November 2025: Partnership for Transparency awarded the PTF 2025 Legacy Award to honor and celebrate the unique contributions of two outstanding members of the PTF community. On November 5, 2025, Daniel Ritchie, PTF founder and former President, honored Vinay Bhargava and Lars Jeurling for their remarkable service over more than 15 years supporting PTF’s mission promoting transparency, accountability and good governance.
In presenting this first time award, Dan described Vinay as “PTF’s ‘energizer bunny,’ the most creative, visible and persistent member of the PTF family.” Vinay has represented the PTF in international forums from Tallinn to Manila. He has organized and managed more than a half-dozen civil society workshops in conjunction with the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, and produced many of the reports and analyses on PTF’s website. Vinay has led a three-year effort to encourage the World Bank to honor its commitment to enhancing civil society engagement across its projects and programs. Dan remarked that Vinay is PTF’s grand “schmoozer,” always on the phone connecting, recruiting, guiding, asking, promoting, encouraging.
Dan commended Lars for “his remarkable financial generosity, his leadership in managing successful projects in difficult environments like Ukraine and Moldova, his unwavering determination to improve our business practices and his willingness to call us out if we threaten to lose our way. Lars has been the PTF’s most persistent nudge, and organizations need nudges. Lars nudges with grace and relish.”
Vinay and Lars have supported a network of CSO partners throughout the world for whom they are highly regarded mentors. They have generated respect for the PTF and its mission from young leaders across the globe who often face the most challenging circumstances.
“It is hard to imagine the PTF without them. They have served as examples of determination and dedication to the PTF community of over 60 development professionals who devote their own funds, time, creativity and experience to promoting the engagement of civil society in the global fight against corruption and autocracy. We were delighted to honor Vinay and Lars for their contributions and to celebrate the PTF’s 25 years of service”, said Ritchie.
