Frequently Asked Questions

Maverick Collective is a community of women philanthropists making catalytic investments in health and reproductive rights to advance gender equality. Members collaborate closely with experts and consumers through a unique Experiential Philanthropy model that invites hands-on-engagement in the projects they fund. Projects are dedicated to achieving rapid innovation in global healthcare for women and girls for a more gender-equitable world. Through Maverick Collective, each Member’s impact is tripled to transform the lives of women and girls, the world of philanthropy, and the Member herself.

Founded in 2015 by Population Services International (PSI) in partnership with Melinda French Gates and Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess of Norway, Maverick Collective has mobilized over $100 million in resources and helped more than 6.7 million women and girls live healthier lives.

PSI is a network of locally rooted, globally connected organizations working to achieve consumer-powered healthcare — people-centered health systems that ensure quality, affordable care wherever and whenever it is needed.

Our origins in sexual and reproductive health have grown into a broader mission. Today, we work with the public and private sectors as well as local communities, prioritizing people’s voice and choice and developing solutions to meet their essential health needs. Over the past five decades, we have helped push boundaries, break taboos, set trends, and develop innovative solutions to complex global health challenges.

PSI designs and implements Maverick Collective projects, collaborating closely with donors and implementing partners. These include donor governments such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), foundations such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Fortune 500 companies, national governments, and grassroots organizations in the countries where we work.

The fastest way to reach gender equality is by investing in the most promising and innovative healthcare solutions for girls and women. By tackling the systemic barriers that limit women and girls’ access to healthcare, we can transform societies and create lasting change.

Maverick Collective believes in Triple Impact: impact on girls and women, impact on self, and impact on philanthropy-at-large. Through the Triple Impact philosophy, we provide members with hands-on experience that deepens their understanding of women’s issues globally, through projects that directly impact the health and reproductive rights of women and girls in the countries where we work, and collective action that spurs radical disruption of philanthropy at large.

Maverick Collective Members are bold, curious women from all walks of life who know that real, catalytic change takes commitment and a willingness to take risks. They are ambitious, activated, eager to revolutionize giving, and care deeply about the world in which they live. They recognize the privilege and power they hold in the world and use it to invest in and pilot women-centered healthcare projects aimed at creating gender equality for women and girls around the world.

Measuring impact is at the core of PSI. Much like a business measures its profits, PSI tracks the impact of its work through monitoring and evaluation. This is done through a variety of metrics used to inform decisions, track progress, and demonstrate effectiveness of programs. PSI’s primary scale is “users reached,” which estimates the number of people who receive products or services or are effectively referred by PSI for care in a year. This metric allows PSI to be more “people-focused”—counting the number of consumers impacted by a project—versus “product-focused,”—counting the number of products donated or sold. At the start of every project, PSI will develop a robust set of indicators to measure success along with a comprehensive plan for monitoring and evaluation.

Maverick Collective engages members through three programs: Maverick Venture,  Maverick Next, and Maverick Portfolio

Maverick Venture uses a venture capital approach to philanthropy. Members make bold, high-risk investments to advance gender equality through improved health for themselves and their families. Members pledge a minimum $1.1M investment over three years to pilot a catalytic initiative of their choosing and work alongside in-country experts and those we serve to deepen their knowledge, build empathy, and become effective advocates for the issues they care about.

Maverick Next is an immersive two-year fellowship that brings together the next generation of philanthropists (ages 20 to 40) to revolutionize healthcare access for women and girls everywhere. Next gen from diverse backgrounds form impact circles of 3-6 fellows and each co-invest $275,000 over two years in a project that catalyzes innovative solutions for health and reproductive rights. Through a tailored curriculum, including a certificate in Social Impact from the London School of Economics, members build skills in leadership, advocacy, and strategic investing and become informed advocates for global change.

Maverick Portfolio  is a philanthropic fund for PSI and grassroots organizations to collaborate in tackling systemic barriers to women and girls accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare. Using a co-investment model, members share risk, amplify success, and learn together, supporting a portfolio of initiatives in Uganda, Malawi, and Cote d’Ivoire. Initiatives will focus on transforming the role of men and boys into champions for women’s and girls’ health and rights.

The Maverick Collective Community consists of anyone who has invested in Maverick Venture, Maverick Next, and the Maverick Portfolio. Currently, the community includes approximately 40+ women from around the world. While each program has its own signature experiences, key moments of the learning journey are shared by the entire Maverick Collective Community. Community events include:

New Member Onboarding: (virtually, held twice a year in April and October) New members start their journey with a deep learning session with PSI to lay the contextual and technical foundation for project-based learning. This virtual experience brings together PSI’s global team to share its consumer-powered healthcare approach and strategic vision for how to amplify impact for the people we serve around the world. The agenda is fluid and frequently adapted to reflect new programs and learning.

ISSUE: (Bi-monthly virtual programming) ISSUE is Maverick Collective’s signature immersive learning experience that brings stories and lessons from around the world into member’s homes to expand their viewpoint and challenge the status quo. Each ISSUE explores a cross-cutting theme through a range of learning styles, highlighting voices from experts in global health, Maverick Collective Members, philanthropic thought-leaders, and most importantly—the communities we serve. Each ISSUE contains three core components: Maverick Beat, a news-style program that showcases two Maverick Collective projects and lessons learned, Master Class, a live, lecture-style event where members can learn directly from global experts in the field, and Heart Homework, resources for independent learning.

Disrupting Philanthropy Series: (3 sessions per year) Diving deep into the values of the community, members explore some of the most pressing topics facing the philanthropy sector. With high-profile speakers and subject-matter experts, we will explore topics that can enrich members’ philanthropic practice, such as Race and Power, Family Dynamics, and Feminist Philanthropy. Previous sessions included conversations with Acumen CEO, Jacqueline Novogratz, Decolonizing Wealth author, Edgar Villanueva, and President and CEO of Global Fund for Women, Latanya Mapp Frett.

Annual Member Retreat – Pause, Reflect, Connect: (3 days) This is a special community moment for all Maverick Collective Members to come together, connect with self and purpose, build community, and learn deeply – reflecting on the past year’s work and goals for moving forward together. Retreats are an opportunity to explore the impact members want to have as a community, as individuals, and all the combinations in between.

Global Events & Conferences (Throughout the year): Members turn their learning into action, participating in key conferences and events related to philanthropy and international development. Past convenings include Skoll World Forum, UN General Assembly Week, and Goalkeepers.