Building Strategies That Stick: The Power of Co-Creation and Challenge
By Alison Clarke, 15th January 2026
Wrapping up a recent fundraising strategy project has been such a pleasure. Not just because of the big questions we’ve explored but also because of the brilliant team I’ve had the privilege of supporting.
One of the most satisfying aspects of reaching this point is that I’m not handing the strategy over because it already belongs to the team. From the very start, this work has been about building the strategy with them, not delivering a finished product to them.
When Strategy Belongs to the Team
Strategy only sticks when the people who will bring it to life have shaped it, challenged it and made it their own. Otherwise, it becomes just another document with good intentions but disconnected from the reality of day-to-day work.
This is why at AAW we don’t think co-creation is simply a nice-to-have. It’s a necessity and serves as the bedrock of our strategy process.
A strategy made in isolation will always require translation. A strategy built together already speaks the language of the team. It sounds like them, feels like them and they instinctively know what it means in practice. They know how to apply it and where to adapt when circumstances inevitably change.
What Does Co-Creation Look Like in Practice?
So, what does good co-creation actually involve?
Involve the right people early. Not only senior leadership but also the people making day-to-day decisions and delivering the work.
Test your thinking as you go. Shape the strategy through discussion. Avoid presenting it as a completed document at the end.
Make space for challenge. The strongest thinking comes from constructive debate, not from consensus alone.
Make it real. Help people connect the strategy to their own work, so it becomes something tangible rather than an abstract concept.
Create moments of ownership. From the outset, people need to see themselves as active drivers of the strategy, not just passive recipients.
Embracing Challenge to Build Confidence
Closely linked to co-creation is the importance of being open to challenge. Being challenged can feel uncomfortable. It’s tempting to see it as criticism, something to defend against or a distraction to smooth over quickly.
The best strategies, the ones that actually work, emerge when we stay open to challenge rather than shutting it down. When we feel challenged, our instinct is often to double down, to justify why we’re right and to move on. Instead, it’s worth pausing to ask:
What if they’re right?
What might I be missing?
What would need to be true for this to work differently?
This shift, from defending to exploring, changes everything.
Real Confidence Comes from Testing
Ultimately, real confidence in your strategy doesn’t come from having all the answers. It comes from knowing you’re willing to test your thinking, adapt and make it stronger.
It comes from inviting others in, not keeping them at arm’s length. So as you reflect on your own work, consider this: What does good co-creation look like in practice for you? And how are you creating the space for challenge that makes your strategy stronger?
Strategy That Belongs and Endures
At the AAW Group, we believe the best strategies aren’t written for organisations, they’re built with them.
That’s why co-creation isn’t an add-on to AAW’s approach, it’s at the core of everything we do. Whether we’re supporting a full fundraising strategy, an organisational review or a focused planning process, we work collaboratively with teams at every level to ensure the strategy feels real, lived and actionable.
We ask the hard questions. We create space for challenge. And we bring decades of experience helping charities and not-for-profits turn strategic thinking into practical momentum.
The result is strategies that don’t sit on a shelf. They’re owned, understood and ready to be used by the people who matter most.
Ready to build a strategy your team believes in? Get in touch and let’s start the conversation.