Future Proofing Education
4 min read
The cancellation of classes because of the pandemic has placed the urgency of education innovations in sharper focus. Clearly, no society can afford leaving an entire generation of students unprepared for the future. Yet, even before Covid-19, education systems were in dire need of reform to prepare the youth for the 21st century, which many experts say will be shaped by the Fourth Industrial Revolution in a world that is already becoming more volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous.
G20 Impact Day: Partner Consultation
11 min read The G20 Impact Day: Partner Consultation, 20 June 2022, in Bali, Indonesia brought together different member organizations for roundtable discussions on the G20 Presidency Themes and Priorities agenda. Professor Bambang Brodjonegoro, Lead Co-Chair of the T20 Indonesia, gave the opening remarks outlining the economic challenges ahead for the ASEAN region. As the […]
Gender and Climate – Scaling Impact with a Cross-Cutting Agenda
4 min read
“COVID 19 has been seen as a test run for a major climate event. The parallels are clear: both are silent threats of global scale, they move quickly through borders, they do not discriminate between rich or poor, young or old or race or religion. Both are existential threats against humanity where complete solutions are still unclear. Although both threats are known, we have not taken them seriously enough and hence this urgent call to action,” says En Lee, Head of Sustainable and Impact Investments Asia, LGT.
Gender Lens Investing Series: C4D Partners’ Ecosystem-Building Approach
4 min read
Gender lens investing entails far more than investing in women. By unleashing women’s economic participation, be it as entrepreneurs, employees, or others, there will be economic and social benefits to not only women, families and communities, but also to their country’s economic development.
Gender Lens Investing Series: Investree Pairs Fintech with Debt Financing to Support SMEs
As SMEs move into the digital space, women entrepreneurs are the face and consumers at the forefront using the services and products in this space. With women making up nearly a third of borrowers, Investree sees increasing the mix of women entrepreneurs as part of their mission as a company to increase impact – providing solutions for the underserved market.
Gender Lens Investing Series: Patamar Capital on Empowering Women in Portfolios
5 min read
At the end of the day, I believe we all share the same underlying goal of gender equality, and while it’s easy to get distracted by all the details, it’s important to remind ourselves of that!
Gender Lens Investing Series: SEAF on Busting Misconceptions with a Proven Investment Strategy
Investing in women-led or owned businesses is not enough to achieve women’s economic empowerment. However, that is still not enough to achieve women’s economic empowerment. We need to strengthen existing initiatives that support women economic empowerment and/or address any discriminatory practices. In fact, companies that commit to strong internal gender equality and continuous operational improvements will be superior business performers, both financially and socially.
Gender Matters in Business: Five Takeaways for Corporates from the AVPN Virtual Conference 2020
6 min read
2020 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action – the UN Women-led blueprint to advance women’s rights, when women empowerment should have achieved significant success. We are far from that, and will actually need another century to reach gender parity. That is certainly not helped by the ongoing pandemic, which threatens to negate even the limited gains made. Across every sphere, from education and health to economy and security, the impacts of COVID-19 have been exacerbated for women and girls.
Getting from Ideas to Impact: Four Things We Gave Up to Get Ahead
3 minutes read How can social good organisations continue to keep our collective eyes on impact? How can we use the strengths that we have to continue finding new ways to support children around the world to realise their right to live healthy and fulfilling lives? This is the story of an idea, borne out […]
Getting Started in Venture Philanthropy in Asia: Interview with Simon Chadwick
Starting a new venture philanthropy or social investment organisation can be difficult, particularly in a region such as Asia, where the ecosystem for philanthropy is not as evolved as it is in the West. ‘Getting Started in Venture Philanthropy in Asia’, AVPN’s guide for new venture philanthropy and social investment organisations, is an important tool […]
Getting These Cash Flow Misconceptions Right Can Save Your Mission
5 min read
For many Non-Profit Organisations (NPOs), their understanding of cash flow management lies on the level of knowing that their cash reserve is above a certain amount. In a time of unprecedented economic downturn, more NPO leaders have started to feel anxious about whether they would have sufficient cash now and in the next few months. Leaders are finding themselves looking at numbers more often and have been asked to look into cash flow management (which is something they are not necessarily prepared for).
