Philanthropy Asia Alliance

I had a great conversation with Rob Sachs in a podcast on how philanthropy can strategically bring about positive impact for Asia and the world. Have a listen: https://lnkd.in/gtPKGZca Tell me what you think; I’d love to hear from you, as it helps PAA refine our strategy and strengthen partnerships with our growing alliance of members and partners. Rob and I spoke about catalytic capital — why patient, risk-tolerant philanthropy can unlock larger pools of funding — and why blended finance is no longer conceptual, but a practical way to turn ambitious projects into reality. We also discussed what we’re seeing across the region: early-stage innovations in public health, communities adapting to climate impacts, and a growing appetite to scale solutions that once felt out of reach. For PAA, this is the real opportunity. Bringing public, private, and philanthropic partners into the same conversation. Surfacing ideas that deserve to grow. Connecting capital to problems that matter. And doing all of this alongside partners such as AVPN, which hosted PAA in Hong Kong at their 2025 Global Conference. Listen to the rest of the AVPN x Foreign Policy podcast series for more perspectives from leaders across Asia, featuring Naina Subberwal Batra, Brian San, Lisa George and others in the space. Philanthropy Asia Alliance

The climate crisis is also a health crisis. 🌏 Rising temperatures, worsening air pollution, and the spread of infectious diseases are putting billions of lives at risk, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. #Asia, home to more than half the world’s population, faces some of the highest climate-related health risks. To act urgently, leading philanthropies have launched the 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 at #COP30, committing 𝗨𝗦$𝟯𝟬𝟬 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 to accelerate solutions on extreme heat, air pollution, and climate-sensitive infectious diseases. The funds will also strengthen climate and health data to build resilient health systems. #PAA is proud to be part of this effort, supporting bold solutions that protect vulnerable communities from extreme heat and prevent future warming. The Coalition also includes Bloomberg Philanthropies, Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), Gates Foundation, IKEA Foundation, Quadrature Climate Foundation, The Rockefeller Foundation and Wellcome Trust. 👉 Learn more: https://lnkd.in/g6yBSv3q #Climate #Health #Philanthropy

In Kuala Lumpur this week to present the mentee cohort for the new Amplifier 2025 Tourism track alongside Shamina Singh, President and Founder of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, at the inaugural Mastercard ASEAN Inclusive Growth Summit. The Tourism track aims to advance SME supplier sustainability across Asia. The three selected impact organisations have shown promising innovations in this space. With support from Mastercard as an Impact Innovation Partner, each mentee will receive S$100,000 in catalytic funding, mentorship, and access to a regional ecosystem of support. 🔹 AlterPacks (Singapore) transforms agricultural waste into high-performance, compostable alternatives. 🔹 Green Rebel Foods (Southeast Asia) makes plant-based proteins accessible and affordable. 🔹 N&E Innovations Pte Ltd (Singapore) converts food waste into antibacterial packaging and agriculture post-harvest coating solutions. Last month, we also unveiled the Amplifier 2025 Textiles track mentees — Baytech - HMS (HandMadeStone), Haelixa, Novoloop, and unspun™ — who are innovating in circularity, traceability, and sustainable production across the fashion value chain. The Textiles track is supported by Impact Innovation Partner SHEIN and the Singapore Fashion Council as a strategic partner. The Amplifier is a global mentorship programme led by the Centre for Impact Investing and Practices (CIIP) and Philanthropy Asia Alliance with support from 70+ partners, helping early-stage impact ventures scale across Asia. Grateful to the Mastercard Centre for Inclusive Growth for their continued support on this initiative since the get-go. More about the Amplifier 2025: https://lnkd.in/gbvzSb32 #AIGS25 #Amplifier2025 #SMEs #Tourism #Sustainability #InclusiveGrowth #Philanthropy Shamina Singh Subhashini (Shuba) Chandran Payal Dalal Dawn Chan Emma Stanton Ted Howland Chii Fen Hiu Akhil Khurana Karen Cheah Nur Aina Farhana Mat Nasir Max Mandias Sean Lew Darioush Kottke

