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Year in
Review
July 2022 to June 2023
As an ecosystem builder, AVPN enables its members to connect, learn, and act across key pillars and improves the effectiveness of capital deployed; bringing to bear the local field needs, regional expertise, and policy insights. Taken together, our activities demonstrate how we lead the industry and ecosystem to unlock more capital towards impact.
Connect
AVPN connects diverse and unusual allies to each other. The following initiatives show the power of connection and collaboration in catalysing greater impact.
Asia Gender Network
The Asia Gender Network (AGN), launched in 2021, is a pioneering pan-Asian network dedicated to advancing gender equality by mobilising capital. Currently comprising 30 affluent Asian women from 11 countries, AGN members have contributed over USD 10 million to gender-focused initiatives within a year. In June 2023, AGN members convened on AGN Day to discuss further plans on how to support gender equality.
Gender Platform
Asia Gender Network
UNDP ISGAP Programme
In collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), AVPN organised a global matchmaking programme to mobilise private sector capital in support of UNDP grantees across Asia, Africa and Latin America. With multiple roundtable discussions, this programme presented a unique opportunity to hold one-on-one candid dialogues between social investors and climate adaptation innovation grantees.
Climate Platform
UNDP ISGAP Programme
Grab a Coffee
Grab a Coffee is a community hub for impact practitioners with a youth development lens to find connections and to learn or explore collaboration opportunities. We had over 120 community members establishing at least 50 connections and collaborations through Grab a Coffee. For example, Mien R Uno Foundation, an NPO running entrepreneurship programmes for disadvantaged youth, connected with Solve Education! from Grab a Coffee to improve accessibility to their participants.
Asian Youth for Impact
Grab a Coffee
Deal Share Platform
Through AVPN's Deal Share Platform (DSP), our community of impact organisations were able to access various avenues for financial and non-financial support in our members network. For example, CarbonCraft Design, an Indian enterprise upcycling carbon into tiles and building materials, was connected with the Swiss Re Foundation through DSP. From the connection, they joined the Foundation’s ’s Shine Program, which includes a 6-month long capacity-building and mentorship programme, an invaluable support for their trajectory.
Capital Mobilisation
Deal Share Platform
Learn
AVPN provides a platform for building capacity, sharing knowledge, and collaborating across the social investment ecosystem by developing learning opportunities and practical insights related to investment approaches, markets, and thematic areas.
A Generation of Change-Makers
A Generation of Changemakers, a report written in partnership with SymAsia Foundation, takes a deep dive into the journeys of five prominent givers in Asia who are redefining what it means to be impact-driven. The profiles offer local and regional perspectives from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, and Singapore, highlighting unique contributions to the philanthropic ecosystem and lessons for others seeking to make an impact.
Knowledge
A Generation of Change-Makers
Collaboration for Digital Financial Inclusion
AVPN convened key stakeholders in Indonesia to build a coalition around the digitalisation of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) for financial inclusion. AVPN undertook a landscape study which helped to identify potential solutions to key challenges, and regularly engaged the private sector, social investors, MSME leaders, and policy makers. The lessons from Indonesia were shared with other markets in Asia so that they may also unlock collaboration to support digital transformation of MSMEs.
Knowledge
Collaboration for Digital Financial Inclusion
Catalytic Capital in Asia
Asia is ripe with untapped opportunities to support underserved populations, early-stage innovations, and underfunded sectors. In 2022, AVPN embarked on an 18-month partnership with the Catalytic Capital Consortium to inspire private wealth holders and asset managers to adopt the deployment of catalytic capital as a viable option to maximise their returns and generate positive social impact. It has resulted in multiple engagements including a webinar and learning series and an upcoming report.
Knowledge
Catalytic Capital in Asia
Trust Based Philanthropy in Asia
AVPN plays a dual role as both a grant recipient and a capital deployer through our philanthropic funds. This gives us a unique vantage point from which to support the emerging practice of trust-based philanthropy in Asia which includes flexible grants, capacity building, and adapting monitoring and evaluation to enable deep and sustainable outcomes. Through this ongoing initiative we intend to share our learnings, develop insights with our partners and lead the conversation about this essential and evolving approach to giving.
