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Technology, Finance and the Cost of Water: What Actually Moves the Needle for Low-Income Households?
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) are not just basic needs – they are fundamental to health, dignity, and sustainable development. Yet in 2026, billions of people worldwide still lack safe drinking water and adequate sanitation, while climate change, population growth, and fragile infrastructure make the challenge ever more urgent.
The e-MFP & Aqua for all WASH Action Group has largely focused on how to scale WASH finance – and measuring its impact via financial providers and SMEs.
But unlike a microloan or insurance product, supporting vulnerable populations via WASH involves actual, physical products as well as finance. And there are innovations everywhere in how these products are designed, delivered and monitored.
So for the last webinar of 2026, we thought we’d take a different look at this issue: which technologies actually lower the cost of serving low-income households with water and sanitation, and when resources are finite, what should we prioritise?
Join us to hear from leading voices from Boreal Light, UPTIME, Aqua for All, GSMA and more for a “world café” style Webinar, that will cover satellite tech, sensors and smart metering, desalination solutions, digital utilities and more.
Time: 9:00 AM EDT
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From Pilots to Pathways: Entrepreneurial Lessons from Africa’s Smart Energy Sector
Siemens Stiftung (foundation), together with ICLEI Europe and the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Centre, is pleased to invite you to the upcoming webinar, “From Pilots to Pathways: Entrepreneurial Lessons from Africa’s Smart Energy Sector”.
About the Event
The webinar will include an open panel discussion exploring the experiences, opportunities and challenges involved in scaling sustainable energy business models across Africa.Over four years, the Smart Energy Solutions for Africa (SESA) project brought together partners and entrepreneurs to develop, test, and strengthen sustainable energy solutions in different African contexts. Although the project officially concluded in October 2025, the experiences and knowledge generated through this collaboration remain highly relevant.
Drawing on the Siemens Stiftung publication “From Pilots to Pathways: Founder Lessons from Testing Smart Energy Business Models Across Africa,” the panellists will share the stories behind their work: what they tested, what they learned and what it takes to turn promising ideas into viable and sustainable businesses.
The conversation will offer practical insights for entrepreneurs, partners and organisations supporting innovation in Africa’s energy sector.
Time: 8:00 AM EDT
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Kigali Convention Center; Kigali, Rwanda - 5 DaysMonday
October 19
2026International Conference on Inclusive Insurance 2026
The International Conference on Inclusive Insurance 2026 will take place from 19-23 October 2026 in Kigali, Rwanda. 500+ experts from 50+ countries will discuss and identify ways of accelerating growth and economic viability in inclusive insurance for emerging markets. The conference will be hosted by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN), the National Bank of Rwanda (NBR), Access to Finance Rwanda (AFR), Rwanda Insurers Association (ASSAR), and Rwanda Insurance Brokers Association (RIBA) in cooperation with Munich Re Foundation and the Microinsurance Network.
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Learning Circle at the AVPN Academy West Asia Training Hub
Join the Learning Circle at the AVPN Academy West Asia Training Hub in Abu Dhabi
This Learning Circle is a small, closed-door conversation bringing together social investors, practitioners, and innovators working across climate action, impact capital, and social investment in UAE and West Asia.
What to expect
Informal, coffee-style discussion
Small group, closed-door setting
Open, peer-to-peer dialogue under Chatham House Rules- Tags
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Scaling Forum 2026
Through supporting more than 50 social and digital innovations, Enabel has seen that scaling rarely happens as a clean progression from pilot to scale. Scaling is a series of messy transitions: from projects to an organisation built for scale; from scale-ready to ready for someone; from supply-ready to adoption-ready; and from fragmented support to collective action. These transitions rarely happen in sequence; they overlap and interact and often depend on different actors stepping in, stepping back or working together in new ways.
What is the Forum about?
The Scaling Forum will build on Enabel’s experience as a funder, scaling-support partner and connector between global (development) actors to bring the different sides of these transitions into the same room. Together with funders, public sector, investors, scaling partners, businesses and other partners the Forum will move beyond diagnosing where scale gets stuck to exploring the underlying causes, the roles different actors need to play , and practical ways of collaborating.
How will we go about it?
Through Enabel’s work supporting social innovations to scale four recurring transitions are emerging:
- From projects to an organisation built for scale. How does the organisation itself need to change as its pathway to scale changes?
- From scale-ready to ‘ready for someone’: What does a specific next funder or investor actually need? How do different actors sequence their roles and make the handoffs between them work?
