Giving Back: How Asia's Philanthropists Are Making an Impact

Panel Overview and Strategic Shift in Philanthropy

• The Milken Institute Center for Strategic Philanthropy is transitioning the industry from simple checkbook donations to strategic, sustainable, and accountable models focused on social and economic impact and ROI.
• Moderator Jerome Cohen highlights a future global challenge where 2 to 3 billion people in Africa will need support in areas such as infrastructure, housing, and security over the next 30 years.
• Bruce Vincenzo (Milken Institute) notes there are 1.7 million NGOs in the US with virtually no M&A activity, suggesting a massive opportunity for consolidation and collaboration among players.
• A recent Wallachian Forum survey of 80 major networks (each with over $1 billion in assets) indicates that 94% are actively thinking about philanthropy, signaling a shift from wealth accumulation to wealth distribution.
• Cohen critiques the "checkbook-only" approach, citing Mark Zuckerberg's $100 million Newark donation as a case study for the need for more collaborative, outcome-oriented strategies.

Key Panelist Initiatives and Impact Metrics

• John Wood (Room to Read):
  • The organization aims to reach 15 million children by 2020, currently serving 10.7 million, with a specific focus on reversing the "lottery of birth" regarding educational opportunities.
  • Statistics cited: 770 million people globally are illiterate; over 100 million children miss school daily, with two-thirds of illiterate students being girls.
  • Operational scale: Built 2,500 schools and 18,000 libraries (serving 11 million children), surpassing Andrew Carnegie's lifetime library count by six times.
  • Workforce impact: Supports 37,000 young women on long-term scholarships, with a target to increase this to 50,000 by the end of the next year.
  • Expansion: Recently secured seed funding to open operations in Rwanda (fourth African country, thirteenth total), with Singapore cited as the fifth-largest financial supporter per capita.
• Debra Black (Melanoma Research Foundation):
  • Diagnosed with stage 2 melanoma nine years ago, she pivoted to focus on immune-based therapies, which have transformed treatment protocols for aggressive cancers.
  • Research funding: Has supported researchers in 12 countries, focusing on the genetic profiles that determine tumor response to immune drugs.
  • Cross-application: Melanoma research breakthroughs are now being applied to treat lung cancer, colon cancer, and specific prostate cancers.
  • Philosophy: Emphasizes that no single entity can solve these issues alone; success requires collaboration among stakeholders to avoid duplicating failed research.
• Prajogo Pangestu (Indofood & Philanthropy):
  • Built a massive enterprise starting from two colleagues, now employing nearly 300,000 people, with a specific focus on community integration for fishermen and local populations.
  • Community health: Established a hospital and mobile medical clinics to provide affordable care for children in remote areas, supplementing government services.
  • Youth development: Mentors children from fishing communities into professional sailing champions and supports animation and artistic industries to create sustainable local jobs.
  • Legacy: Focuses on environmental sustainability and long-term educational scholarships for the families within his industrial regions.
• Vivian Balakrishnan (Introduction of a Pakistani Philanthropist):
  • Introduced a panelist who arrived in Dubai with $7, dedicating half to charity immediately and continuing a lifelong habit of family-led philanthropy.
  • Focus areas: Education, health (specifically eyewear and testing), and infrastructure in India and the Gulf region.

Strategic Challenges and Future Directions

• Collaboration vs. Competition: The consensus among panelists is that the future of philanthropy requires merging fragmented NGOs and leveraging the private sector to achieve scale, rather than operating in silos.
• Data-Driven Outcomes: John Wood emphasizes that "performance is all that matters," advocating for bold goals backed by rigorous data measurement and transparency.
• Generational and Gender Shifts: The panel identifies a critical need for more gender diversity in leadership and notes that the next generation of philanthropists is increasingly focused on intergenerational impact and social justice.
• Global Inequality: A recurring theme is the disproportionate impact of geography on opportunity, with a call to action for developed nations and regions like Asia to direct capital toward the most vulnerable demographics.
• Innovation in Funding: The discussion highlights the move toward impact investing and innovative finance to sustain long-term social programs beyond traditional grant-making cycles.