[Cover Article] Addressing Climate Intersectionality in India
A multi-dimensional approach toward poverty alleviation, livelihoods and agriculture India has made carbon reduction commitments which will cost $4.5 trillion approx. to implement[1], yet only a fraction of philanthropic giving in the country (2% of a $9 billion market in 2019) is directed at climate action[2]. While government budgets and priorities are beginning to align with […]
[Cover Article] Empowering Sustainable Energy Solutions and Infrastructure in India
Case Study Series 3 Energy and Infrastructure An average person in India used some 1,250 kWh of electricity last year,[1] or one-tenth the average in the United States.[2] Annual carbon emissions, at 1.5 tonnes per person,[3] are less than a quarter of the average in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).[4] Yet […]
[Cover Article] Understanding Healthcare and Education in India
Case Study Series 2 Healthcare and Education There is growing recognition of the impacts of climate change on medical and personal healthcare services and products, and of the intersections between the health of humans and ecosystems. As India is still critically underresourced in its healthcare provision[1], climate action is focused at these intersections in […]
10 Steps to Assess High Quality Nature-Based Solution Projects and Credits
3 min read Investing in nature is key to addressing the biggest crises we face today – climate change and biodiversity loss. Nature can provide up to 37% of the climate change mitigation required until 2030 to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting warming below 2°C. We need to bridge the nature funding gap […]
5 Tips for Funding Advocacy
4 minutes read Philanthropy’s appetite for supporting advocacy has grown significantly in recent years. Many funders who seek to achieve lasting impact on the issues that are important to them are turning to advocacy as a way of nurturing or creating the conditions for systemic change. Rather than funding the ‘downstream’ consequences of an issue, […]
A Collaborative Approach to Public Health: Role of Markets and the Private Sector in Enhancing Access to Health for a Billion Indian
5 min read Noted author, C.K. Prahalad had highlighted that the fortune lies at the bottom of the pyramid. This theme emerged as the centrepiece at the South Asia Social Investment Summit 2022 panel on Opportunities for Private Sector for Transforming Primary Healthcare to Leave No One Behind. Quoting Mr. Ram Kumar, IAS, MD NHM […]
A Generation of Change-Makers
This report, written in partnership with SymAsia Foundation, Creditsuisse’ philanthropic arm, takes a deep dive into emerging trends in philanthropy across Asia as seen through the journeys of 5 prominent givers who are each redefining what it means to be impact-driven. The profiles offer local as well as regional insights from Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, […]
A Guide for Decision-Making That Optimises Impacts on Well-Being
1 min read In a world facing serious challenges of inequality, climate change and wellbeing, organisations have a responsibility to act upon, and be responsive to, these challenges by purposefully making decisions that optimise the positive impact their activities have. Making decisions based on optimising the social value or impact that an organization can make […]
A New Wave of Corporate Social Impact: ESG Strategy of North East Asia
Northeast Asian (NEA) markets have seen a proliferation of capital and innovation towards tackling increasingly complex urban social and environmental challenges. The complexity and similarity of issues faced by NEA markets, call for greater collaboration and exchange of learning and insights on innovative tools and approaches to maximize impact. Join us in this webinar series […]
Accelerating Impact: Catalytic Capital in Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Africa and Europe
There is a persistent financing gap estimated at USD 4.2 trillion that needs to be filled for the world to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2030.
