How Philanthropy Patterns are Shifting in Asia
In recent times, there has been a shift in philanthropic patterns. According to Edmund Koh, Chairman of the Philanthropy Asia Alliance, whereas previous aspiring philanthropists merely asked how to donate, they are now requesting explanations on how their contributions can create a significant impact on society at large.
“In my conversations with family offices and wealth management clients across various countries in this region over the past year, I have observed something interesting. More of them are no’ longer asking whether they should give, but rather how to give impactfully and at scale,” said Edmund during the opening of the Philanthropy Asia Summit 2026 in Singapore on Monday, 18 May 2026. “This change is occurring with a speed I have not seen in my three decades working in the banking sector.”
According to Edmund, there is currently a strong drive among philanthropists to play a more active role through their own methods and approaches. However, he noted that it is difficult for organisations or funding sources to address shared challenges alone. “The true opportunity lies in how we unite capital, expertise, and intention,” he stated.
Edmund noted that current challenges are no longer confined by national borders. Climate change, health, and food security are shared experiences by many countries globally, particularly in Asia. He cited the current oil and gas crisis as revealing the need for clean energy innovation, while countries like Bangladesh, Vietnam, and the Philippines, which have large coastal populations, face the risks of rising sea levels and increasingly frequent flooding.
He stated that six million people in the Asia-Pacific region are at risk of tidal flooding annually, with annual economic losses reaching US$26.8 billion. “What we learn from this is very simple: no single sector, and no single solution, can tackle these various challenges alone,” he said.
He added that long-term funding from philanthropists plays a role in initiating steps to face these issues. The Philanthropy Asia Alliance initiative absorbs early-stage risks and pioneers concepts that can be followed by other interested parties.
The Philanthropy Asia Alliance is a non-profit initiative launched by Temasek Trust to promote collaborative philanthropy in Asia. Since its launch in 2023, the alliance has gathered 110 partners and collected US$615 million across more than 300 projects. In addition to Temasek Trust, members include the Gates Foundation, Google.org, Dalio Philanthropies, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the Sergey Brin Family Foundation. From Indonesia, members include Sinarmas, Tanoto Foundation, and Triputro Argo Persada.
During the 6th Philanthropy Asia Summit, the Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society (CAPS) released a report titled ‘Philanthropy as Risk Capital in Asia: Bridging Innovation to Impact’. The report was based on research conducted from October 2025 to January 2026 through in-depth interviews and academic and non-academic literature reviews. The studied cases included Agros, BillionBricks, Equatic, Haqdarshak, Inspro, Seven Clean Seas, Urban Spring, Wadhwani AI, Wateroam, and the World Mosquito Programme in Yogyakarta.
The research examined how philanthropy in Asia functions as risk capital and its potential to address development challenges at scale. The study also discussed why donors take risks, how capital is deployed at various stages of innovation, and risk management strategies to amplify impact.
A key finding of the report is the tendency for philanthropy in Asia to provide long-term funding based on conviction in the supported solutions. Large and long-term funding often comes from individuals and families who have direct experience with the issues they wish to address.
For example, The Tahija Foundation in Indonesia is noted for providing over US$17 million over 10 years to test a new approach to controlling dengue fever using Wolbachia bacteria. Randomised controlled trials showed a 77 per cent reduction in dengue transmission. The method has since been adopted into Indonesia’s national health plan and is said to have protected approximately 14 million people.
The report also noted that funders are beginning to experiment with various funding instruments beyond conventional grants, ranging from soft loans to equity investments. However, limited knowledge and regulatory hurdles in several countries remain obstacles to wider implementation. “For philanthropists in Asia supporting early-stage innovation, trust in the capability of the people behind the ideas is a crucial factor in managing risk,” said Ruth Shapiro, Co-Founder and CEO of CAPS.
Shaun Seow, CEO of the Philanthropy Asia Alliance, stated that early-stage philanthropic capital plays a role in absorbing the risks of untested solutions and helping to build the evidence and trust required to shape the regulations needed for subsequent investment.