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    NEWS:
    Friday
    Nov222013

    Engage - VPF News (Autumn 2013)

    Click here to read the latest inspiring stories from VPF's portfolio of innovative social ventures, and update yourself of new members, initiatives and opportunities across the VPF network.

    Friday
    Nov222013

    Heading in the right direction – Skoll award confirms we are!

    When BasicNeeds was awarded the prestigious 2013 Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, we realised this was a natural outcome of having cultivated one of our core venture support criteria – openness to a collaborative working relationship with VPF.  Simple and even somewhat clichéd, yet if you can get this grounded from the start, then tackling challenges transforms them into opportunities.

    So what was VPF's contribution?

    By matching BasicNeeds, an international development organisation with Bernie Waldron as their VPF contact point. Bernie is an international business leader and experienced mentor with over 15 years non-executive board experience and 25 years of executive and management experience, spanning Private Equity, UK plc and global blue-chip corporates such as IBM and Maersk Data Group.

    What was also key was that BasicNeeds’ mission - to bring about lasting change in the lives of people with mental illness and epilepsy around the world (since 2000, they have reached 580,130 people with mental illness and epilepsy their carers and family members in 12 countries), was one that Bernie felt inspired by.

    Life post Skoll Award

    This award has also coincided with the launch of BasicNeeds’ 5 year strategy to reach 1 million people. So indeed exciting times for them!

    The relationship with Skoll is also already bearing fruit, with substantial financial backing from the foundation.  Winning such an award provides a platform where BasicNeeds’ message can be heard by an even greater and more diverse audience, opening up opportunities for even more growth areas where VPF can and is currently assisting BasicNeeds with.  These areas include branding, communications, and recently recruiting an investment professional for their development committee – Giles Marshall. Giles attended one of our networking events and shortly thereafter took the steps to offer his invaluable pro bono skill set.

    Crowdfunding

    BasicNeeds is also thrilled to be partaking in the biggest CrowdRise Challenge ever! Launched jointly by Skoll Foundation and Huffington Post called ‘Skoll Social Entrepreneurs challenge’. Yet another innovative approach to increasing awareness and funding.

    Click here to access the challenge and then select BasicNeeds as the team to donate to.

     

    Click here to read more about Crowdrise hosted by Edward Norton.

     

    So what is this Crowdfunding hype all about?

    Have a look at this short animated video that will attempt to shed some light – enjoy!   

    Thursday
    Aug222013

    Leave painting to the painters?

    I know we don't judge books by their covers, but if you were asked to guess the occupation of the woman in the photo above I bet you would not plump for builder, or decorator, or landscape gardener. No, unsurprisingly, Corneilia Luciana (name changed to protect true identity) is a private equity investment professional working in London. She is also working pro bono with one of VPF's ventures, MyBnk.
    ..
    Lots of pro bono community programmes see financiers, lawyers, marketers, investment professionals... bascially anyone who isn't an expert on laying pathways, painting fences, building school blocks etc... sent off to lay pathways, paint fences, build school blocks... bascially anything that doesn't use the highly valuable skills that they hone day-in-day-out in their careers. It's great to get out of the office for some team building, but from the perspective of society, it doesn't seem the most effective use of city professsionals' particular skills - painters are better than investment professionals at painting, builders building etc, surely?
    ..
    We think (and this is changing across the board to be fair) that the best way anyone can help society without donating money is by donating their professional expertise, the things they have been trained to be good, no, excellent at. VPF is the counduit for City professionals to acheive this.
    ..
    A couple of testimonials (we'll give you more a couple each month):
    ..
    SANDEEP DHILLON

    "As a VPF member I have been working with AfriKids management team to provide them with input on strategy and to help refine their current business model for future development. After meeting some of the exceptional CEOs of the social enterprises supported by VPF, Afrikids seemed like the perfect organisation to become involved with. VPF has provided the perfect platform for me to use my consulting and banking skill-set for wider social impact."

    KIERAN D'SILVA

    "Working with social ventures allows me to get involved with good causes which operate in line with robust, sustainable market principals. By contributing the skills I have developed during my career then I can offer much more to the organisations than I could by donating funds alone. I have enjoyed applying my due diligence and investment analysis to projects outside of my usual sector and geographic coverage. The regular VPF events also allow me to meet with like-minded individuals within the Private Equity industry."

    If you are a City professional and would like to donate your skills (from a couple of hours a month upwards) then please do get in touch with us, we'd love to hear from you.

    Tuesday
    Aug132013

    Excellent Development is a name you’ll want to remember!

    It’s exciting times for Excellent, as amongst its peers within international development – the innovative water and sustainability NGO is steadily gaining global recognition and respect as being a leader in highlighting the multiple holistic benefits of sand dams.

    What are sand dams?

    Last month saw Responding to Climate Change (RTCC) do an article titled ‘Africa’s tiny ‘sand dams’ can save millions from drought’ where they highlighted the status of drought and famine in Africa since 2011. Excellent’s invaluable work and contribution was highlighted in such a way as to show the intricate interconnection of not only just being a support and benefit to human life, but to also local plant and wildlife. So what exactly is a sand dam? This is also covered in an easy to understand description within the article.

    Click here to read more

    Excellent is an authority, according to the United Nations

    The most recent spotlight was when, together with Africa Sand Dam Foundation, Excellent co-sponsored the Caux Dialogue on Land and Security organised by the United Nations in Switzerland between 7 and 11 July 2013. Its aim? To address the human link with land degradation, poverty and conflict.

    Click here to read more

    Thursday
    Jun202013

    VPF pro bono project wins Management Consultants Association Award


    A team assembled by VPF and Oliver Wyman has won the "Sustainability" category at the Pro Bono Management Consultancy Competition 2013 for its work on the strategy review of portfolio venture, 'Excellent'.

    Excellent has been addressing water shortage issues in sub-Saharan drylands with increasing success over the past ten years. It is now looking to expand the reach of its vision to see sand damns transforming millions of lives around the world.

    Such an ambitious goal requires a detailed strategy, so VPF brought together a VPF Trustee (social sector veteran Vik Anderson), a VPF Member (Adrian Barrick, Head of European Content at UBM) and a small group of junior management consultants from Oliver Wyman, to work with senior management at Excellent on devising a six year strategy over a period of six months.

    CEO Simon Maddrell was hugely appreciating of the project and said that "with the strategy and six-year plan we developed now in place, we have our roadmap to expand our operations to other dry land regions.”

    This pro bono project worked because it had a clear deliverable, experienced leadership, and committed, enthusiastic professionals with first rate commercial consulting skills and who bought in to the NGO's vision.

    Congratulations to all involved for helping Excellent plot its future trajectory towards empowering millions to access clean water.