Asia Philanthropy Circle members Tianqiao and Chrissy Chen’s institute has just launched a new neuroscience initiative with the prestigious Caltech. With a funding gift of USD115 million, the programme kick starts the Chen’s venture into neuro research, treatment and discovery. However, it is also the culmination of a 2-year long journey of learning and finally deciding on their philanthropic strategy, goals and delivery methods. Like the thoughtful and decisive businessmen and investors that they are, the Chens have brought their acumen and precision into their philanthropy. From our conversation with Chrissy, we realised that what set them apart as enlightened…

There’s hope for children in rural Sumatra. One of the three axis of the Tanoto Foundation’s poverty alleviation mission is education, and for the foundation, it means improving access to education at all levels, and ensuring quality education. This is by no means easy. The statistics are stark: only 60% of children living in rural Indonesia are enrolled in primary school compared to almost all children in more affluent urban areas. A study in 2010 by the Tanoto Foundation concluded that two thirds of the rural schools it surveyed were inadequate on so many fronts. Poor infrastructure and facilities, lack…

by Zack Peterson Philanthropists face a formidable challenge when it comes to understanding where they can play a role in eradicating the roots of radicalisation and promoting tolerance. The conversation is complicated and uncovering clear-cut answers can prove daunting. Two of Indonesia’s most sought-after radicalism experts, Yenny Wahid and Sidney Jones, however, would argue that philanthropists might be some of the most well-equipped when it comes to contributing to the overall picture. Wahid and Jones joined Asia Philanthropy Circle, at Alun Alun Indonesia, in Jakarta, to provide an updated situational analysis on rising radicalism in Indonesia and the wider Southeast…

by Zack Peterson Dignity, we can all agree, is as essential to life as water, food and oxygen. But for some underprivileged communities living in the slums of Jakarta, the idea of well-being empowerment and independence seemed out of reach. That was until those same marginalised communities met the passionate staff from Gerakan Kepedulian Indonesia (GKI), a local Indonesian NGO. GKI works side-by-side with 640 families at Rusunawa Daan Mogot (RDM) to build communities that foster cultured, productive and self-sustaining families to become the future of Indonesia, transforming the lives of those who have less through an integrated, sustainable and…

We have launched our first Annual Report! Since establishing in January 2015, APC has grown steadily with our membership and projects. The report comes as a functional journal for your safekeeping and use – An Asian Philanthropist’s Journal. Inside, we have “journal entries” from some of our members, so you can read about the motivations and aspirations of their philanthropy directly from them. We have also revamped our website, which now carries information on our current projects, media articles and will carry more resources in future as we ramp up our work. Learn more about our 8 projects on education,…

APC kicked off our second annual meeting in Jakarta with an insightful sharing on the cross-section of philanthropy and society by former Indonesia Minister of Trade Prof. Mari Pangestu, and social entrepreneurship champion, Prof. Rhenald Kasali. This year, we travelled to Indonesia as our membership there had grown to 8 members, spurring the launch of our Indonesian chapter. Besides the full day of sharing on philanthropic projects, we extended a second day for a workshop with expert presenters on “Preventing Radicalism” – Yenny Wahid, Islamic activist and daughter of the late President of Indonesia Abdurrahman Wahid; and Sidney Jones, Director…