Money Meets Mission

In an era of information abundance, organisations have immense data which could be used to inform or drive various impact initiatives. However, figuring out how to utilise data for impact is challenging. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools, despite contentions on the role they play, have already allowed the processing of data in impressive speeds that continuously help professionals generate actionable insights.

Impact Intelligence, an organisation that leverages AI to help business achieve ambitious goals, speaks about using data to amplify one's impact and exploring ways in which the technology can be useful. Its Co-founder Niko Moesgaard and Program Manager Guliz Koldas highlight the importance of starting with information you already have and share use cases from their work where they help organisations achieve their impact goals.

Key Moments:

• 5:39 - Various ways in which data can be used for impact
• 8:27 - Case studies
• 12:48 - Taking the first step towards leveraging data for impact
• 15:35 - The AVPN member monitor
• 19:06 - Importance of sharing data and working together
• 20:35 - Humans + AI
• 24:05 - Recommended reading: All-in On AI by Thomas Davenport and Nitin Mittal

Learn more about the work of Impact Intelligence through their website and by going through their case studies.

The Corporate Social Impact Insights series of the Money Meets Mission podcast is part of the AVPN Academy Corporate Social Impact Centre,  which was established in partnership with Johnson & Johnson, Miller Trust and Visa. The center also includes self-paced modules, a library of content, and Learning Circles, which are a monthly series of small group discussions for corporate practitioners. To learn more, visit the AVPN Academy Corporate Social Impact Centre. 

The surge in the popularity and utility of artificial intelligence (AI) presents several opportunities for the philanthropic sector - both in leveraging the technology to improve ways of working, as well as playing a key role in supporting the safe development of AI.

Chris Malone, Partner at Dalberg, speaks about how philanthropy can use AI by sharing eight areas where philanthropists might use AI to transform their work, and conversely, how AI can use philanthropy by encouraging funding to go into AI research.

Key Moments:

• 2:00 - Setting the bookends: risks and opportunities in AI
• 12:30 - 8 Areas where philanthropy might engage with AI
• 20:00 - Working with grantee organizations - how could grantee organizations benefit from AI?
• 24:40 - Philanthropies as centers of excellence
• 26:50 - How AI could use philanthropy
• 34:40 - Existential risk in AI and why we need all kinds of philanthropists funding research into all kinds of risks and possibilities in AI
• 39:10 - How corporates could think about corporate social impact as a sandbox for innovation, such as in AI. 
• 43:45 - Recommended reading from Chris: AI 2041 by Kai-Fu Lee an Chen Qiufan

The Corporate Social Impact Insights series of the Money Meets Mission podcast is part of the AVPN Academy Corporate Social Impact Centre,  which was established in partnership with Johnson & Johnson, Miller Trust and Visa. The center also includes self-paced modules, a library of content, and Learning Circles, which are a monthly series of small group discussions for corporate practitioners. To learn more, visit the AVPN Academy Corporate Social Impact Centre. 

While corporate organisations recognize the importance of sustainability, the risks of innovation slow down the pace at which businesses make their sustainability transition. How can we de-risk innovation so that corporate organizations are empowered to take the lead in sustainability?

Joyce Wong, Grant Manager at Porticus, shares key levers that can drive corporate innovation for sustainability and gaps that hinder innovation. 

Key Moments:

• 2:33 - Introduction to Joyce and Porticus
• 4:14 - Holding businesses accountable through the Purposeful Business programme
• 8:50 - Working towards the programme goals through better policy and regulation, data and resources, and multi-stakeholder engagement
• 9:24 - Localising a global programme
• 12:26 - Identifying opportunities and challenges in sustainability

The Corporate Social Impact Insights series of the Money Meets Mission podcast is part of the AVPN Academy Corporate Social Impact Centre,  which was established in partnership with Johnson & Johnson, Miller Trust and Visa. The center also includes self-paced modules, a library of content, and Learning Circles, which are a monthly series of small group discussions for corporate practitioners. To learn more, visit the AVPN Academy Corporate Social Impact Centre. 

Corporate Social Impact (CSI) is often seen as a cost centre in a business. In this episode, learn why a perspective shift is needed to consider it more as a strategy and innovation partner.

Dr. CJ Meadows, of the SP Jain Global School of Management and The Tiger Center, share four key approaches that can be used to improve a business, develop new initiatives, and create impactful and innovative solutions.

