Learning Through APC: Four things I learnt making a mid-career switch into the development sector

By Atikah Amalina At the end of January this year, I took a leap of faith and left the teaching service after four years.  I was ready to explore other options, primarily my longstanding interest in the development sector.  Throughout my time in teaching, I’d remained involved in various work in the non-profit sector on the side, including running programmes with orphanages in Batam, coordinating bake sales to channel funds to charity causes and organising an awareness-raising trip to a refugee camp in Aceh. Soon after leaving, I had the opportunity to work and learn with Asia Philanthropy Circle, a…

APC Funders Roundtable in KL: Culture and Faith: Why we need more Inclusivity

By Wei Kong In response to APC member concerns on the rise of cultural and religious intolerance in the region, in collaboration with APC, YTL Foundation hosted the 14th Funders roundtable in Kuala Lumper on the topic of Culture and Faith: why we need more inclusivity.  The roundtable explored how private funders can play a role in promoting tolerance and understanding between different religious and ethnic groups. To set the stage for a well-informed discussion an expert panel outlined the current situation in Malaysia and the region, addressed misconceptions, and explored approaches to tackle them.  The panel consisted of: Rita…

Why a Green Paper on Effective Public-Philanthropic Collaboration in ASEAN?

As social problems becoming increasingly complex, APC believes that more can be done if governments and philanthropists work in concert. There is value in coming together to align goals and harness each other’s unique strengths. This would leverage the collective intelligence and capacity for better social outcomes. The Green Paper on Effective Public-Philanthropic Collaboration in ASEAN is a first attempt to draw attention to the benefits of governments and philanthropists working together for social good. It examines the current public-philanthropic landscape in ASEAN and suggests practical ways that governments and philanthropists can work together in the near to long term….

ASEAN Philanthropy Dialogue: How can Government and Philanthropy collaborate more effectively?

by Atikah Amalina Philanthropists and government officials need to do more to build mutual trust and to align vision and strategies, in order to reap the synergies from public-philanthropic collaboration (PPC). Asia Philanthropy Circle (APC) members, ASEAN ministers and senior officials, and the ASEAN Secretariat discussed this and more at the inaugural ASEAN Philanthropy Dialogue in Singapore on 21 March 2018. Hosted by APC and part of the fringe events accompanying Singapore’s ASEAN chairmanship, the Dialogue provided a platform for active discussion on PPC in growing social impact jointly. The benefits of PPC and the various modalities of its engagement…

Indonesian social entrepreneur on micro-hydropower wins inaugural ASEAN Social Impact Awards

by Atikah Amalina The inaugural ASEAN Social Impact Awards culminated in the awards presentation on 21 March 2018 at the Raffles City Convention Centre, Singapore. Asia Philanthropy Circle (APC) members, ASEAN ministers, senior officials, and other philanthropists and social sector leaders gathered to celebrate and highlight the power of social entrepreneurs and the positive transformational changes they can make to the communities they serve. Six award finalists, who were chosen out of 160 applications, had the opportunity to showcase their work at the event. Stanley Tan, Chairman of APC and the awards committee, opened the ceremony with a call for…

The Global Landscape of Philanthropy report by WINGS

Read the full report here and share your thoughts with us! From a description of various forms of individual giving to the growing importance of community philanthropy and structured, institutional giving, the current report is an effort to bring back the diversity of the field of philanthropy at the center of the debate, by drawing a comprehensive and provocative picture of current trends and challenges of the field. The report also raises some of the questions and issues most critical and central to its development – from technology and shrinking civic space to power dynamics within philanthropy practice and concepts, to the…

The SDGs: A call to collective action

by Myles Wickstead *This article by Myles Wickstead was originally published by Alliance magazine on 28 November 2017. The original article can be found here. For more philanthropy coverage, please visit www.alliancemagazine.org. The SDGs are universal – they apply everywhere and to everyone. So where does philanthropy come in? Let’s begin with a bit of history. The broad framework for aid and development from 2000 to 2015 was governed by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) – essentially a compact, though not a formal agreement – whereby the developing countries would put in place the conditions to achieve a number of Goals, mainly around basic health…

Indonesia Education Giving Guide: Catalysing Productive Livelihood

By Mijail Santos Lujan Committed to creating a greater impact through collaboration, two of APC’s Indonesia members Belinda Tanoto and Victor Hartono came together to spearhead an Education Giving Guide in Indonesia, with the aim of providing recommendations to private funders on education interventions with an accelerated path to scale and impact. With a vast trajectory in the field, the two APC members acknowledged that despite valuable efforts, education continues to face pressing issues. Thus, the motivation behind this project has been to broaden people’s access to quality education and to improve their livelihoods. By providing these recommendations, those who…

Achieving the UN SDGs via Pyramid to Happiness

by Mijail Santos Lujan In 2016, 193 UN-member States came together to sign the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) initiative, acknowledging that the profound changes that societies are going through require efforts towards common goals. Since then, the 17 SDGs have become a tangible guide to mobilize private, public and civil society. Many organizations, including APC, have committed to this partnership for a collective good. Furthermore, exciting initiatives have arisen to promote them. Sharing APC’s belief that there is more that unites us than divides us, APC Co-founder and member, Cherie Nursalim, introduced an innovative approach to present the UN goals,…

What China can learn from a platform like APC

The APC Secretariat in Singapore hosted a delegation from China under the auspices of the upcoming China Charity Fair at our offices on 25 August 2016. The 15-member delegation consisted of representatives from regional and national foundations and research agencies working on the new China Charity Law. Laurence and Stacey shared APC’s mission and activities, along with the Asian philanthropy landscape with the audience. The APC team itself also learnt much more about the regulatory change in China, particularly with regards to establishing charitable trusts. There was also a deepen exchange how best to mobilise philanthropists for social impact, how…