The 8th annual AVPN Conference focused on the impact that networks can bring to scale solutions and advance global agendas. The virtual conference explored themes such as gender, climate action, nutrition and health, with a special segment on COVID-19 that highlighted best practices from early actors who have made a tangible difference in these past months.

Conference report

If not now, when?

The power of networks was the official theme of AVPN’s virtual 2020 conference, but, inevitably there was another theme too – the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. It has torn up our intellectual maps and played havoc with our societies and our economies. The five days of the conference were each devoted to different themes – collaboration, gender, climate, philanthropy and impact investing. Naturally, these themes link and overlap and Covid-19 looms large behind them all.  Andrew Milner reports here…

Readers’ poll winner

Strategically leveraging corporate resources for social impact

Speakers were brought together to think about the shifts taking place within social impact, and indeed how to increase this within their business practices and core values. They sought to demonstrate to the audience some of the ways in which social impact strategies can create business value as well as social, and how to overcome the challenges within this process. Amy McGoldrick reports here…

Reflections from delegates

Philanthropy’s superpower!

The session on Funding Systems Change in Asia was a powerful call to action for philanthropy to provide more risk capital to test and develop solutions to tough social and environmental challenges, with real potential to lead to systems change. The ability of private capital to take risks was described as its superpower. This extends to capital held in foundations of all types. Catherine Brown reports here…

Reflecting on strides in the impact investment industry

Seven years ago, the AVPN was the first conference that connected me to other venture philanthropy organisations and the wider impact investment community in Asia and across the globe. In 2013, the conference felt an oasis meeting of like-minded people that lasted two days, after which we would all depart with renewed conviction about the common challenges we faced and inspiration on ideas on how to tackle them. Joining the AVPN conference in 2020 after years in adjacent industries, the growth of the impact investment industry has become apparent. Athena Lam reports here…

Address digital infrastructure gap to close COVID-19 induced learning gap

Various other panellists shared about decisive actions taken by local governments, educators and social purpose organizations to mitigate the learning disruption such as ramping up of e-learning materials and provision of suitable devices. There was also a strong consensus amongst both attendees and panellists that the pandemic would exacerbate the learning gap for vulnerable children by more than a year. Zelig Dhi Lee reports here…

Constellations Prize winners

AVPN Constellations highlights the ways in which AVPN members are ‘addressing the complex problems of our times with stellar interconnected solutions, leveraging the power of networks for greater impact’. In addition to our coverage of the AVPN Virtual Conference 2020, Alliance magazine profiled each of the five winners:

• INSPIRASI

• The Future Right Skills Network

• Better Investment for Stunting Alleviation

• AI in Public Health

• Quality Education India Development Impact Bond

News from the conference

• New Climate Pledge calls for $1 billion for climate funding by 2021

• AVPN creates new Gender Platform for members

Hosting a conference? Alliance magazine is one of the leading magazines for global philanthropy, and we can provide in-person or remote coverage for your event to over 26,000 readers worldwide. If you would like to explore ways in which Alliance can provide dedicated coverage, please email Amy McGoldrick at amy@alliancemagazine.org.