Knowledge
Trust Based Philanthropy in Asia
AVPN Academy Learning Circles
Learning Circles are monthly practitioner-led small group discussions to allow peer learning by creating a safe and inspiring space for professionals to exchange ideas, solutions, and insights.
Knowledge
AVPN Academy Learning Circles
AVPN Academy Fellowships
Fellowship programmes are cohort-based learning journeys with a focus on building specialised sector knowledge and a community across the continuum of capital. Thus far, the Academy has run 8 fellowship programmes with over a 100 alumni across Asia.
Knowledge
AVPN Academy Fellowships
AVPN Academy Ask the Expert
Ask the Expert is a Q&A conversation series with experts from various fields in the social investment space. The series is an opportunity for learners and practitioners to directly ask renowned experts about how they could further their impact work.
Knowledge
AVPN Academy Ask the Expert
Corporate Social Impact Insights Podcast
Launched in February 2023, Corporate Social Impact (CSI) Insights is a podcast that features experts, leaders, and practitioners in the social impact space to understand their experiences and gain insights on how to do Corporate Social Impact effectively. These conversations are based on Learning Circles, a closed door conversation among CSR practitioners and corporate leaders.
Knowledge
Corporate Social Impact Insights Podcast
AVPN Academy Case Study Series
Launched in March 2023, the Case Study series are interactive online discussions that allow for deep dives of Asia-based cases in designing, deploying and assessing social finance solutions to address complex social and environmental problems.
Knowledge
AVPN Academy Case Study Series
Climate Philanthropy in Asia Report
Research has revealed that Asia will face some of the harshest effects of climate change. As such, philanthropists can act as a catalyst for climate action by funding innovations and solutions to support a sustainable transition to a low carbon economy. The study shows the extent to which Asian philanthropists are currently working in the climate sphere in Asia, mainly focusing on Southeast Asia and South Asia. It also provides a resource to advance strategic climate philanthropy in the region.
Climate Platform
Climate Philanthropy in Asia Report
Social Investment Landscape for Climate Action in Bangladesh
Despite contributing a meagre 0.51% of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the world, Bangladesh ranks 7th on the global climate risk index and ranks 9th globally in the number of deaths triggered by climate-induced disasters. However, Bangladesh has substantially advanced in enabling climate resilient sustainable development over the years, through the formulation and subsequent implementation of required policies and frameworks. This study aims to build a comprehensive outlook on the current status quo of climate interventions in Bangladesh.
Climate Platform
Social Investment Landscape for Climate Action in Bangladesh
Stimulating Entrepreneurship and Business Growth Programme in Asia Pacific
This capacity building programme, in partnership with Moody’s, empowers women-led and women-focused small businesses in Asia Pacific. Over two editions, the partnership enabled more than 20 Moody’s employees to be engaged as pitch mentors to more than 180 entrepreneurs. The cohorts valued the guidance and industry insights they received.
Capital Mobilisation
Stimulating Entrepreneurship and Business Growth Programme in Asia Pacific
Jugaad
Jugaad is an impact leadership programme that enables purpose-led corporations to bring together the next generation’s brilliant minds to co-create innovations that leapfrog social and environmental solutions. In this pilot, Young Impact Leaders worked closely with corporations like Prudential Assurance Malaysia Berhad and WhatIF Foods to enable business innovation, international learning, and a culture of social impact interest and innovation.
Asian Youth for Impact
Jugaad
Scaling Domestic Climate Philanthropy in India
Existing climate finance volumes are insufficient to meet the current climate goals in India, and will need to be supplemented with budget revenues, international climate finance, and private investments. AVPN convened a series of events to galvanise domestic philanthropy, create opportunities for funding and develop an ecosystem of like-minded individuals through a common platform.
