Hong Kong has made attracting family offices — set up by the super rich to manage their lives and finances — a key mission under Chief Executive John Lee. In a statement announcing the event, officials said it would build stronger connections and encourage more of them to come to the city. Continue reading here.

City should offer tax incentives and allow the cross-border flow of charity capital, according to a study by the Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society. Hong Kong currently loses to Singapore in terms of tax incentives for attracting charitable foundations, study shows. Read more here.

This report was produced in collaboration with the Better Hong Kong Foundation (BHKF). Highlighting how Hong Kong can enhance its attractiveness, for both individual and corporate private wealth owners, the report discusses how the city can develop its role as Asia’s pre-eminent philanthropy hub.

COVID-19 has exacerbated income inequalities and social disparities across Asia, serving as a force multiplier for trends already in place. Assessing performance across four sub-indexes – Regulations, Tax and Fiscal Policy, Ecosystem, and Procurement – CAPS’ biennial flagship study, the Doing Good Index 2022, examines the social investment landscape in Asia. Read here.

According to the Doing Good Index 2022, which analyses the social investment landscape in Asia, Covid-19 has exacerbated social disparities and income inequalities and across the region. We talk to Dr. Ruth Shapiro, the Co-Founder and Chief Executive of the Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society (CAPS), which conducts the study biennially, about the pandemic’s impact on people in Asia, her work and improving Hong Kong’s social sector. Read here.

Almost half of Asia’s social delivery organisations have reported a decline in funding in the last 12 months, some as much as 50 percent, according to new research. The Hong Kong-based Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society (CAPS) surveyed more than 2,000 entities and some 120 experts across 17 Asian economies, including India, Pakistan, China, and Singapore. Read here.

Covid-19 has exacerbated income inequalities and social disparities across Asia, serving as a force multiplier for trends already in place. A new social impact study released today by the Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society (CAPS) shows how to maximize philanthropic and policy responses to cope with these post-Covid challenges. Read here.

Doing Good Index microsite

Our interactive microsite lets you visualize, explore and compare our data. Use our graphics and maps to help you understand Asia at a glance. The data dashboard allows you to compare economies and track changes across time. Economy profiles present a visual and digestible deep dive into each economy.

What is the Doing Good Index?

The Doing Good Index 2022 is the most comprehensive social impact index in Asia to date, highlighting the factors that drive or hinder private capital flowing towards social and economic challenges across 17 Asian economies.

The Doing Good Index comes at a critical time when economies have been heavily impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. Inequalities have been exacerbated, and hard-won progress in social and economic growth has been undone. An estimated two-thirds of those newly forced into poverty live in South Asia, East Asia and the Pacific.

To address these shared challenges, all parts of society—individuals, companies, government and the social sector—must work together to drive more resources towards building a better future together. The Doing Good Index shows how. It provides a roadmap of the policies and practices that can unleash this capital by mitigating the trust deficit; leveraging local support; and facilitating cross-sector collaboration.

In 2022 we surveyed 2,239 SDOs and interviewed 126 experts across 17 Asian economies. In mapping the landscape of social investment, the study examines four sub-indices: Regulations, Tax and Fiscal Policy, Ecosystem, and Procurement. We also include a section on how the Covid-19 pandemic impacted the social sector.

The Doing Good Index is published every two years. Read the inaugural edition from 2018 and our 2020 edition.

The importance of operational funding for the growth and development of Hong Kong’s social sector cannot be overstated. While social delivery organizations (SDOs) need to ensure transparency and accountability in how funding is spent, funders must consider the needs of the SDOs they are supporting, beyond project funding alone.

Operational funding allows funders to support the overall mission and vision of the SDO by helping cover the crucial costs associated with keeping an organization going, including overheads, staff salaries and training, technology upgrades, facilities, and other administrative expenses. Operational funding also provides SDOs with stability and flexibility and allows them to plan for the future.

This report identifies the demands and flows of operational support for SDOs in Hong Kong. Findings reveal the essential role of operational funding in ensuring the health and wellbeing of Hong Kong’s social sector.

Focusing on family philanthropy practices in the Asia Pacific region, this report explores how wealthy families are working to create lasting social impact. It further explores the particular role of younger generations involved in family foundations, as well as how family philanthropy contributes towards the creation of a lasting family legacy. Central to the report is an analysis of key trends and outlooks for family offices in the region, including approaches to family succession, governance and sustainable investing. 

According to the report’s recommendations, wealthy families looking to engage in philanthropy are advised to define or refine their family strategies and long-term goals based on their own mission and legacy; deploy professional structures to ensure sustainable and efficient operations of family philanthropic activities; and use philanthropic activities as a stepping stone for the next generation to participate in family decision-making. Read it here.