Into the Blue: A World Ocean’s Day Celebration

What happens when an ocean titan, caretaker, conservationist, innovator, and philanthropist walk into a museum with a dinosaur from 150 million years ago?  BY SARAH TAM Nestled within Southeast Asia lies a vibrant marine biodiversity hotspot that serves as a lifeline for millions who rely on the oceans for food, livelihoods, and protection from natural disasters. However, oceans face multiple looming challenges: overfishing, pollution, and climate change cast large shadows over its overall health. Yet oceans, despite storing 30% of carbon emissions and absorbing 90% of global temperature rise, remain the most underfunded of all the UN Sustainable Development Goals,…

Addressing Ageing in Asia

How can we build systems that support and enable older people to live well with purpose and dignity, and remain relevant to society? BY THERESA CUA The world is greying. Asia-Pacific will likely see the fastest increase in older-populations—likely to triple between 2010 and 2050. Thus, there is a need to examine how this demographic shift will affect the very fabric of society, and whether our present structures enable people to live not just longer—but live well, with purpose and dignity. Along this thought, APC and the Tsao Foundation hosted APC members, social innovators from Ashoka, and experts who are…

Building systems leadership to meet the region’s emerging complex societal issues

BY CAROL TANDEPUTY CEO, ASIA PHILANTHROPY CIRCLE August marks 8 months since I’ve joined APC. Every day I am inspired by the creativity and tenacity of the diverse individuals and organisations of this vibrant community seeking to do good. Thank you members for welcoming me into the circle—first as Chief Strategy Officer, and now as Deputy CEO. APC also turned 8 years old in July. The world is vastly different from when APC was founded in 2015—a pandemic came and never really left, heatwaves and floods have become more intense and frequent, the era of Artificial Intelligence has begun, and whole…

Adding value to Singapore’s social sector

New and experienced funders convene to better understand the Singapore social sector, how they can add value, and how to leverage their resources most effectively. BY ABBIE JUNG, ASIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION In April 2023, APC convened a roundtable discussion to help APC members—many of whom are new to Singapore—to better understand the Singapore social sector, how they can add value, and where their resources can be most effectively channelled. APC member and National Council of Social Services (NCSS) President Anita Fam shared an overview of the social sector landscape. NCSS is an umbrella body for some 450 social sector organisations,…

Aligning win-win outcomes for social impact

In a breakfast hosted by new APC member Carl Thong, the Eagle Venture Fund shares perspectives behind their work in ESG– when more good is being done, more returns can also be made. BY YU KHING POH In a breakfast discussion hosted by new APC member Carl Thong, members heard from Wesley Lyons, Raimund Buhr, and Wade Myers from Eagle Venture Fund on their perspectives behind their focus on the “social” part of ESG, and how they champion “significant returns” with “significant impact”. They shared how older models of social entrepreneurship had inherent tensions. Creating better-quality products meant lowering profit margins,…

Scaling New Heights: Insights from the India Learning Journey

Key takeaways and highlights from APC’s India Learning Journey in April 2023. BY CAROL TAN About APC Learning Journeys APC Learning Journeys are study trips that facilitate knowledge, exchanges, and deep dives into specific issue areas, geographies and philanthropy-related themes for members. One big highlight at APC last quarter was our Learning Journey to India, led by the indefatigable Stacey Choe! India has a long and storied history in social impact, with a vibrant non-profit sector (over three million non-profit organisations!) and social innovations with impact even beyond India’s shores. Yet it remains a hidden gem, despite some pretty audacious…

What We’re Reading: The Philanthropy Transformation Initiative Report

This latest report from WINGS, a global network of philanthropy support and development organisations, focuses on enabling change, walking the talk and creating the future. BY SUE TOOMEY While APC members support a variety of social impact areas, our shared value in building inclusive and sustainable communities binds us together and drives forward the work of collaborative philanthropy to address Asia’s challenges. A June 2023 report from WINGS makes the case that not only a strategic, but a transformational approach is needed to tackle the polycrisis facing society—multiple, interconnected global threats, from the climate emergency and global pandemics to geopolitical…

Reflections for a Better Way Forward: 5 Lessons from venn 2022

BY RUNCHEN HUANG As the world reopens this borders this year, we were finally able to host our first overseas venn in three years! For venn2022, we headed over the causeway to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Earlier (as far back as 2020), we had plans for an island getaway to Pangkor Laut, the family estate of APC member Kathleen Chew; however, a trip to KL in May 2022 and seeing impressive operations by different organisations on the ground changed our minds, as we thought members would learn far more seeing things up close than from a video screen. In November, we…

The LEGO Foundation Announces Awardees for Global Challenge

by Vanessa Goeh The LEGO Foundation, in collaboration with Lever for Change, recently announced its five winners for the Build a World of Play Challenge, an open call grant competition for DKK 900 million (USD 117 million) seeking bold solutions promoting the well-being of children, their caregivers, and their communities, using culturally relevant and sustainable approaches. The social challenge seeks to address the early childhood crises aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to create a global movement to prioritise early childhood development (ECD). Ten finalists were earlier chosen from a pool of 627 applicants from 86 countries. Their…

Reopening borders, reopening minds

BY STACEY CHOECHIEF OPERATING OFFICER I hope things are going well for you as the world starts to open up. At APC, we are beginning to travel, too. In May, we will be visiting some of you in Vietnam, then Malaysia. We will also pop over to Thailand in June. It has been too long—yet none of you have felt very far away with the many online events that have brought us together.  Our in-person events are also increasing, with international leaders like Mark Suzman (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) traveling through Singapore and keen to meet with the APC community….