Climate Platform
Scaling Domestic Climate Philanthropy in India
Global Leadership Academy
The Global Leadership Academy (GLA) is a learning initiative that is innovative, trust-based, and inclusive, aiming to transform current learning and power dynamics within the impact space by establishing a South-South learning dynamic and amplifying unheard voices of impact leaders in the Global South. Launched in April 2023, GLA is currently at its design phase and will have three pilots until mid 2024 to test and experiment various approaches to learning, led and co-owned by the impact leaders themselves.
Knowledge
Global Leadership Academy
Climate Pathfinder Programme
Launched in early 2023, the Climate Pathfinders Programme is a capacity building programme for philanthropic funders, impact investors, and other funding bodies in Asia. The programme provided participants with an understanding of the current climate investment landscape in Asia and the essential elements and tools required to achieve sustainable targets. Focused on developing an intersectional lens the programme quips pathfinders with the tools and knowledge required to engage with climate initiatives in Asia.
Climate Platform
Climate Pathfinder Programme
WASH Private Sector Engagement
AVPN delved into the profound impact of strategic sessions designed to equip investors with essential knowledge and confidence in navigating the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) landscape. We included two sessions for the WASH track in the South Asia Social Investment Summit 2023 that were carefully curated to address critical aspects of the WASH sector and to educate and engage with the investor community, ultimately fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation.
Health Platform
WASH Private Sector Engagement
Act
AVPN provides practical support and innovative capital mobilisation opportunities. AVPN works with capital providers and impact organisations to bridge the gap between demand for and supply of human, intellectual, and financial capital.
Principles for Giving with a Gender Lens
AVPN launched the Principles for Giving with a Gender Lens as a catalytic tool to guide philanthropic givers to incorporate gender equality into their activities. The Principles are meant to serve as a guiding structure, helping philanthropic givers make gradual but intentional progress towards giving with a gender lens, regardless of their starting points. Within our pilot phase, piloting members gave a total of USD 9.1 million with gender intentionality in the last fiscal year. The Principles are also perceived as a catalytic intersectional tool that cuts across all thematic focuses.
Gender Platform
Principles for Giving with a Gender Lens
APAC Sustainability Seed Fund
In response to urgent climate and sustainability challenges, AVPN has launched the USD 3 million APAC Sustainability Seed Fund, a new landmark initiative with support from Google.org and Asian Development Bank (ADB) as the strategic and outreach partner. The Fund has selected 13 NPOs that are leveraging innovative tech-driven solutions to help local communities mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Capital Mobilisation Climate Platform
APAC Sustainability Seed Fund
Asia Gender Equality Pooled Fund
The Asia Gender Equality Fund is a USD 25 million philanthropic pooled fund across five years. The focus of the fund is to support interventions that are working at advancing women's economic empowerment in Asia. Supported by Fondation Chanel, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Target Foundation, and the Asia Gender Network, in the inaugural round of the fund this year, we successfully identified and selected eight grantees from across Asia that employ a variety of strategies, including skills training, entrepreneurship support, financial literacy programs, among others.
Capital Mobilisation Gender Platform
Asia Gender Equality Pooled Fund
STEM Fund
The STEM Fund is a USD 1 million philanthropic pooled fund, supported by Micron Foundation, Lenovo Foundation, Chevron, BHP, and XTX Markets, that aims to support innovative solutions that are increasing gender diversity and equity in schools in STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) for marginalised women and girls in Singapore, India, Malaysia, Japan, and Taiwan. The grantees work on solutions that range from empowering girl students to build a scientific attitude of learning, STEM learning through gamification, STEM career guidance, and hands-on workshops, among others.
Capital Mobilisation
STEM Fund
Asian Youth Mental Wellbeing Fund
The Asian Youth Mental Wellbeing Fund is a USD 3 million philanthropic pooled fund that will span across 3 years. Supported by BHP and Chevron, the launch of the Fund was attended by Hannah Yeoh, Malaysia’s Minister of Youth and Sport, who highlighted the importance of mental health in Asia. For the first round of the Fund, it will support 3 grantees across India, Malaysia, and Singapore.
