Scaling with Government: Partnerships, Policy, and Sustainable Impact

​Governments are often the key to taking high-impact social innovations to scale, yet working with them presents unique challenges—from navigating bureaucracy to ensuring long-term sustainability. This session will explore what it takes to scale solutions through government partnerships, drawing on real-world examples like Kenya’s national rollout of SRHR education.

We will discuss how nonprofits and social enterprises can transition from pilot programs to large-scale government adoption, the innovations needed to scale proven but often overlooked solutions, and how funders view organizations working at the government level. Participants will also examine planned obsolescence—the critical but often unspoken goal of ensuring that government can fully own and sustain a program without ongoing external support.

Key Questions:

• ​What makes a government-nonprofit partnership successful, and what are the biggest challenges in scaling with government?

• ​How can organizations transition from innovative pilots to policy-driven national programs?

• ​What do funders look for in organizations seeking to scale with government, and how can partnerships be structured for long-term sustainability?

• ​How can we ensure government adoption of solutions that are proven but not necessarily ""new"" or technology-driven?

• ​What does planned obsolescence look like in practice, and how can organizations design for sustainable exits?

​This session will provide a space for social innovators, policymakers, and funders to share insights on scaling through government collaboration, ensuring that impactful solutions reach millions while remaining sustainable in the long run.

​Session Co-Leaders:

• ​Carolyn Kandusi – CEO of Policy Innovation Lab-Africa, a leader in social innovation and policy reform, directing impact investments and advising Tanzania’s President on economic justice.

• ​Grace Hollister – Chief Engagement Officer at Evidence Action, scaling proven solutions to improve the lives of millions living in poverty across nine countries.

• ​Kruti Dalal – Head of Resource Mobilization and Communication at ARMMAN, leading fundraising and communications to reduce maternal and child mortality.

• ​Katrina Straker – CDO at Splash International, leading fundraising and communications to provide clean water, sanitation, and hygiene for children in urban poverty.