Dear fellow members, These are unprecedented times. We probably all hoped that the COVID-19 situation will be contained, but it is now a global pandemic that will continue to disrupt our lives for probably quite a while more. With this, APC has to review our plans for the year, and postpone/cancel a number of our activities. But we also recognise that philanthropy can make the biggest difference during a crisis. Hence, we very much want to be able to support any work that addresses COVID-19, either directly or indirectly.
Travel
For your reference, APC will not be planning any travel until at least the end of April (and probably even beyond), due to the current travel restrictions. This means that prior scheduled roundtables and visits to Vietnam, Myanmar, China, Hong Kong and Malaysia will now either be cancelled or postponed to an indefinite date. We will continue to monitor the situation for May and June.
Events
As for events held in-country, we will also suspend all physical roundtables or workshops until the situation becomes better. In the meantime, we are still reaching out for one-on-one meetings, which could be held over phone or zoom calls if needed, and hosting online roundtables and meetings. It appears that online meetings are the future of work, and we will start by hosting an online dialogue on COVID-19 response on Friday, with two international experts and members. Please join us for that sharing – where you can also learn directly from our member on the ground in China and others across the region. Should this format work, we will plan for follow up roundtables online for this period.
Projects
Some of our projects have been affected due to school closures, travel and movement restrictions, the delays are predictable but no major impact is expected. Members involved in specific projects will be given separate updates in due time as things become clearer. Meanwhile, we are still busy with a few research-related projects in the pipeline, and will continue to plan for new projects! Many of our programmes and launches have also been slated for the last quarter of the year, so we are right in the midst of planning.
What to look out for
Whilst in-person events have been reduced for the next few months, things will likely ramp up again from September. There is much to look forward to, including, travel permitting:
- 14-15 September: Strategic Philanthropy Workshop
- 16 September: Singapore, Philanthropy Leaders Symposium, in partnership with Milken Institute
- 27 Sep – 3 Oct: Europe Learning Journey
- 2 – 3 November: Malaysia, venn2020
Look out for more details of these events. We hope everyone will keep safe and healthy in meantime, and also keep your spirits up as we support our communities in need. Now is definitely the time to rally together and learn from each other – let’s speak soon over zoom on Friday! We hope to follow up on this call with more specific covid-related projects with member involvement.
Good health,
