Reflecting on the past year is like looking back at a beautiful tapestry woven with threads of innovation, collaboration, and impact. Our network, AVPN, has grown stronger, expanded its reach, and delivered tangible results – with you.
Throughout the year, we have connected more than 13,000 people at our events and expanded our presence across Asia. Our first-ever Global Conference in Abu Dhabi brought together over 1,500 social and impact investors from 46 markets, bridging north, south, east, and west Asia.
Innovation has been at the heart of our progress. This year, we introduced ImpactCollab, an outcomes-based social investing system aimed to improve the effectiveness of social investments and help to connect social investors with impactful organisations. In a similar vein, the launch of the Impact Investing Advisory Council is another exciting milestone.
The council will not only provide AVPN with invaluable strategic guidance and insights for the impact investing ecosystem in Asia, but also engage with policymakers and facilitate the flow of capital towards high-impact initiatives.
We have also ventured into new territories. Our Faith and Giving initiative created opportunities for those faith-aligned or otherwise to connect, learn, and collaborate towards impactful causes in Asia. With the launch of “How Values and Beliefs Shape Giving in Asia,” we have deepened our understanding of how Asian philanthropists and investors are driven by faith to create lasting impact.
But our work is far from over. We remain acutely aware of the intricate challenges facing the region, including at the intersection of climate, health, youth, and gender issues. To address these interconnected issues, we launched the Climate x Health: Lighthouse for Asia initiative, and continue to expand the Asia Gender Network and Asian Youth for Impact (ayPact) platforms.
And as the world evolves, so must we. We are future-proofing our workforce with the AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific, empowering vulnerable workers with the skills they need to thrive in the AI-driven landscape.
Asia is the world's most populous and diverse continent, with growing economic strength. However, Asian voices continue to be underrepresented on the global stage. We believe firmly that the global community has an enormous opportunity to benefit from Asia’s experiences. This is why, at AVPN, we are determined to bring voices from the region to key multilateral dialogues that seek to solve today's pressing issues.
This year’s annual review provides an overview of our dynamic work, which could not have been achieved without you. We would like to extend our gratitude to our members, partners, and supporters for your contributions. Together, let us continue driving capital towards impact in Asia.
With over 600 diverse funders and resource providers across 33 markets, AVPN aims to equip more social investors in Asia to step up and collectively move capital towards impact to address the sustainable development goals (SDGs), for Asia.
As an ecosystem builder, AVPN enables its members to connect, learn, act, and lead social impact efforts across key pillars while improving the effectiveness of deployed capital, bringing local field needs, regional expertise, and policy insights to the forefront.
Total Members
AVPN members come from diverse backgrounds and support various social causes and markets. The common goal of our members is to mobilise more capital towards social and environmental causes in Asia.
AVPN enables collaborations between policymakers, family offices, foundations, and the private sector to increase the impact and flow of capital towards closing the gaps for Sustainable Development Goals in Asia.
Total Members
Universities, academies, research institutes and think tanks that are engaged in the social economy.
Service providers are businesses and nonprofits that provide support services to the social investment ecosystem such as consulting, legal support and talent management.
Private equity and venture capital firms engage in direct investments with privately held companies ranging from startups to mature companies.
Online and offline organisations that bring diverse stakeholders together.
International NGOs that provide funding for local NGOs to deepen their impact.
Intermediaries help bridge between investors and investees to help with deal sourcing, management and measurement, and often provide some capacity building for the investee organisations.
Organisations that provide facilities, expertise and other forms of non-monetary support to nurture young enterprises and entrepreneurs.
A fund that makes investments to social enterprises and businesses with a sustainability focus, with the intention to generate social and environmental impact alongside a financial return.
Government related members include statutory boards, government organisations and associations, and large international organisations that provide governments a platform to cooperate.
Non-profit organisations that fund social causes. Often, trusts and foundations achieve their objectives by giving money to Social Purpose Organisation (SPOs) which use the money to run their activities.
Wealth management advisory or establishment for high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals.
Mainstream company that invests directly in social impact through CSR or through establishing a corporate foundation.
To build a stronger ecosystem of social and impact investing in Asia, AVPN continuously connects members with one another and supports them in various forms. Take a look at what members are saying about AVPN, and how we have supported their work.
AVPN members have access to a global network of funders and resources providers interested in maximising impact in Asia.
Learn more about the different membership tiers that AVPN offers:
This is the highest profile AVPN membership tier, which provides members with the support and connections necessary to maximise impact and enhance collaborations with important and relevant stakeholders in the network.
This tier includes the Vision Experience at the AVPN Annual Global Conference, as well as all of the benefits from the Catalyst tier.
