“Because partnerships are embedded in the way we do things, we make sure that no one is a passive participant in our initiatives. Each one has a stake in the project, and therefore plays a critical role in ensuring its success.”
This was one of the points raised by Ayala Foundation President Ruel Maranan as he spoke at the “New Horizons in Social Investment: Global Exchange for Action and Impact” conference held on October 28 in Salzburg, Austria.
Maranan served as a resource speaker at a panel entitled “The Future of Philanthropy: How Do We Collaborate Among Different Kinds of Social Investors for Effective and Smart Philanthropy?” He was joined at the panel by officials from two other highly regarded international foundations—Matt Reed, chief executive officer of the Aga Khan Foundation, which operates in South, Central, and Western Asia, as well as in Eastern and Western Africa; and Vincent Faber, executive director of the Trafigura Foundation, which implements programs in 27 countries all over the world.
As he addressed philanthropists, development workers, and other professionals from the business and not-for-profit sectors attending the conference, Maranan emphasized how, through programs that are both “inclusive and inspirational,” Ayala Foundation harnesses “partnerships and stakeholdership in community development.”
Through its “BetterTogether Community Development Framework,” Ayala Foundation emphasizes that “things are done better when we’re together. Solutions are not prescribed but we bring our expertise to help identify compelling needs and solutions with measures, with the community.”
At the same time, Ayala Foundation makes sure it measures the impact and sustainability of its programs through social return of investment (SROI). Briefly speaking, SROI is a systematic way of measuring the impact of social and environmental initiatives. It looks at the economic value of social and environmental initiatives, and looks at how they contribute to positive change in the lives of people and communities.
The conference was organized by Salzburg Global Seminar, a not-for-profit organization that hosts forums and discussions covering “critical issues confronting the global community, covering topics as diverse as health care and education, culture and economics, geopolitics and philanthropy. The seminar takes a participatory format, “prompting candid dialogue, fresh thinking and constantly in the search for innovative but practical solutions.”
The event was presented in partnership with the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN) is a membership-based funders’ network committed to building a vibrant and high-impact social investment ecosystem across Asia. Ayala Foundation is a member of the AVPN.
