Learning the Power of Collaboration

While having the privilege of working at Archstone Foundation this past summer, the most valuable lesson I learned was how progress in philanthropy depends on people, organizations, and systems working together. When these things align, meaningful change becomes possible. When they don’t, barriers multiply and progress becomes harder to achieve.

During my internship, I saw collaboration at every level: Foundation staff working together and supporting each other, partnering among funders and grantees, and systems overlapping and influencing each other. These experiences showed me that progress in this field is never the work of one person or one sector. It’s always the outcome of working together.

Mentorship and Teamwork

Collaboration was most visible in the daily support I received from the program staff and leadership. Rather than simply giving me assignments, they shared the “why” behind each task, connecting them to the Foundation’s priorities, strategies, operations, and impact. While reviewing grants or in meetings, they encouraged my input and valued my perspective, even though I was new to the Foundation and the philanthropic space. They also challenged me to think critically about how each project aligned with my interests and coursework. And they always urged me to keep equity and the Foundation’s mission in mind.

And so each project became a time for growth, reflection, and empowerment. I came to see mentorship as a valuable form of collaboration—not a one-way transfer of instructions, but an active investment in someone’s development. My Foundation mentors greeted me with arms wide open, guided me through trial and error, welcomed my questions, and built trust that strengthened my confidence. It was a first-hand lesson in how collaboration drives both individual development and organizational impact, fostering a culture built on the belief that progress comes from engaging every voice and making space for diverse perspectives.

Building Capacity

I also saw collaboration extend to Foundation partnerships with grantees. Spending much of the summer reviewing applications for capacity-building grants, I quickly learned this work isn’t only about funding, but also about building partnerships that strengthen the entire aging sector. Funders provide the framework, pushing organizations to think about their long-term sustainability, accountability, and strategic planning. Grantees contribute knowledge of what older adults in their communities need, the constraints they face, and the challenges of serving them.

The process is most powerful when both sides engage fully with one another. The applications I reviewed showed how even modest awards can be transformative: Funding a new database can reduce reporting errors and free up staff to focus on critical work, for example, while paying for stronger evaluation tools can help a nonprofit prove its effectiveness in order to secure new funding.

Philanthropy’s role in aging is to work alongside organizations to ensure they have the systems, people, and strategy to endure and grow. While the Foundation’s capacity building program directs resources to strengthen nonprofits and their focus on older adults’ needs, lasting structural improvements depend on the partnership between funders and grantees. In a sector where demand is rising and challenges are complex, collaboration is integral in determining whether nonprofits grow stronger or collapse under pressure.

Systems Ripple Effect

One of the most eye-opening parts of my internship was seeing how quickly government actions can reshape nonprofit and philanthropic work. Even small policy shifts can divert time and resources away from directly serving older adults. While I supported the Foundation’s website audit, a new executive order restricted what language federally funded nonprofits could use. Suddenly, even neutral demographic terms required review, forcing nonprofits that are already stretched thin to rewrite materials, draining time, energy, and efficiency as they scrambled to stay compliant.

These challenges extend beyond language. When health care, social services, and legal systems fail to align, providers are left to fill the gaps across bureaucracies -- while older adults, who often rely on multiple systems at once, face delays and fragmented care.

This is where philanthropy can play a critical role. Foundations such as Archstone offer flexibility when government is rigid, helping grantees adapt without losing focus on their mission and funding innovation that public resources are too limited or slow to support.

My internship highlighted a critical truth about systems-level dynamics I had studied but never witnessed so directly: Although governments sets parameters, meaningful progress in aging services depends on how well philanthropy and nonprofits collaborate across systems to navigate challenges and keep older adults at the center of care.

Parting Advice

“Don’t lead through fear. Lead through courage,” Foundation President Rigo Saborio told me. That advice encapsulated what I learned last summer.

Collaboration requires courage to trust others, share power, and keep older adults at the center—even when politics, compliance, and external factors make the work harder. My internship reshaped how I see leadership and the standard I set for myself. It gave me conviction to become a leader ready to navigate complex and dynamic systems, challenge structures that hold back progress, and turn ideas into impact.

Profoundly grateful for the team’s generous mentorship, I will carry forward the courage, vision, and collaborative spirit Archstone Foundation instilled in me, embracing its commitment to build a future where every older adult is supported, valued, and able to live with dignity and purpose.