Asian Youth for Impact Capital Mobilisation
Asian Youth Mental Wellbeing Fund
Digital Transformation Fund
COVID-19 had adversely disrupted many small business owners and job-seekers in South Korea. To address this, AVPN in partnership with Merry Year Social Company (MYSC) and supported by Google.org, had launched the USD 1 million Digital Transformation Fund to support local non-profit organisations in South Korea. Five grantees have been selected with flexible funding, working across a multitude of interventions with various beneficiary groups, including small business owners, young job-seekers, homeless communities, and persons with disabilities.
Capital Mobilisation
Digital Transformation Fund
Lead
As a neutral platform, AVPN enables cross-learning and thought leadership for public sector leaders and policy influencers, engaging governments and the public sector to help shape the policy agenda to solve the SDGs and propel progress across the region. The following initiatives show how AVPN’s work has impacted various policies in the Asia Pacific region.
Cervical Cancer Prevention
The vaccination against HPV stands out as a powerful preventive measure for cervical cancer. However, the efficacy of this continuum is compromised for migrant domestic workers due to disparities in healthcare access. To address this issue, AVPN, together with Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), National University of Singapore, Asia Pacific Immunization Coalition (APIC), and The Voices Project Asia launched a policy paper to enhance outcomes in the screening, prevention, and treatment of cervical cancer for Female Foreign Domestic Workers (F-FDWs) hailing from the Philippines and Indonesia.
Health Platform
Cervical Cancer Prevention
G20 Indonesia
As an official impact partner to the G20 Indonesian presidency, AVPN delivered an input paper to the Sustainable Finance Working Group (SFWG), which contributed to the G20 Sustainable Finance report. We also developed a policy report in collaboration with OECD, which was presented to the Development Working Group (DWG) and contributed to the G20 Principles to Scale-Up Blended Finance in Developing Countries. In addition, AVPN became a founding member of the Global Blended Finance Alliance (GBFA).
Policy
G20 Indonesia
Gender Diverse MSME Taskforce
As part of our commitment to furthering the gender equality agenda, AVPN launched a Gender Diverse MSME Taskforce, the Asia Gender Equality Pooled Fund, and the Principles of Gender Lens Giving, as part of our pledge to B20 legacy programme - the One Global Women Empowerment (OGWE) initiative. In continuation of the OGWE commitment, AVPN has successfully taken key recommendations from the MSME Taskforce to G20 Indian presidency and helped organisations endorse and operationalise the Gender Lens Giving principles in Asia.
Gender Platform Policy
Gender Diverse MSME Taskforce
Care Economy Recommendations
The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the unpaid care work primarily undertaken by women and the importance of care provision for community wellbeing. To address this, the Care Economy initiative, a collaboration between AVPN, UN Women, and KiddoCare is facilitating collaboration and partnership between investors and entrepreneurs in the care economy space. After the Asia-Pacific Inclusive Care Forum, an AVPN Global Conference 2023 side event, the Malaysian government committed to feed the recommendations made into their special 2024 budget under Prime Minister’s ‘Madani’ initiative.
Gender Platform Policy
Care Economy Recommendations
Future Economy Lab
AVPN, in partnership with SecondMuse, ran a Future Economy Lab Asia focused on designing innovative financial mechanisms and strategies that support the growth of inclusive and resilient economies. These mechanisms will be designed to unlock capital for gender-smart MSMEs working on climate solutions in South and Southeast Asia. This global research and design lab uses a participatory process by engaging diverse stakeholders, including investors, governments, entrepreneurs and community members in collaborative research and design.
Capital Mobilisation
Future Economy Lab
Impact Snapshot 2022/23
Aligned with a refreshed AVPN strategy and Theory of Change, the Impact Snapshot aims to capture how enabling our members to connect, learn and act within the social investment ecosystem relates to our goal of increasing the flow and effectiveness of capital channelled towards achieving the UN SDGs in Asia. We are taking an agile and iterative approach and starting with cementing practices and processes that capture the necessary impact data. Our intention is to work towards the SDG Impact Standards and the Impact Management Norms as we build out our impact measurement and management processes.