Key Moments:

• 2:03 - Introduction to Dr. CJ Meadows and her work
• 3:09 - Unpacking the bold claim that Corporate Social Impact is more than a cost centre
• 5:01 - Understanding disruption
• 10:30 - Applying design thinking approaches in development work
• 18:42 - How greening can lead to financial savings (Related reading: How to Cool Down a City)
• 23:30 - The Golden Triangle and its origin
• 29:58 - Bringing it all together

Keep in touch and learn more about Dr. CJ Meadows' work through her
LinkedIn,  website, The Innovation & Entrepreneurship Centre, and the Tiger Center.

The Corporate Social Impact Insights series of the Money Meets Mission podcast is part of the AVPN Academy Corporate Social Impact Centre,  which was established in partnership with Johnson & Johnson, Miller Trust and Visa. The center also includes self-paced modules, a library of content, and Learning Circles, which are a monthly series of small group discussions for corporate practitioners. To learn more, visit the AVPN Academy Corporate Social Impact Centre. 

Recognising that the youth play a key role in society as present and future leaders, decision-makers and contributors, corporate organisations are presented with a unique opportunity to engage with them and harness their potential to create impact.

In 2021, AVPN established the Asian Youth for Impact (ayPact), a platform focused on equipping the next generation of Asian youth with the capital and resources they need to drive impactful change. Debrah Jiang (Senior Manager) and Amanda Kee (Grant and Programme Manager) from our Capital Mobilisation team lead our work on youth engagement, and share how corporates can take on a more meaningful role in empowering the young people of today.

Key Moments:

• 1:51 - Introduction to Amanda, Debrah, and their work at AVPN's Capital Mobilisation
• 3:04 - How ayPact harnesses youth potential
• 4:20 - Examples of corporate youth engagement programmes
• 6:24 - Dimensions of youth engagement (depth, duration, amount of knowledge transfer)
• 8:29 - Pathways corporates can embark on
• 16:28 - Success metrics
• 18:30 - Beginning your youth engagement journey

The Corporate Social Impact Insights series of the Money Meets Mission podcast is part of the AVPN Academy Corporate Social Impact Centre,  which was established in partnership with Johnson & Johnson, Miller Trust and Visa. The center also includes self-paced modules, a library of content, and Learning Circles, which are a monthly series of small group discussions for corporate practitioners. To learn more, visit the AVPN Academy Corporate Social Impact Centre.

Much of the success of Corporate Social Impact (CSI) initiatives is founded on a deep level of trust between and among diverse stakeholders. Establishing a genuine connection with the people one works with not only allows for a more harmonious professional relationship, but also paves the way for amplified and more meaningful impact.

Roberta Feliciano, Managing Director of ABS-CBN Foundation, talks about how they prioritise being purposeful in developing relationships with their funders, employees, partners, and corporate business, how she recognises that there is no shortcut to the process, and their empowering philosophy of change with the communities they work with. 

Key Moments:

• 2:23 - Introduction to Roberta and her work at ABS-CBN Foundation
• 3:47 - The uniqueness of ABS-CBN Foundation
• 5:17 - Alignment between ABS-CBN Foundation and ABS-CBN Corporation
• 6:51 - The role of trust in their relationships with various stakeholders
• 12:02 - Approach to building trust

The Corporate Social Impact Insights series of the Money Meets Mission podcast is part of the AVPN Academy Corporate Social Impact Centre,  which was established in partnership with Johnson & Johnson, Miller Trust and Visa. The center also includes self-paced modules, a library of content, and Learning Circles, which are a monthly series of small group discussions for corporate practitioners. To learn more, visit https://academy.avpn.asia/module-centre/corporate-social-impact-centre/

Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) reporting has often been seen as a compliance burden for business. Yet, it is now becoming increasingly important as a way in which businesses are evaluated by investors, employees and customers. What are the current ESG trends and what do they mean for businesses? And how can Corporate Social Impact (CSI) practitioners amplify their contribution in their organizations by proactively responding to ESG requirements?

Komal Sahu, Chief of Sustainable Finance at AVPN, breaks down the deeper implication of ESG trends for corporate organizations and their social impact arms, highlights the opportunity for CSI practitioners to scale their impact within and outside their business, and shares why companies cannot afford to ignore ESG as impact becomes crucial to how businesses are perceived. 

