Growing the philanthropic engagement in Indonesia: one member at a time!

It has been over a year since I agreed to be the Chair of the APC Indonesia chapter, and I remember convening all the Indonesian members for the first time as a chapter in February last year, using my birthday celebration as the premise. It was a lively discussion! I recall Simon from Singapore also in attendance and passionately sharing on the issue of stunting in Indonesia. So we had both the local members and members from outside coming together, all focused on working together to tackle the most pressing issues in our country. Since then, as a chapter we…

APC’s many firsts in the journey of collaborative philanthropy

APC is now two years old and ready to move to our next phase of growth! Our community of philanthropists has grown and engagement deepened. Nonetheless, we are still in start-up mode, and continue to experiment and notch a number of firsts this year! Our most ambitious project to date is the ASEAN Community Impact Fund (“ASEAN Fund”) for collaborative philanthropy. Still work-in-progress, this is our first pooled Fund to grow collective impact. We intend to focus in the fields of education, nutrition and community building in Indonesia, the Philippines and Myanmar, through leveraging size, neutrality, a long term focus…

Building up the next generation of Asian philanthropy professionals at APC

by Stacey Choe If you have been receiving emails from unfamiliar names at APC, you will realise that our team has grown! This year, we welcome a team of superstar interns and associates, all keen to contribute their diverse experience to our programmes. Mijail Santos Lujan and Noudhy Valdryno (Ryno) are both scholars at LKY School of Public Policy. Despite his young age, Ryno has unrivalled experience in the Indonesian political scene, having run 1 presidential and 1 governor digital media election campaigns. He has long aspired to do his part for social improvement and is currently learning the role…

Inaugural ASEAN Community Impact Fund Workshop Series kicked off in Jakarta

  by Noudhy Valdryno 11 May 2017- APC kicked off the inaugural ‘ASEAN Community Impact Fund Workshop Series’ in Jakarta, Indonesia. This is a lead-up event to the launch of the ASEAN Community Impact Fund, with the objective to gather insights from sector experts on how best to utilize the fund in the areas of focus. This mission-driven, collaborative philanthropic fund aims to accelerate social progress in Southeast Asia through transformational interventions in healthcare, education and community building; focusing on Indonesia, Myanmar and the Philippines. APC Indonesia Chapter Chair Victor Hartono and APC CEO Laurence Lien opened the workshop by…

Insights from Visit to Shan State: Harnessing Myanmar’s Potential for Growth

Youth leader, Khun Khit San facilitating discussion between Pa-O community leaders from Mauk Wark Village, Hopong Township with APC Chairman and CEO on the difference in economic development landscape of Singapore and Myanmar (Image and caption credit: Sharon Low) by Aleithia Low, with inputs from Sharon Low APC Chairman, Mr. Stanley Tan, and CEO, Mr. Laurence Lien, travelled to Myanmar from 3-7 April. They travelled to Yangon and Taunggyi District in Southern Shan, where they met with a broad range of actors from across the social and political spectrum. The objective of the research trip was to scope the ground…

Harvard Philanthropy in Singapore: Family Communication in Philanthropy & Legacy

The most important characteristic of a successful family – as philanthropists and as family members – is communication. Members of Asia Philanthropy Circle and Harvard University alumni were invited to do just that in an honest and intimate conversation held at the Lien Villa on Saturday, 18 March. by Aleithia Low The conversation, “Wealth in Families”, was facilitated by Mr. Alasdair Halliday (AB’82), Philanthropic Advisor and Director of Principle Gifts for Harvard University Planned Giving, and author of Wealth in Families. The ensuing discussion allowed for participants to talk about issues that emerge from family philanthropy, which has gone a…

Sharing how to do philanthropy in China effectively at APC roundtable

by Tan Yu Ann APC hosted our first roundtable in Singapore on philanthropy in China on the 18 May 2017. Members and guests gathered to explore the fragmented Chinese philanthropy environment and the host of challenges that donors and non-profit organisations face. Philanthropy has become not only a social imperative but also an opportunity to bring private sector expertise and new perspectives into development. This opportunity for engagement certainly has not gone unnoticed by philanthropists and China’s philanthropic landscape is rapidly evolving. But this evolution in the sector has also attracted government scrutiny and will continue to attract more. Members…

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,…

APC supports launch of the ASEAN Social Impact Award with Ee Peng Liang Memorial Fund, Ashoka and NUS

Guests at the ASEAN Social Impact Award Launch event: Sumitra (Ashoka, 7th from left), David Zuellig (APC member, 8th from left), Dr. Ann Wee (9th from left), Chairman Stanley Tan (7th from right), CEO Laurence Lien (3rd from right) by Aleithia Low The ASEAN Social Impact Award was launched on Monday 8 May 2017, by the NUS Department of Social Work in partnership with the Ee Peng Liang Memorial Fund, Asia Philanthropy Circle and Ashoka Singapore. The Award aims to encourage creative and innovative ways of solving social issues by recognising initiatives from the citizen sector that have created positive social…

First APC Study Tour to Yunnan yields mutual learning, new projects and deeper understanding

Visited 10 Projects over 3 days! Covered livelihoods, WASH, education, eldercare, and community development. 4 members, 1 broken-down bus, new souvenirs and 1 birthday celebration Unlimited learning, lots of animals, and invaluable memories Follow-up: collaboration with Singapore Ministry of Social & Family Development and Tsao Foundation to replicate 995 model Mentoring and funding the farming entrepreneurs for scaling up impact: Stanley Tan by Stacey Choe APC’s first study tour brought us to Yunnan, China and turned out to be a wonderful time for member bonding and exchange across the 4-day trip. The theme of the learning journey was on rural…