While in Jakarta last week, the PAA team visited Yayasan Islam Al-Hamidiyah — a 𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯, or Islamic boarding school, which is an integral part of Indonesia’s vibrant faith-based giving ecosystem. 𝘗𝘦𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘴 have long played a central role in shaping both moral and social development, nurturing generations through values-based education and community stewardship. Today, they continue to evolve alongside Indonesia’s growing philanthropic landscape. Under the nation’s Zakat system, contributions reached USD 2.55 billion in 2024, with institutional giving tripling since 2015 to USD 730 million — reflecting how faith-based philanthropy is becoming more professionalised and impactful. 📚 At Al-Hamidiyah, we saw how traditional Islamic values are balanced with modern education. Students shared projects under the STEAMMI curriculum, which integrates Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, Montessori, and Islamic studies — a holistic approach that builds both knowledge and character.   🌱 Beyond academics, the 𝘱𝘦𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘯 embeds sustainability and stewardship into everyday learning. Students recycle food waste and develop practical environmental solutions, showing how Indonesia’s young minds blend modern thinking with deep-rooted faith and community values.   Faith-based organisations like Al-Hamidiyah have long been trusted conveners in Indonesia and are vital partners in shaping Asia’s giving landscape — capable of mobilising communities, shaping mindsets, and inspiring action across generations.   We left inspired by how faith, innovation, and purpose can come together to drive meaningful change, and look forward to continued engagement with such partners to advance inclusive development across Asia. #Philanthropy #Asia #FaithBasedGiving #Indonesia #Education #Impact

We’re delighted that The International Land and Forest Tenure Facility, one of PAA’s nominations to The Earthshot Prize 2025, has been selected as a finalist this year! 🌍   Funded by a PAA member, their work shows how empowering Indigenous and local communities to protect their land and resources can deliver lasting impact for both people and the planet — an approach that resonates deeply with our vision of collaborative, systemic change. In Asia, this includes partnerships in countries such as Indonesia, where Tenure Facility is working with the Indigenous Peoples' Alliance of the Archipelago (AMAN) to secure 1.5 million hectares of customary land — protecting biodiversity and strengthening community-led conservation for lasting climate resilience.   Temasek Trust, a Founding Partner of the Earthshot Prize, works closely with the Prize to spotlight Asia’s role in advancing innovative, scalable solutions for our planet. Through this shared ecosystem, we’re proud to see ideas like Tenure Facility gaining global recognition.   This November at The Earthshot Prize Awards in Rio, five of the 15 Finalists will each receive a £1 million prize to accelerate their impact. Every Finalist will also gain access to an unparalleled network of partners to help scale their solutions – and we’re honoured to stand alongside them on this journey.   Discover all of this year’s Finalists: https://lnkd.in/gGjvCJR   #EarthshotPrize #Philanthropy #ClimateAction #PartnershipsForImpact #PAA

PAA has partnered with Pijar Foundation to advance collaborative philanthropy and sustainable innovation across Indonesia and Asia. This collaboration aims to strengthen the bridge between Indonesia and the wider region through joint programmes, shared insights and mutual learning. At PAA, we believe in an Asia-centred model of collaborative philanthropy — one that draws strength from local leadership and knowledge, while contributing to global solutions. Our partnership with Pijar Foundation is an important step towards building a connected and collaborative Asia, where philanthropy accelerates meaningful impact at scale. 🤝

Today, we celebrated a meaningful milestone for PAA — the leadership handover from our founding Chairman, Mr Lim Boon Heng, to Mr Edmund Koh, who assumed the role on 28 September 2025. Chairman Lim’s vision and leadership have guided PAA from its earliest days, helping to build a trusted platform for collaborative philanthropy across Asia. Chairman Koh, who has served on the PAA Board since 2023, brings extensive experience across Asia’s financial and philanthropic landscapes. We are excited to embark on the next chapter under his stewardship, continuing our mission to accelerate positive change across the region. We thank Chairman Lim for his guidance, vision and unwavering belief in PAA’s potential, and warmly welcome Chairman Koh to the helm. We look forward to achieving even greater impact together. #PrimingAsiaforGood

Escorted by the beats of traditional drums, PAA joined over 300 global leaders in Jakarta this week for 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮𝗫𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱: 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗲, organised by our member The Rockefeller Foundation. The event brought together leaders from academia, business, philanthropy, and multilateral institutions to explore how collaboration can drive economic opportunity and resilience — especially for Asia’s most vulnerable communities. PAA shared our perspectives on “𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮: 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘀𝗶𝗮’𝘀 𝗢𝘄𝗻 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗜𝘁𝘀 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲”, in a session moderated by Maha Eltobgy. Our CEO Shaun Seow highlighted the need for catalytic giving, concessional capital, and new models that encourage philanthropists to invest in underfunded areas such as ocean health. Over three days, our team took part in discussions and meetings that underscored the importance of regional collaboration and shared leadership in addressing Asia’s interconnected challenges. A key highlight was the signing of an MOU between PAA and Pijar Foundation — strengthening bridges between Indonesia and the wider region, and turning shared ambition into tangible action. We’re grateful to The Rockefeller Foundation for including us on the AsiaXchange Advisory Panel and for convening a powerful platform to align the region’s vision for the future. #AsiaXchange2025 #PhilanthropyAsiaAlliance #CollaborativePhilanthropy #AsiaFundingAsia #ImpactInAsia #PartnershipsForImpact Shaun Seow Maha Eltobgy Fitriansyah Agus Setiawan Badan Amil Zakat Nasional (BAZNAS) Deepali Khanna