Addressing Critical Needs Through Innovative Social Impact Solutions in India
4 min read Radha Goenka, Director of RPG Foundation is a philanthropist, mom and passionate writer. When she returned from the US in 2008, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) was relatively a new concept in India. At that time, all CSR initiatives of RPG Group Companies were being run independently. She brought structure to this system […]
Advanced Digital Innovation Changing the Face of Banking in Cambodia
6 minutes read “Technology has transformed the banking sector in Cambodia, leading to economic growth and the emergence of Wing Bank and its financial revolution through Bionic Innovations and Digital Loan.” In recent years, Cambodia has experienced a remarkable transformation in its banking sector, propelled by the integration of bionic innovations. The fusion of cutting-edge […]
Advancing the Growth of Women-Led SMEs in Philippines: A Gender Lens in Policy & Investment
With the growing recognition of how women-led SMEs contribute to the Philippines economy, stakeholders across the sectors of policy and investment have been continuing their support throughout the COVID pandemic. As we look back on which solutions worked best and how to improve as we move forward, Investing in Women and AVPN will partner to […]
Affordable Solar Energy Sources for Low-Income Farmers
Oorja Development Solutions Limited Almost 90% of India’s farmers work on small or marginal sized farms on which they produce over half the country’s food. Facing high input costs and difficulty achieving economies of scale, their crop yields and profits have remained below potential. More importantly, these farmers are locked out of accessing cost-effective solar […]
Alignment and Execution: Private, Public and Social Sector Actors Must Address Girls’ Education Together
5 min read Just a few weeks ago, the world welcomed 2023. As we enter the fourth year since the global pandemic hit, it’s increasingly clear that now is a crucial time for the state of education. Nobody is more at risk than the young women around the world who face enormous challenges to access […]
Alliance Webinar: The Future of Philanthropy in Asia
Asian philanthropists pivoted almost immediately to tackle the first wave of the pandemic, reflecting the flexible, innovative and catalytic nature of philanthropy. As funders rise to plug the gaps in the socio-economic system that have surfaced from the pandemic, we are seeing an evolution of leaders rising to meet the moment.
An Innovative Approach to Investing in Climate Resilient Economic Growth
There is an urgent need to stimulate private sector investment into areas highly disrupted by climate change, such as food production, water and natural environment, infrastructure, disaster risk management and nature based solutions. Climate finance for these sectors is critical to advance the Sustainable Development Goals, including alleviating poverty and supporting the most vulnerable groups. The question remains: how can we significantly scale up investment into goods and services which build resilience to the effects of climate change?
Analysing Drivers and Constraints for Systems Change by Small and Medium NPOs in India
Traditional, siloed approaches often fall short when tackling complex social issues. There is a need for a holistic, collaborative effort involving all stakeholders, especially small and medium-sized NPOs.
Approaching Learning Through Play with a Growth Mindset: From Theory to Reality
5 minutes read The word mindset was first used at the turn of the twentieth century to describe habits of mind formed by previous experience (Gollwitzer, 1990)[1]. Mindsets are associated with the unfolding of human potential in two primary directions, namely fixed mindset and growth mindset[2]. Learning through Play (LtP) is an educational approach which […]
Are Young People the Key to Unlocking Asia’s Creative Economy?
There are more than 750 million young people aged 15 to 24 years in Asia Pacific. This accounts for over 60% of the world’s youth. However, the youth unemployment rate in APAC is approximately 10.5%, more than double the unemployment rate of the total working age population. Poor quality vocational education and lack of decent […]
As Temperatures Soar, Philanthropy Can Power up South Asia’s Cooling Innovators
Rising temperatures threaten lives and livelihoods around the world. From cities to remote villages, South Asian innovators are tackling the threat – working hand-in-hand with the communities in greatest danger.
