Investing in multi-stakeholder Partnerships for the SDGs

Building on the Unite to Ignite study, this session examined why multi-stakeholder partnerships need financing approaches distinct from traditional projects and how funders can invest both in partnerships and the enabling environment (policies, institutional capacities, engagement mechanisms). It guided donors, foundations, development banks, companies, and governments on who funds, what instruments (grants, finance, blended), how to structure support for adaptive, collective impact, and what internal changes funders need to become effective multi-stakeholder partnership backers. A Mexico case illustrated investing in partnership infrastructure and capacities.