Philanthropy Handbook
Giving Effectively from
Singapore to Asia-Pacific
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This needs to be the Asian Decade for Philanthropy.
- With more than 4.5 billion people, the majority of the world’s population lives on the continent that is the locus for global challenges such as climate change, gender inequality, and access to healthcare.
- Leveraging the capabilities of hubs like Singapore in areas such as education, data and technology as well as medical research, Asian philanthropists can respond meaningfully and effectively.
This handbook offers you avenues to act and to do so effectively, from Singapore.
Watch the launch webinar recording here.
Key sections of the report
If you are looking to:
Define your philanthropic strategy for Asia-Pacific.
A summary of 3 pathways to unlock the full potential of philanthropy in Asia-Pacific.
Understand Singapore’s philanthropic ecosystem and identify potential partners.
A mapping of Singapore’s philanthropic ecosystem.
Glean critical insights from Singapore-based philanthropists.
3 case studies that can inform your own giving and highlight ways in which to expand.
Establish your own philanthropic organisation in Singapore.
A ‘How-to’ step-by-step guide for incorporating & operating a philanthropic entity in Singapore.
3 Pathways To Unlock the Full Potential of Philanthropy in Asia-Pacific
Philanthropy in Asia has the potential to effect large-scale change through different avenues.
Work towards a regional SDG agenda
Philanthropists can take collective action to work towards a regional Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) agenda, in order to overcome persistent funding gaps and advance the slow progress towards their achievement.
Engage an emerging pool of Asian philanthropists
With 35% of wealth expected to be in the hands of Asian millennials in the next 5 to 7 years and continued growth in the population of ultra -high net-worth individuals, there is an emerging pool of Asian philanthropists that can be engaged in new and innovative approaches to giving.
Grow the use of philanthropic funding as catalytic capital
There is growing application of the use of philanthropic funding as catalytic capital in public-private partnerships, leveraging the higher risk tolerance of philanthropic capital to drive innovative, multi-stakeholder collaboration.
Asian philanthropists can build on Singapore’s ecosystem and national capabilities to drive their philanthropy and build on these development pathways.
Collaboration and regional capacity building
Collaboration and regional capacity building initiatives that draw on public, private and non-profit expertise are growing, making Singapore a prime ecosystem in which to further explore their potential.
Technology and data science for good
Both the public and private sector are leading efforts to foster data transparency and trust in technology; philanthropists leverage this to drive the use of technology and data science for good.
Innovative philanthropy and social investment solutions
Leveraging the infrastructure of the financial hub, the sophistication and scale of innovative social investment solutions is growing, leveraging pre-existing infrastructure of the financial hub and offering avenues to extend the potential of catalytic capital in the region.
Members' Experience
Voices from the Ecosystem
“We're always looking to explore new ways to deploy capital in support of our philanthropic objectives. Singapore is a testbed for some of the more innovative ways of funding and when the government engages with civil society and funders, it becomes really interesting. Continued government support for innovative finance will make it even more attractive and exciting to be here.”
Mette Ekeroth
Chief Legacy Officer, Managing Director (Singapore), North-East Family Office
“Singapore sits at the nexus of the technology future, the urban future, and the Asian future. With what Singapore has to offer in terms of science and technology, climate understanding, and urban development, we are in a position to jointly develop the ecosystem and be strategic about the goals that we seek to achieve together..”
Lauren Sorkin
Executive Director, Resilient Cities Network
“Coming out of a crisis, I learned that the answer of where and how to give in Singapore comes from a place of trust and sense of being connected to the community. Rather than a monolithic movement, it is a joy to see there are different pathways of philanthropy, and people are giving generously with meeting needs on the ground as their primary motivation.”
Joyce Teo
Executive Director Centre for Applied Philanthropy, Community Foundation of Singapore
The Philanthropic Ecosystem in Singapore.
Five stakeholder groups shape Singapore’s philanthropic ecosystem.
Communities,
causes and
needs
Philanthropists & Resource Providers
- Corporate Foundations
- Family Offices
- Family Foundations
- Individual Donors
- Public Foundations
Service Providers
- Community Foundations
- Law Firms
- Accounting Firms
- Philanthrophy Advisors
Government Actors
- Ministry of Culture,Community and Youth
- Ministry of Social And
- Ministry of Finance
- Prime Minister’s Office
- Ministry of Trade and Industry
Impact Organisations
- NPOs & Charities
- Social Enterprises
- Multilateral & Bilateral Institutions
- International Non - Governmental Organisations
Intermediaries
- Incubators & Accelerators
- Membership Networks
- Research Centres
- Think Tanks
A Step-by-Step Guide to Give to and through Singapore
While every philanthropic endeavour is a unique journey, philanthropists often grapple with similar questions.
