Philanthropy Asia Summit 2024 Welcome Remarks by Ms Lim Seok Hui, CEO, Philanthropy Asia Alliance

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A very good afternoon and warm welcome to the 4^th Philanthropy Asia Summit. 

Thank you to all our esteemed speakers and delegates for joining us from all over the world. 

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome our new members to the Philanthropy Asia Alliance Impact Fellowship. Thank you for joining our growing Alliance.

THE GROWTH OF PAA AND PAS

It was only six months ago that we held our Summit, during which PAA was formally launched.

In just half a year, we have achieved many firsts – made possible due to the strong support of our members and partners. For one, this year’s PAS, which is PAA’s annual flagship event, has grown from a one-day session to a four-day conference.

What’s also new this year is a series of partner events anchored by our partners. The next two days will be rich with sessions that showcase solutions and systems thinking in philanthropy, in the interconnected areas of climate, health, and education. The Summit will culminate with site visits to experience impact in action through Impact Journeys, led by our PAA members – another first for us.

This is also the first time that we have joined hands with Temasek’s Ecosperity Week to synergise our platforms. Attendees can expect robust and holistic insights on catalysing positive impact across the capital spectrum. 

Recognising that the need for urgent collective action has never been more pronounced, our theme for this year’s summit is “Partnerships for Action”. We are shifting the discussion beyond fundraising to spotlighting the possibilities of collective action, and delving into the role of public-private-philanthropic partnerships – or PPPPs – in driving real impact.

By convening like-minded partners to cross-pollinate best practices between Asia and the world, discover shared interests, and explore new models of collaboration, we aim to collectively advance Asian solutions for global challenges.

Over the next four days, you will hear from and interact with our line-up of marquee speakers, featuring action and thought leaders from all over the world.

THE STATE OF PLAY IN ASIA’S PHILANTHROPIC SECTOR

The philanthropic landscape in Asia is rapidly evolving.

Today, philanthropy is increasingly seen as a catalyst for innovative solutions and funding mechanisms to tackle environmental and social challenges. This is buoyed by the rise of family offices in Asia – with 1,400 single family offices in Singapore alone – and a new generation of wealth owners. These Next Gen funders are passionate about ESG and evidence-based interventions, and are keen to embrace more collaborative, impact-driven approaches to philanthropy.  

Now, more than ever, we need to forge robust PPPPs to scale collaborative philanthropy and elevate the impact ecosystem at large. Our partners in the private sector – the corporates, investors, and family offices – are pivotal in advancing big bets and supporting high-impact start-ups to speed up and scale impact.

ENABLERS TO ACCELERATE IMPACT

With all this in mind, PAA has been working with our members and partners to mobilise action and build Asia’s philanthropic ecosystem. I would like to update on the progress of our four pivotal enablers that were outlined at last September’s Summit, and are critical to accelerating our work at PAA:

●  The first enabler is to build capacity and competency through a new Asia Centre for Changemakers – as a thriving hub and learning lab for nurturing social innovation and professional competency across the philanthropic ecosystem. You will hear more from the Wealth Management Institute on this later today, as we are ready for our first programme run this year.

●  The second is to build systems and knowledge for innovation – a SKI hub for short. This hub will work with global and regional research partners and thought leaders to bring systems thinking and a sharper focus to the interconnected issues of planetary and human health, inclusive development, and catalytic capital; and many other complex social and environmental issues. 

●  Later this afternoon, we will share updates on the next two enablers: building momentum with our Amplifier programme and building the infrastructure for an impact marketplace through Co-Axis.

Last but not least, we are thrilled to be launching a new Communities initiative to foster collaborations and expertise- and resource-sharing among members and project partners with shared interests.  

Co-developed with our Community Pioneers, three new Communities focused on Blue Oceans, Sustainable Land Use and Holistic and Inclusive Education will be launched first, with others in the pipeline.

For each Community, PAA will curate a portfolio of high-impact projects for members to collectively fund. They will also align on a Collective Impact Framework to measure impact over time.

We are grateful to be kicking off this initiative with S$40 million of committed funds by PAA and our Community Pioneers, with more expected. We invite you to join us in leading and supporting these Communities.

CLOSING

Partnerships make the impossible possible. Whether as a funder, community-builder, mentor, or programme partner, we can all do our part to forge a sustainable future. We are grateful to all our PAA members and partners for working with us to bring about change.

Together, let’s do more, do better and be bolder.

Thank you, and I wish everyone an impactful week ahead.