Climate change and environmental degradation are increasingly impacting our society and have highlighted the necessity for collective action by individuals, governments, and the private sector. However, in a region where most economies are still emerging, striking a balance between ambitious environmental efforts and development goals adds a layer of complexity.

This report examines the ways in which Asian private capital—from corporations, investors and philanthropists—is being brought to bear on environmental challenges. Drawing insights from interviews with 163 individuals and experts from companies, foundations, and nonprofits across 10 Asian economies (Mainland China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Chinese Taipei, and Thailand) we look at what actions local companies and organizations are taking to adapt to and mitigate environmental challenges. It provides unique Asian perspectives on climate action and offers recommendations for public and private sectors.

The report identifies four characteristics of the ways in which funders push resources towards environmental challenges, identifies the challenges companies and organizations face when doing so and presents recommendations and next steps for funders in this space.

Our DECODED series unpacks, explains and crystallizes issues critical for social investment in Asia. It draws upon our expertise in research and access to an extensive network of sector experts and philanthropists in 18 Asian economies enabling us to identify emerging trends in the region. Through DECODED, we translate these concepts into digestible insights.

This edition of DECODED looks at the emergence of donor-advised funds (DAFs) in the Asia-Pacific and identifies the different models and motivations for setting up this type of fund in the region. While yet to become mainstream in most Asia-Pacific economies, donors, sponsoring organizations and social innovators have a strong and growing interest in the potential of DAFs to facilitate strategic philanthropic giving in the region.

我们的解码系列（DECODED）旨在深入探讨亚太地区的私人社会投资领域，为您提供清晰、全面和系统的分析。凭借我们在研究领域的专业能力和广泛的行业专家和慈善家网络，我们能够捕捉到该地区的新兴趋势。通过解码系列，我们将这些概念转化为易于理解的见解，助您做出明智的决策。

本期的解码报告聚焦于亚太地区捐赠者建议基金（DAF）的兴起，并分析了在该地区设立这类基金的不同模式和动机。虽然在大多数亚太经济体中，DAF还未成为主流，但捐赠者、运营机构和社会创新者对DAF在该地区推动战略性慈善捐赠的潜力表现出浓厚兴趣，并且这种兴趣还在不断增长。

The India Philanthropy Report series showcases the state of giving towards the social sector in India. It highlights the growing contribution of family foundations, which has remained resilient during the pandemic, while other sources of private sector funding have stagnated. However, the social sector remains underserved, with annual funding shortfalls compounded by the addition of pandemic-induced demands.

2023 edition
In its 13th edition, India Philanthropy Report 2023, co-created by Bain & Company and Dasra, focuses on the different funder archetypes – CSR, Retail Givers, UHNIs, HNI & Affluent Givers, their deeply correlated roles, factors and barriers influencing different cohorts of givers and actionable insights into specific enablers that can make philanthropy more effective. Read it here.

2022 edition
The report notes that as India advances towards growth and transformation, an opportunity exists to invest in and support different funder groups across CSR, family philanthropy and retail giving. Read it here.

2021 edition
The report estimates that if India’s ultra-high-net-worth families increase their giving in line with global peers (i.e., they give 2-3% of their wealth), family philanthropic funding would increase five-fold. Read it here.

Lack of trust impedes the flow of much-needed funding to organisations working on the front lines to help communities. What can be done to mitigate the trust deficit and enable a more supportive ecosystem for the social sector? Read this piece by CAPS Chief Executive Dr. Ruth Shapiro here.

Indian philanthropist Rohini Nilekani highlights an urgent need to shift the thinking of our role in cultivating an equitable and resilient society in her new book, Samaaj, Sarkaar, Bazaar: A Citizen-First Approach. The book compiles 15 years of her writings on the three sectors: society, state and markets. Nilekani invites “thinkers, researchers, writers, civic leaders, and all citizens to join the important public discourse” and argues for the restoration of society as the foundational sector. Read it here.

The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted Asia’s economic growth, exacerbating inequalities and undoing hard-won progress. The Doing Good Index 2022 presents the post-pandemic state of civil society in Asia and highlights pathways for collaboration between the public, private, and social sector. Read it here.

This report is a qualitative analysis of the SRCC Children’s Hospital [Managed by Narayana Health].  It draws upon primary research including interviews with doctors and health experts, as well as secondary research of the pediatric landscape in India. The case study highlights how such facilities can be funded through the pooling of resources from philanthropy, private and government sectors.

Read it here.

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.