By Natalie Fellows, Senior Manager, Impact

At Maverick Collective by PSI, we believe that the most transformative change comes from pairing the powerful ideas of Population Services International (PSI) — a 50+ year old non-profit reaching 44M people a year with healthcare — with donors bold enough to bring them to life. And with over 3,000 employees, spread across 39 countries, PSI is never short on bold ideas! So how does Maverick Collective parse through potential impact opportunities to match philanthropists with projects that fit their passions? Through our “Idea Bank!”

The Idea Bank is our way of harnessing the brilliance of PSI’s global team to drive forward our mission for health and reproductive rights.

It’s how we incubate innovative ideas for Maverick Collective members to fund. Not only do we vet these ideas to ensure their technical rigor and potential for impact, but we work hard to match Maverick capital to the right type of project opportunity.

Though Maverick funding is smaller than the grants PSI regularly receives from donors like USAID or the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the flexibility and trust our members provide is invaluable. Maverick Collective funding lets PSI test new ideas, fail fast, and pivot when needed to be on the forefront of innovation in global health. Through the Idea Bank, we ensure this precious capital gets matched with ideas that can leverage the flexibility for catalytic impact.

Here’s how the process goes:

• Everyone at PSI – from Vice Presidents to Program Assistants – is invited to submit project ideas for consideration. This ensures all voices and ideas are given equal opportunity.
• The initial submission form asks just 9 questions, requiring a few sentences for each response. The questions aim to understand impact over process, and innovative design ideas over pre-packaged solutions. Each idea is evaluated by a powerhouse review team comprised of technical capacity and visionary leadership. Reviewers can ask questions and request more information if needed before evaluating ideas against the following criteria:
  • Pilot: The project tests an innovation, either a new approach or a promising solution.
  • Scale: The project has potential for scale and impact.
  • Leverage: The project has potential for leveraging additional funding after the implementation period or for driving sustainability.
  • Systems Change: The project is part of a bigger approach to addressing a root cause issue.
  • Strategic: The project fits within PSI’s Global Strategy, and the technical area’s strategic priorities, and is aligned with the focus of Maverick Collective.

Ideas that don’t make it into the Bank can still be wonderful projects, just not a fit for Maverick funding. For example, scaling or replicating a proven concept can have an incredible impact but would be more appropriately funded by an institutional donor with more funding and a smaller appetite for innovation.

Some exciting ideas that are in our Bank now include:

• Creating a digital application so that marginalized groups in Kenya, including LGBTQIA+, can safely and discretely connect with registered “allied” health practitioners for services.
• Blending sexual and reproductive health with economic empowerment for a holistic program that helps girls in Tanzania lift themselves out of poverty and define their futures.
• Developing a business model for drone delivery of health products (vaccines, contraception, etc.) to remote areas of Madagascar that are difficult to reach by land, especially during the rainy season.

By aligning the passions of our members with projects that are not just promising but potentially groundbreaking, we ensure that every dollar, every partnership, and every effort is maximized for impact. As we continue to fund these pioneering projects, Maverick Collective remains committed to pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in global health, together with our members and the communities we serve.