Nonprofits across Asia continue to face major barriers in accessing effective support systems, with many existing capacity-building opportunities being fragmented, costly, difficult to access, or poorly suited to local realities. Insights from India and Indonesia show that many organizations struggle to find affordable, high-quality assistance and often rely on informal referrals or word of mouth, which can result in inconsistent and short-term support rather than sustainable institutional growth. In response to these challenges, AVPN, in partnership with the Ford Foundation, has launched the ImpactCollab Capacity-Building Platform to better meet the evolving needs of nonprofits in the region.
The platform is designed to strengthen the long-term foundations of nonprofits that are working on urgent issues such as inequality and climate vulnerability. Although these organizations play a critical role in addressing social and environmental challenges, many still operate without access to reliable and relevant capacity-building services. Research in India and Indonesia found that the lack of affordable and quality support is a widespread problem, making it difficult for nonprofits to build resilience and scale their impact over time.
ImpactCollab aims to address these structural gaps by improving how nonprofits discover and access suitable capacity-building support. A key feature of the platform is its vetted network of Capacity-Building Providers, which includes detailed information such as sector expertise, service types, languages, pricing models and geographic reach. This makes it easier for nonprofits to identify providers that are genuinely aligned with their needs, replacing informal referral-based systems with a more transparent, open and accessible approach.
In addition to connecting nonprofits with providers, the platform also includes a centralised resource directory that brings together tools, templates, frameworks and learning materials from trusted sources. These resources are organised around key organisational priorities such as fundraising, governance, monitoring, evaluation and learning, and digital transformation. By consolidating previously scattered materials into one place, the platform helps nonprofits access practical and often low-cost or free resources that can be used immediately to strengthen their operations.
The platform also offers significant value for funders and capacity-building providers. For funders, it provides a more strategic way to direct support toward verified providers and context-relevant tools that can drive lasting organisational change rather than one-off interventions. For Capacity-Building Providers, it creates greater visibility, helps generate interest in their services, and offers a space to share relevant content that can extend their influence beyond individual engagements. Overall, ImpactCollab is positioned as a collaborative ecosystem tool that seeks to improve access, relevance and long-term impact for nonprofits, funders and support providers across Asia.
