AVPN January Roundtable in Hong Kong: Enabling Cross-border Philanthropy in Asia

The AVPN – King Baudouin Foundation (KBF) Roundtable will introduce and present insights on Transnational Giving Europe (TGE), a network of philanthropic foundations and organisations covering nineteen European countries that provides a practical and secure solution for tax-effective cross-border cash donations in Europe.

This roundtable will also present KBF’s umbrella foundation model, which promotes more and better philanthropy. The Center for Philanthropy, currently oversees approximately 500 funds, responding directly  to donor’s interests and vision, covering a wide range  of topics and improving their philanthropic impact.

The roundtable hopes to inspire the interest of Asian foundations to consider the possible launch of Transnational Giving Asia (TGA); reflect on opportunities to enable and boost local and cross-border philanthropy both in Asia and in Europe, as well as build partnerships to increase the flow of giving between Europe and Asia.

About the Speakers

Stefan Schaefers, Head of European Affairs at King Baudouin Foundation Stefan Schaefers is the Head of European Affairs at King Baudoin Foundation. He has been in charge of European projects and partnerships at King Baudoin Foundation since January 2008. Before that, he was a member of the Governing Board of the European Policy Center. He used to be a senior consultant at IFOK from 2003 to 2007. From 2000 to 2003, he was a scientific staff at Catholic University of Eichstaett-Ingolstadt, and in 2002, he was a trainee at the European Commission.

Ludwig Forrest, Philanthropy Advisor at King Baudouin Foundation Ludwig Forrest has been a Philanthropy Advisor at the King Baudoin Foundation’s Center for Philanthropy for 16 years. He provides information, guidance and tailor-made help on strategic philanthropy to private donors, families, businesses and professional advisers who wish to engage in public benefit initiatives. Ludwig is the Chair of the Legal Committee at the European Foundation Centre, he is an advocate at the national and EU-level, and a frequent speaker/moderator at international conferences. He also organized and coordinated the three editions of the Philanthropy Day in Brussels gathering more than 600 persons from Belgium and Europe interested in Philanthropy. His next challenge will be the organization of the “Spring of Philanthropy” in 2017.

About the Organisations

The King Baudouin Foundation                                   The King Baudouin Foundation is an independent, pluralistic foundation working at the local, regional, federal, European and international levels. Because its mission is to change society for the better, the King Baudouin Foundation invests in inspiring projects and individuals. In 2015, the King Baudouin Foundation and the Funds it administers provided €34.8 million in support to 264 individuals and 1,813 organizations. Projects were funded in the areas of poverty, health, development, civic engagement and heritage, among others. The Foundation was set up in 1976 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of King Baudouin’s reign.  www.kbs-frb.be/en/

Transnational Giving Europe Enabling philanthropy across Europe Transnational Giving Europe (TGE) is a partnership of leading European foundations and associations facilitating tax-efficient cross-border giving within Europe. The TGE network enables donors, both corporations and individuals, resident in one of the participating countries, to financially support non-profit organisations in other member countries, while benefiting directly from the tax advantages provided for in the legislation of their country of residence. TGE is currently operational for donations from and to Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. www.transnationalgiving.eu