Asia Gender Equality Fund: Open Call for Applications Info Session
AVPN has launched the Call for application for the Asia Gender Equality Fund, an ambitious fund to raise and deploy USD $ 25 million for the next five years, to support women’s economic empowerment across Asia. By bringing together funders with a mission to address the challenges in gender equality amongst the most vulnerable communities […]
Asia’s Alternative Protein Revolution: Why Investors Should Take Notice
4 min read In a world where conventional animal protein sources face increasing scrutiny for their environmental footprint, alternative proteins are quickly becoming an attractive option for investors seeking to make sustainable, future-proof investments. From plant-based protein to cultivated meat and seafood, innovative startups and visionary entrepreneurs are providing an opportunity to make a dent […]
Asian Institute for Impact Measurement and Management launches the Inaugural Issue of Asian Impact Management Review (AIMR)
4 min read ZHONGLI (Taiwan News): Asian Institute for Impact Measurement and Management held the Asian Impact Management Review Inaugural Press Conference at National Central University on December 10, 2022. The event attracted over a hundred participants. Asian Institute for Impact Measurement and Management announced today the official launch of Asian Impact Management Review (AIMR). […]
At COP27, a Call to Root Climate Action and Justice in Land Rights for Women and Rural Communities
Co-Author: Rachel McMonagle 5 min read Anandini Munda’s typical day begins before dawn, as she rises to catch shrimp fries in the Chunār River, a distributary in the Ganges Delta in Bangladesh. Anandini, 34, and other women in her village sell the fries to shrimp farms to earn a living, though she says the fries […]
Avian Allies: Carbon Credits Safeguard Bird Biodiversity and Decent Work in the Philippines’ Cacao Sector
Without birds, forest ecosystems as we know them would not exist. Among the many integral roles they play, birds act as seed dispersers, pollinators, and pest controllers. They are also surrogates of biodiversity, helping humans measure and monitor the richness of species and the ecological integrity of different habitats around the world.
AVPN 2020 | How Will COVID-19 Affect the Outlook for Impact Investment in Southeast Asia
Even as different countries experience varying degrees of physical lockdown and restrictions from COVID-19
AVPN 2021 Annual Review
Our 2021 Annual Review highlights how we created a network of 601 members across 33 countries in Asia by our mission to: CONNECT people with unusual allies, providing them with more perspectives and giving them access to make informed decisions, collaborate, and scale impact. LEARN by moving human and intellectual capital through the network to where it is needed […]
AVPN Conference 2016 now open for Member Registration!
Dear AVPN members, The 2016 Annual Conference, which will fall on 23rd to 25th May 2016, is now open for members’ registration! We are expecting another great event as we travel to Hong Kong from Singapore, to reflect our Asian membership. Please write to us at [email protected] to claim your 2 free tickets, please also refer to […]
AVPN Consultation on G20 Principles for Scaling-up Private & Blended Finance in Developing Countries, Least Developed Countries (LDCs) & Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
The financed gap in the implementation of the 2030 SDG Agenda in developed countries is estimated at USD 3.7 trillion by the OECD in 2020 and we are less than a decade away. There is a lot to be done in every dimension, be it policy, financed, or technology. Extensive efforts need to be undertaken […]
AVPN 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 […]
AVPN salutes Mr. Lee Kuan Yew
The AVPN team stands in solidarity with Singapore as the nation mourns the passing of Mr. Lee Kuan Yew. http://www.rememberingleekuanyew.sg/
AVPN Strengthening and Scaling Gender Diverse MSMEs in Asia
MSMEs account for 90% of all businesses, generate 50% of global GDP, and provide livelihoods for 60 to 70% of the working population. In Asia, MSMEs account for 96% of total enterprises, employ 62% of the labour workforce and contribute an average of 42% of gross domestic product (GDP). However, the credit gap in Asia […]
AVPN Webinar: Behind the World’s First Social Impact Guarantee
What if you could get a money-back guarantee when funding impact? Ten years ago, the first Social Impact Bond (SIB) was launched, kickstarting a movement for impact investing and outcomes-based financing for social impact organisations all over the world. By adapting the SIB model to the Asian context and building on hard won lessons in […]
AVPN x Circulate Capital: Catalyzing Capital to Advance the Circular Economy and Fight Climate Change in Asia
The circular economy presents a specific and unique opportunity for corporate, private and development finance investors to capture the value of plastic waste as well as to meaningfully mitigate the climate impacts of plastic pollution, especially in Asia. According to Circulate Capital, we could eliminate almost 150 million tonnes of GHG from the environment if […]
AVPN-Bayer Foundation Partner to Unpack the Intersectionality of Climate and Health
2 minutes read Initiative Announcement Content Climate change is having a direct impact on public health, exacerbating existing health inequities, and increasing the incidence of heat-related illness, infectious diseases, vector-borne diseases, climate-related disasters, and other health threats such as non-communicable diseases. According to the World Health Organization, climate change is projected to cause approximately 250,000 […]
