters
    • Advertising partnerships
    • Devex Talent Solutions
    • Post a job
    • Careers at Devex
    • Contact us
    © Copyright 2000 - 2025 Devex|User Agreement|Privacy Statement