GIIN Survey Highlights Industry Development Milestones
5 min read
Time and again, disparate industries have followed a common pattern of development, beginning in infancy as new products and services emerge before entering a youthful growth phase in which those products gain traction among key market segments. Then, as more players enter a market, industries typically face a shakeout period in which they grapple with issues of identity, consolidation, and competition. And, ultimately, industries stabilize in a phase of saturation and maturity.
Giving Circles Asia Launches Their Information Portal!
A giving circle is a group of individuals who pool their money and collectively decide on donating to a particular non-profit organisation. Some giving circles are self-managed, whose members evaluate potential non-profits and administer grants.
Giving Trust: The Result of Unrestricted Giving on Asian Nonprofits
Co-author: Elyas Tampubolon, Katrina Agulan, Amanda Kee 10 min read Philanthropy must address power imbalance instead of enabling it. This is the spirit that has undergirded MacKenzie Scott’s giving, which saw nearly US$ 13 billion in unrestricted funding deployed globally. The results from Mackenzie Scott Foundation’s one-year report have demonstrated that trust is the bridge […]
Global Leader Series: Beyond Measurements – Creating an Effective Social Value Framework | AVPN Highlight Reel
On 26 September 2017, AVPN partnered the National Council of Social Services Singapore to host the Global Leader Series Conference 2, which aimed to help stakeholders collaboratively increase social value.
Watch the highlight reel to find out what key stakeholders have to say about the workshop!
Going Beyond Classrooms to Bridge the Learning Gap
4 min read India is facing a learning crisis. According to a 2019 World Bank report, 55% of 10-year-olds in India are unable to read and understand simple text. The crisis has further deepened post-pandemic, with this figure now at an estimated 70%. Like in many parts of the world, in India too, private schools […]
Government’s Role towards an Innovative and Systematic Social Finance Model
4-min read
As a government agency, AIM is taking systematic steps to shift the social sector from reliance into a thriving social investment economy.
Find out how their Social Finance Model has evolved with a clear outline of needs and intended outcomes.
Grassroots Organisations are the Beating Heart of India’s Philanthropic Collaboratives
3 minutes read Co-authors: Anant Bhagwati, Akshay Gambhir Best known in the past as a spice-trading post, today Mundhra is a busy port town in the Kutch district of Gujarat, India. Mundhra is also home to Ujas Mahila Sanghatan (UMS), an NGO founded and run by the women of the region. The UMS office buzzes […]
Greening the Internet: Collaborating for a Sustainable Digital Future
4 min read
What is the impact of the Internet on the environment? How can climate risks and challenges be mitigated? Together, how can we Green the Internet?
GROW – Better Skills and Jobs with Evolving Skilling Initiatives
5 min read
To address the dire issue of unskilled youth and unemployment in India, Dr. Reddy’s Foundation evolves their skilling initiatives to meet market needs
Hard Lessons Learned as Chinese Companies Embrace Social Responsibility
4 min read
Like companies worldwide, Chinese enterprises have awakened to the fact that social responsibility should be integrated into every business strategy.
Harnessing the Potential of EdTech
5 min read With technology disrupting major aspects of the economy, it is no surprise that education is also set to undergo a tech revolution that goes beyond teaching and learning pedagogies. EdTech has the power to enhance efficient learning process, improve access to educational tools, and empower both educators and learners. This potential opens […]
Harvest Plastic – Engaging Villages Communities to Create Jurisdictional Upswell
4 minutes read Plastic pollution is now one of the most discussed environmental issues around the world, with the UN currently in a two year global negotiation to create a Plastic Treaty, like that of Paris for the Climate. The solutions required, however, are arguably more complex than that of climate change. This does not […]
Heard at AVPN Global Conference 2023: Three Key Learnings on Effectively Deploying Catalytic Capital in Asia
7 minutes read At the AVPN Global Conference 2023 held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from 21-23 June 2023, the session Discovering Best Practices in Catalytic Capital Deployment in Asia explored specific challenges and tangible ways to overcome them. Jenna Palumbo, the Executive Director of Effective Philanthropy at Minderoo Foundation, Ritu Verma the Co-founder and Managing […]
Helping Restore the Lives of the Homeless, The Big Issue Dreams of Expanding with Online Services
11 min read Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) and Merry Year Social Company ( MYSC) launched the USD 1 Million Digital Transformation Fund in 2021, with the support of Google.org, Google’s philanthropic arm. The Fund aims to support non-profit organisations in South Korea to support underserved communities, including small and medium business owners and job […]
Hidden Hunger in Singapore Discussed at AVPN’s Friday Session
For the month of July, AVPN had an intimate gathering with members and community friends at Jack Sim’s house to learn more about the work being done by the BoP Hub. The main project highlighted was on the issue of hidden hunger amongst foreign migrant workers in Singapore. A recent research conducted by NUS […]
Hong Kong to Become a “Social Business City”?