Key Moments:

• 2:19 - Introduction to Komal's work
• 3:35 - How ESG trends are impacting businesses
• 5:30 - Breaking down the E, S, and G
• 9:16 - The risks of not being proactive in responding to ESG trends
• 11:53 - The Anti-ESG wave and what it means for businesses
• 15:05 - The business case for ESG
• 16:25 - The role of CSI and CSI practitioners

The Corporate Social Impact Insights series of the Money Meets Mission podcast is part of the AVPN Academy Corporate Social Impact Centre,  which was established in partnership with Johnson & Johnson, Miller Trust and Visa. The center also includes self-paced modules, a library of content, and Learning Circles, which are a monthly series of small group discussions for corporate practitioners. To learn more, visit https://academy.avpn.asia/module-centre/corporate-social-impact-centre/

There is often a disconnect between the corporate and social sectors because the two have different ways of defining success, setting timelines, and measuring ROI. How can these tensions be addressed and be converted into opportunities to create more meaningful results?

Rama Iyer, Director General of the WPP India Foundation, speaks about how the corporate and social sectors are interoperable, and how scaling CSI internally can be made possible by harnessing the power of the organization.

Key Moments:

• 2:25 - An Introduction to WPP Foundation
• 4:02 - Defining success metrics 
• 9:57 - Integrating the social sector perspective in the core business
• 14:15 - Scaling internally and creating interest
•  19:36 - Having social conversations at the top level
• 22:00 - Talking about the work you do and celebrating wins
• 25:27 - Intervening where you can have maximum impact
• 27:49 - Understanding the experiments and failures budget
• 31:00 - Learning from the experiences of Rama and WPP India Foundation

The Corporate Social Impact Insights series of the Money Meets Mission podcast is part of the AVPN Academy Corporate Social Impact Centre,  which was established in partnership with Johnson & Johnson, Miller Trust and Visa. The center also includes self-paced modules, a library of content, and Learning Circles, which are a monthly series of small group discussions for corporate practitioners. To learn more, visit https://academy.avpn.asia/module-centre/corporate-social-impact-centre/

To ensure the sustainability and effectiveness of corporate social impact (CSI), it is important to align impact initiatives with the business objectives of the organisation. Alignment between the two shows the clear value of CSI for the core business, and allows impact initiatives to be supported by the organisation in times of abundance and scarcity.

Gillian Pearl, Chief Executive Officer of Pearl Consulting, shares about the benefits of alignment between impact and business results, the importance of taking a pause and seeking expert help, and how CSI practitioners can make the most of the corporate's existing resources.

Key Moments:

• 02:15 - An introduction to Pearl Consulting
• 03:30 - Importance of alignment 
• 05:19 - How to know if your social impact and business objectives are aligned
• 10:35 - How clarity contributes to easier conversations and stronger relationships with internal and external partners
• 13:46 - Embedding ESG targets into KPIs and job descriptions
• 16:37 - Understanding ESG risks and opportunities
• 19:35 - Taking a moment to pause
• 23:01 - Seeking help and support
• 27:28 - Gillian's advice to corporate practitioners about collaboration

The Corporate Social Impact Insights series of the Money Meets Mission podcast is part of the AVPN Academy Corporate Social Impact Centre,  which was established in partnership with Johnson & Johnson, Miller Trust and Visa. The center also includes self-paced modules, a library of content, and Learning Circles, which are a monthly series of small group discussions for corporate practitioners. To learn more, visit https://academy.avpn.asia/module-centre/corporate-social-impact-centre/

With the many considerations and challenges in grants management, it’s easy for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) practices to take the backseat, and for structural biases to go unnoticed. Corporate Social Impact (CSI) professionals are often tasked with the responsibility of putting equity at the center of grant-making, either in formulating a grant-making approach that directly tackles systemic imbalances, or in embedding EDI principles into existing grant-making practices.

In this episode, we talk to Meenu Bhambhani, Vice President, Head of Corporate Citizenship and Inclusion and Diversity, APAC, at State Street about how practitioners can do this in a cultural landscape as complex and diverse as Asia’s.

Key Moments:

• 01:45 - An Introduction to State Street and Meenu’s role at State Street Foundation
• 02:54 - State Street’s Grant-making, from Massachusetts to Asia Pacific
• 10:54 - How to get started in equity in grant-making without complete knowledge
• 14:02 - The two levels of equity in grant-making
• 15:50 - Meenu’s advice for corporate practitioners looking to get started with equity in grant-making

The Corporate Social Impact Insights series of the Money Meets Mission podcast is part of the AVPN Academy Corporate Social Impact Centre,  which was established in partnership with Johnson & Johnson, Miller Trust and Visa. The center also includes self-paced modules, a library of content, and Learning Circles, which are a monthly series of small group discussions for corporate practitioners. To learn more, visit https://academy.avpn.asia/module-centre/corporate-social-impact-centre/