The enormity and complexity of achieving the NDP goals calls for the cooperation and collaboration from all spheres of society – in response, the National Education Collaboration Trust hosted the Education NGO Leadership Summit, in March 2016. The discussions focused on how the non-governmental sector and funders can work together with government towards implementing the NDP chapter on education.

The summit fanned the possibility for non-profits in education to work much more closely together. The possibility of creating channels that would enable conversations and partnerships, which had relied on serendipity and chance meetings, excited the summit delegates. In the wake of the NGO Summit a steering committee was set-up to follow up on the resolutions. The steering committee was selected from a list of peer nominated individuals; and additional members were co-opted to ensure diversity and representation of ideas and sub-sectors.

In 2018, the National Association of Social Change Entities in Education (NASCEE) was formed as a collaborative structure of Education Not-for-Profit Organisations.