This tier supports those on the frontlines of ecosystem building: sharing specialist knowledge, developing communities, or looking for ways to move capital across Asia.
This tier is self-directed, designed for organisations that are still exploring the regional landscape. It is suitable for nascent organisations that are new to the social investment space.
Note: For Knowledge membership tier, the membership benefits are extended based in the market where the Knowledge member is registered.
Between July 2023-June 2024, our markets have grown larger, igniting more collaborations between regions. Take a look at our market representatives’ reflections, especially on how each country/territory interacts with the impact ecosystem.
AVPN aims to strengthen the social investment ecosystem in Asia. As an ecosystem builder, we work with members and key partners to improve the effectiveness of capital deployed in Asia.
From July 2023 to June 2024, AVPN helped our members to connect with each other by curating 90 convenings, including 5 Signature Events, and 85 bespoke convenings that address the needs of the ecosystem, where at least 1 out of 3 AVPN-led convenings were designed to engage our members in new and emerging topics in social investment, opportunities in new geographies, partnerships between unlikely allies, and innovative approaches to complex challenges. Take a look at our AVPN Impact Snapshot:
AVPN connects diverse and unusual allies to each other. Take a look at how we connect members and various stakeholders in the ecosystem:
AVPN provides a platform for building capacity, sharing knowledge, and collaborating across the social investment ecosystem. Learn on how we leverage the wisdom of peers and local experts.
AVPN offers practical support and fosters innovative opportunities for members to mobilise capital. By collaborating with capital providers and impact organisations, AVPN helps bridge the gap between the demand for and supply of human, intellectual, and financial capital.
As a neutral platform, AVPN facilitates cross-learning and thought leadership for public sector leaders and policy influencers, working with governments to shape policy agendas that address the SDGs and drive progress across the region.
By partnering with AVPN, we can assist you in developing engagements or initiatives aligned with your impact goals. We have supported the scaling and promotion of the causes most important to our partners, enabling them to mobilise their capital towards impact more effectively.
AVPN offers a range of partnership opportunities, including ecosystem building, capital mobilisation, thematic initiatives, signature events, and research and insights.
In the year ahead, AVPN is focusing on a range of initiatives to mobilise capital for impact in Asia. We recognise the vital role of innovation and collaboration. Discover more about initiatives you can look forward to in 2024-2025:
AVPN AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific, with support from Google.org and Asian Development Bank, is an AI skilling initiative designed to equip workers, especially those who need more support to upskill themselves, with the foundational AI knowledge and tools needed for long-term positive professional outcomes.
A wide range of organisations that reach those workers can apply for support, to receive funding, comprehensive training based on Google and external AI courses, and the option for additional tailored training aimed at supporting vulnerable workers.
AVPN serves as the Co-secretariat of The Commission on Asian Philanthropy which brings together prominent philanthropic organisations from across Asia to accelerate the change in the trajectory of Asian Philanthropy and unleash its full potential for social good. Co-convened by the Asia Philanthropy Congress (APHIC) and the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP), the Commission will champion multi-year research efforts designed to define the scope and opportunity of Asian philanthropy and establish an "in Asia, for Asia" ecosystem.
In the Commission, AVPN as Co-Secretariat (Engagement), will lead Engagement, Events and Communications, and Voyage as Co-Secretariat (Planning and Research), will lead Planning, Research and Implementation of potential collaborative projects.
AVPN is building ImpactCollab, a first of its kind social investing initiative to mobilise giving through a broader spectrum of private banking clients to accelerate achievement of SDGs across Asia. With support from the Monetary Authority of Singapore, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and endorsement from the Private Banking Industry Group in Singapore, ImpactCollab envisions a strengthened ecosystem for increased cross-border philanthropy for social impact across Asia.
Through collaboration with private banks, ImpactCollab will deliver essential cross-border infrastructure to enable equitable access to good practices in philanthropy.
With the mission of supporting the work of our members across the continuum of capital - AVPN is building up the vertical with a keen focus on blended finance for wider knowledge sharing, capacity building, connection and capital mobilisation in this space.
Blended finance is a core example of Catalytic Capital in action, which refers to grants or concessional investments that could catalyse and crowd-in greater overall commercial capital for positive impact. Given AVPN’s strength in garnering philanthropic pooled funds towards impact, AVPN is looking to develop similar learning journeys for members to connect, learn and act on blended finance structures.
AVPN’s team is united by a common goal to move more capital effectively towards impact. We work closely with our members and partners to build a vibrant and high-impact social investment community across Asia-Pacific.
Get to know the team behind all of AVPN’s work and initiatives:
Veronica Colondam
