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…
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…