AVPN Philanthropy Fellowship
Strategic Philanthropy in Asia: Maximising Impact
AVPN Academy, in partnership with the Cambridge Judge Business School, offers a fellowship programme that seeks to help practitioners better understand and unleash the opportunity of philanthropy for sustainable, scalable and measurable impact.
PROGRAMME DETAILS
16 April 2026 – Virtual induction/kickoff event
20-23 April 2026 – Virtual modules
24-27 August 2026 – In-person convening at the AVPN Global Conference in New Delhi
* Dates are subject to minor changes
PROGRAMME FEES
USD 2,000 for AVPN members
USD 3,000 for non-members
No additional cost for AVPN Suite Pass Subscribers*
*Kindly note that the complimentary Suite Pass for AVPN Vision members does not cover access to the AVPN Global Conference.
overview
Be an AVPN Philanthropy Fellow
Learn what it means to be strategic and how to ensure programmes are evidence-based. Understand how to leverage brand equity for collaboration so that partnerships can be mutually rewarding. Explore the range of financial instruments and models that can help you deliver sustainable outcomes at scale. Leave with a new perspective on increasing the impact of your philanthropy in the developing world. Build a community of peers committed to catalysing greater philanthropic impact.
The programme explores how philanthropic capital can best be deployed to deliver impact and long-term system change. Fellows will analyse many of the challenges and opportunities that face emerging market philanthropists in trying to align work with national development plans, the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the need to deliver high-impact sustainable outcomes at scale.
This is a hybrid programme involving a mix of virtual sessions and an in-person convening at the AVPN Global Conference 2026 in New Delhi.
The programme will be co-facilitated by the Cambridge Judge Business School.Â
Successful registrants will be notified via email.
WHO
Who should join
- Professionals working in philanthropic organisations
- Individual philanthropists seeking to create new funds or programmes
- ODA officials, government officials, and policy makers looking to engage philanthropic capital to support the SDGs
- Academics seeking insights into operational challenges facing philanthropic practitioners
- Corporate professionals looking to deploy commercial capital for social impact
- Philanthropy advisors
WHAT
Programme key themes
Understand how best to deploy philanthropic capital for impact and long-term system change
Understand the challenges and opportunities that face emerging market philanthropists
Learn how to deliver sustainable outcomes at scale
Programme benefits
Networking, Partnership, and Collaboration Opportunities
Executive Education with a
Certificate of Attendance
Leadership Development and
Strategic Thinking
The FACILITATORS
Meet the faculty
Dr. Shonali Banerjee
Visiting Research Fellow
Cambridge Judge Business School
Andrew Jenkins
Visiting Fellow
Cambridge Judge Business School
Dr. Simon Learmount
Professor in Corporate Governance
Cambridge Judge Business School
Lionel Paolella
Professor of Social Sciences and Organisations
Cambridge Judge Business School
Dr. Arnil Paras
Executive Director, Insights and Academy
AVPN
Prof. Jaideep Prabhu
Professor of Marketing and Jawaharlal Nehru Professor of Indian Business
Cambridge Judge Business School
Samsurin Welch
Associate & Lecturer, Circular Economy Centre
Cambridge Judge Business School
Clare Woodcraft
Visiting Fellow
Cambridge Judge Business School
Dr. Eden Yin
Associate Professor in Marketing
Cambridge Judge Business School
agenda
Fellowship programme
16 APRIL
VIRTUAL
Induction and Kickoff Event
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20 APRIL
VIRTUAL
VIRTUAL
Identifying Gaps to Maximise ImpactÂ
This module focuses on three key elements of maximising philanthropic impact: ‘looking inside’ by choosing your cause, ‘looking outside’ by scoping the field and ‘looking forward’ by defining your theory of change. You will look at how to find the ‘sweet spot’ by examining your context, existing initiatives, your needs and your organisational capabilities.
Collaborating for Impact
This looks at how to identify the right partners by analysing the need for resources and mapping the stakeholder network in your field. You will also address the issues surrounding information-sharing once you have selected a partner.
From Traditional to Strategic Philanthropy
Using the case of the King Khalid Foundation of Saudi Arabia, you will examine traditional and strategic types of philanthropy and some of the key challenges that foundations face when moving to more innovative, collaborative operating models. These include working more closely with the private sector, supporting the growth of the broader ecosystem and securing government endorsement.
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21 APRIL
VIRTUAL
Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships
Recognise indicators that show when power dynamics are impeding partnerships’ efficacy in addressing huge societal problems such as climate change, poverty and health.
Building Brand and Scaling Impact
Discover how the Tanoto Foundation evolved its business model in order to facilitate multi-country scale up, partnerships with government and build a leadership position in regional philanthropy. This case study shares the Foundation’s journey looking at both internal and external engagement and how it built its own capacity to maximise impact.
Leveraging the Brand for Impact
This part of the module looks at why branding is important for philanthropic organisations, how you can build a strong brand, trust and opportunities for partnership.
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22 APRIL
VIRTUAL
BRAC Case Study on Scaling Impact
Using the case study of BRAC, the world’s largest NGO, you will look at how the organisation scaled for impact. The module explores the different methods for impact evaluation and how you can monitor impact for the long-term.
GovernanceÂ
The two-part module will look at governance: what it is, why it is important, why it can be challenging and its importance for building trust, honing an organisation’s values and building strong collaboration.
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23 APRIL
VIRTUAL
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Impact and Leadership
This part of the module examines leadership, where you will look at the key skills needed for leadership, and different leadership theories. You will also learn how to use storytelling to get ‘buy-in’ from board members to secure investment in your projects. This module looks at why you should measure impact; what you should measure and the common mistakes made when measuring impact.
Measuring and Evaluating Impact
This two-part module examines why impact measurement is critical to effective social investment, clarifies what should be measured, and explores how impact management can be implemented efficiently in practice.
24 to 27 AUGUST
IN-PERSON
Connect with other fellows from different parts of the world with a four-day in-person convening, in conjunction with the AVPN Global Conference 2026 in New Delhi, India.
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Important Note:
Dates may be subject to minor revisions depending on feedback from confirmed fellows,
Frequently Asked Questions
Applications are open until 3 April 2026, or until seats are filled.
The time commitment consists of 19 hours of virtual learning, and three days for the in-person convening.
- Kickoff and Induction Event – 1 hour
- In-person Convening – 3 days
- Virtual Modules – 18 hours (4.5 hours x 4 days)
The registration cost is USD 2,000 for AVPN members and USD 3,000 for non-AVPN members.
Please note that flight and accommodation costs for the in-person convening in the AVPN Global Conference will be covered by the participant. Fellows receive complimentary tickets to the ConferenceNew Delhi, where the in-person convening will be held.
There will be no refunds. Please make sure your schedule will allow you to participate for the full duration.
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