Defining your impact mission and aims specific to Singapore and/or the region
- What are your motivations for giving in Singapore and/or Asia-Pacific?
- What are the outcomes you are hoping to achieve?
- How do your aims align with the broader sustainable development agenda in the region?
Determining your funding structure and its time horizon
- How involved do you want to be in your giving?
- What is the funding source of your philanthropic giving?
- Who else is involved & what is the lifespan of your philanthropic entity?
Aligning your value proposition and activities to the ecosystem
- Who are some of the key players and resources that are relevant to your work?
- What solutions and strategies have been tried?
- How can you leverage partnerships with other stakeholders in the ecosystem?
Registering your entity
- What legal entity structure is most suitable for your philanthropic strategy?
- Are you conducting public fundraising or private fundraising?
- Which corporate income tax waiver scheme is your entity eligible for?
- Which tax deductible donation scheme is your entity eligible for?
Building your operations
- What is your entity’s operating model?
- What are your staffing and operational needs?
- What are your governance and compliance structures?
- How do you engage with grantees, from sourcing to sustaining your partnerships?
Building your operations
- How can you scale your efforts for more impact?
- How can you collaborate with partners in Singapore and the region?
Reviewing, reflecting and revising
- How do you assess and communicate impact?
- Do you need to adjust your organisational strategy?
Define your impact mission and aims specific to Singapore and/or the region
Determining your source of funding and operations strategy
Aligning your value proposition and activities to the ecosystem
Registering your entry
Building your operations
Strategizing your growth
Reviewing, reflecting, revising
Do you fit this profile?
Tips & Tricks to support you in starting your giving journey.
A Single Family Office turned Philanthropist
I have a presence in Singapore through my Single Family Office. I want to give back to the community, and am exploring grant-making and other social investment approaches such as impact investing.”
Looking to Start a local Operating Foundation
I would like to contribute solely to Singapore and would like to set up an operating foundation to develop programmes to benefit the local community using a mix of private funds and public fundraising.”
Looking to Operate locally and Give Regionally
I see the benefits of setting up a foundation in Singapore and I want to build partnerships within the local ecosystem, but I want to focus the majority of my giving on a regional or global scale.”
The Global Collaborator
Instead of incorporating an entity in Singapore, I would like to leverage Singapore as a platform for collaborations and partnerships in the region.”
Case Studies: 3 Journeys to Optimise Philanthropic Giving in Singapore
How
Octava Foundation
became a private grant making foundation funded through donation funds from its principals.
How
Ishk Tolaram Foundation
is informed by the history, values, and vision of the family business in developing the foundation’s strategy and operations.
How
Quantedge Foundation
achieves organisational progress through a bias for action.
Members' Experience
Voices from the Ecosystem
“Collaborative philanthropy enables us to deliver value beyond our own capabilities and deepen our impact. Being active within Singapore’s social impact networks enables us to connect with like-minded individuals and organizations within this space to do and learn more within this region.”
Sandhya Aswani
Program Director, Ishk Tolaram Foundation
"A lot of our work is about reciprocity - two way learning and collaborative capacity building between Singapore and its neighbours. Our volunteers may share expertise to help improve development outcomes in overseas communities, but the professional learnings and personal insights they gain from working with others is immeasurable. If nothing, this pandemic has underscored the importance of international collaboration, in people coming together to share ideas, skills and resources to address complex social challenges.”
Jean Tan
Executive Director, Singapore International Foundation
”Asian philanthropy has grown leaps and bounds and has only scratched the surface. Singapore can play a vital catalytic role in this ecosystem. It enjoys a unique position with its financial hub infrastructure and government's support for impact at scale that can create an effective lab set up to pilot innovative ideas rapidly. Working with local funders is central to this idea for their knowledge and resources with the intent to create benefits for the whole of Asia.”
Deepali Khanna
Managing Director, Asia, The Rockefeller Foundation
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Philanthropy Handbook
Giving Effectively from Singapore to Asia-Pacific
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