By Stacey Choe It was our first time holding venn in Manila but it appears to be the best yet – there were lots of learning, some laughter, unexpected tears, tons of sharing, and an endless source of inspiration from the whole group that gathered. We listened to members’ feedback from previous years and added more opportunities for interaction within the group, and to be able to hear more about what each other are doing. What set the tone for this was the simple game of getting members to find their “mission targets” with cryptic clues. This was part of…
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….
25 Impactful ASEAN Philanthropists: What can we learn from them?
On our journey to build a better Asia, we at Asia Philanthropy Circle (APC) have been inspired by numerous philanthropists who are willing to take innovative approaches to create systemic social change and to effectively improve the lives of their communities. APC has compiled, for the first time, the narratives of 25 such impactful philanthropists from across the region to form ASEAN Impact 25: a catalogue that outlines the overall impact of their efforts, the motivations that drive their philanthropic work and the milestones they have set for their philanthropy in the coming years. Our hope is that these stories…
Convening around Education and Nutrition issues with APC Philippines members
The APC team kicked off our Filipino roundtable on 1st February 2018 presenting to our members and guests from Jollibee Foundation and Alcantara Foundation on the workshops that were held just the day before with Ayala Foundation on education mapping for the Philippines. Borrowing from the model used in Indonesia for the Education Giving Guide, which was launched in December 2017, the research has been convening education sector experts in the country to discuss the top pressing issues in the sector. The final report is set to be released by May, and the next step is to look towards mobilising…
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…
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…
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…
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…