AVPN attended the Social Enterprise Summit in Hong Kong, which consisted of month-long activities on social innovation and entrepreneurship leading up to the main symposium from 29th November to 2nd December 2012. The summit was opened by the HKSAR Chief Secretary, demonstrating the city’s commitment to develop itself into a “Social Business City”. This term […]
Hot On The Heels Of Change – 5 Insights From The 2015 AVPN Conference
Intentions and results are inextricably connected. If you intend to do something, then you better do it —there’s little point otherwise. All non-profits have good intentions, but very few actually end up achieving what they set out to do in the first place. From unsupportive grant makers to insufficient talent, a host of problems constantly […]
How “Business Unusual” can Ensure NGOs are Positioned to Help Build Local Resilience to Climate Change
4 min read
Climate change is a complex global problem, that requires unprecedented global cooperation to solve. We know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that significant climate change impacts are now unavoidable. Simply, because we haven’t done the work required to transition our economies away from a reliance on fossil fuels. And it is the poorest and most vulnerable people and communities who are paying the highest price. This means that we need to work even harder to make sure the impressive development gains achieved in recent times are not undermined as climate change impacts escalate.
How Are Digital Transformation Enablers Driving Sustainable Businesses
4 min read
With only a decade left to the agreed deadline for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals, it will be of utmost importance for corporates to align business interests more closely with the standards of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) sustainability.
How are Grantmakers Supporting Public Schools and Students Affected by COVID-19?
3 min read
Preventive measures to contain the coronavirus outbreak necessitated a global economic lockdown, prompting abrupt closures of all schools and educational institutions worldwide. As per UNESCO estimates, this has negatively impacted over three-quarters of the world’s roughly 1.5 billion school children impeding their learning and psycho-social development.
How AVPN’s APAC Sustainability Seed Fund 2.0 Plans to Support Non-profit Organisations Fighting Climate Change Issues
3 minutes read The Asia-Pacific region contributes to over 55% of the global greenhouse gas emissions, which has continuously increased between 2010-2022. Over the past 53 years, the region has experienced almost ten weather, climate, water, and seismic-related disasters on average each month. The environmental disasters over the years translate to approximately 3,200 lives lost […]
How Can Corporates Create Social Impact? Cases from Asia and Beyond
By Mila Devenport AVPN organized a series of workshops early this September on Corporate Social Impact Strategies (CSIS) led by Steven Serneels (Co-researcher, EVPA Corporate Social Impact Strategies; Impact Investor, SI2 Fund). We travelled to Taipei, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and invited local speakers to join in the conversation. In Taipei, we spoke at the […]
How Can New Family Offices/Angel Investors Maximise Impact?
4 min read
With the rise of impact investing in recent years, many high net worth individuals are increasingly aware of the pressing demand for impact investing capital to alleviate social issues.This has led to the surge in family offices and angel investing to cater to the demand. However, family offices and angel investors often face teething issues when starting out.
How Can NGOs Best Address Over-Indebtedness?
4 min read
Microfinance is a tool that empowers those living in poverty by giving access to basic financial services including savings, insurance and credit. However, like any other tool, microfinance can do good or cause harm, and needs to be executed ethically to be effective. When implemented without rules or regulations, microfinance can lead to problems like over-indebtedness.
How Can Philanthropy Get Creative to Finance Systems Transformation?
This blog is based on the Shaping Innovation Futures Discovery Report co-authored by Alex Hannant, Professor Ingrid Burkett and Assistant Professor Joanne McNeill. 6 minutes read The ocean and its resources are being depleted, polluted, and over-exploited. While many groups – from governments, philanthropy, development banks to NGOs – are working hard on the issue, there are […]