- From supply-ready to adoption-ready: What does it take to organise the demand side around innovations and what changes when we start with the conditions for adoption rather than the supply of solutions?
- From fragmented support to collective action: How can we collectively organise and change as institutions around a shared goal?
The Forum will use these transitions as a practical lens. The aim is to get underneath the messiness: where expectations diverge, where responsibility becomes unclear, and where organisations can no longer solve the problem alone. The Forum is designed as a working space, bringing together people who experience these transitions from different sides, moving from a shared understanding to practical problem-solving.
Ahead of the release of the full programme, here is a preview of the organisations that will be taking part in the event:
- Catalyst Now‘s working group Shifting the Funding Paradigm will lead and co-faciliate a session on what/how do we need to fund differently to support organisations that are trying to move away from grant dependency?
- Bridges Outcome Partnership will discuss how grant funders and social investors could work together more actively through the delivery organisations financing transition.
- UNIDO will explore how venture clienting can be a way to support innovations from a demand side in the public sector through innovation procurement.
- CGIAR and Global Innovation Fund will lead a session together on strategic collaborations for scaling.
For a taste of the themes we’ll explore, read our latest piece on NextBillion: Moving Beyond Grants: How NGOs Can Diversify Toward Earned Revenue, and How Funders Can Support That Transition.
Should you have any questions regarding the content of the event, please feel free to contact Toon Driesen (toon.driesen@enabel.be) or Latifah Abdou (latifah.abdou@enabel.be), who are the focal points for the programme and content. For any logistical or organisational queries, please do not hesitate to contact Lucile Ceglarski (lucile.ceglarski@enabel.be).
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Tax-Smart Charitable Giving: Practical Strategies for Year-End and Beyond
As year-end giving and tax-planning season approaches, we are pleased to invite you to a special virtual event for the PSI community focused on making the most of your charitable giving.
Tax-Smart Charitable Giving: Practical Strategies for Year-End and Beyond
Wednesday, October 21 | 12:00–12:45 p.m. ET
PSI will be joined by financial advisor David Tenerelli of Values Added Financial for a practical conversation about charitable giving and financial planning.
David will share several strategies that may help donors give more tax-efficiently, including:
- A new charitable deduction available to some taxpayers who do not itemize
- The potential advantages of donating appreciated stock
- Ways charitable giving can be incorporated into IRA and retirement planning
The conversation will also touch on how lifetime and legacy giving can work together as part of a thoughtful charitable plan.
The 45-minute session will include time for audience questions, and you are welcome to join whether you already have a charitable giving plan or are simply interested in learning more.
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Finance Indaba
The Finance Indaba is the premier gathering of finance professionals in the Southern Hemisphere and has been Africa’s leading finance conference since its inception in 2016. Held at the prestigious Sandton Convention Centre, the 2026 Finance Indaba will bring together world-class speakers, cutting-edge insights, and unparalleled networking opportunities. Attendees will experience live, interactive sessions and gain a comprehensive view of the latest tools, technologies, and strategies empowering finance teams to thrive in an ever-evolving business landscape. Don’t miss this opportunity to connect, learn, and shape the future of finance.- Tags
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NetHope Global Summit
JOIN THE DIGITAL LEADERS WORKING THROUGH SOLUTIONS TOGETHER AND HELP SHAPE WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE SECTOR!
Nonprofit organizations are operating in a world that’s more complex, connected, and demanding than ever. Missions are growing while resources tighten, and technology sits at the center of how impact is delivered, scaled, and protected. There is also optimism and new innovations that give us hope for what is to come.
As NetHope approaches our 25th Anniversary this year, we remain steadfast to be a trusted convener, partner, and resource; helping you successfully navigate this evolving landscape, harness technology, and innovate to build resilience.
Grounded in real-world nonprofit constraints but driven by what’s possible when the right leaders collaborate, the 2026 NetHope Global Summit is where proven solutions are shared, new partnerships are formed, and practical paths forward take shape. Designed for a sector that can’t afford to move slowly, the Summit brings together nonprofit, technology, and philanthropic leaders ready to align resources, expertise, intent, and scale. Attendees engage with peers who are actively building solutions and transforming complexity into capability to better support their missions. The collaborations that emerge don’t end when the Summit does; many become the operational foundation for the next generation of programs.
Join the digital leaders working through solutions together at the 2026 NetHope Global Summit, taking place October 26-29, 2026 in Amsterdam and virtually on November 3, 2026, and help shape what’s next for the sector!
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