In order to increase their impact, funders should make more effort to share their knowledge, skills and expertise with other organizations; this according to a just published report from U.K. think tank New Philanthropy Capital.

In Sharing knowledge to increase impact: a guide for charitable funders, the authors suggest how funders could increase their impact: by developing a culture of learning within their own organizations they can learn more through their own grant-making; by sharing their knowledge with other funders, charities and policy-makers, the rest of the sector can benefit from their experience.

According to Matt van Poortvliet, a research analyst on the project, “Charitable funders are usually seen in terms of the money that they give out: as cash machines doling out grants. But effective funders also have considerable intellectual assets – expertise and specialist knowledge about the areas they fund, about supporting charities, and about how to fund effectively. Making the most of this knowledge is vital, especially when financial resources are stretched.”

The full report is available for download (free registration required).