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Philanthropy Asia Summit 2025 Highlights

05 Jun 2025
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Themed “Priming Asia for Good”, the Philanthropy Asia Summit (PAS) 2025 — the Philanthropy Asia Alliance’s (PAA) annual flagship event — demonstrated the collective commitment and catalytic efforts of PAA members and partners in accelerating lasting, positive change on a systems level.

 

This year’s Summit convened nearly 800 global and regional thought leaders, philanthropists, and innovators. Over three days in May, more than 100 speakers led 28 sessions that addressed global challenges across the interconnected areas of climate, education, and health. 

 

PAA members and partners played an integral role, anchoring partner events, sharing insights and perspectives, hosting immersive learning journeys, and spotlighting high-impact scalable initiatives. Co-located with Ecosperity Week 2025 by Temasek, the Summit fostered new connections and partnerships, as well as facilitated knowledge sharing and the exchange of ideas to drive collective impact.



Harnessing Collective Strengths 

 

PAS 2025 was made possible through deep collaboration with our distinguished speakers, members, and partners.

 

Our valued PAA members and partners who led and contributed to the numerous sessions include: Alliance Bioversity & CIAT, Asia Philanthropy Circle, Asia Centre for Changemakers by Wealth Management Institute, AVPN, Ayala Corporation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Centre for Impact Investing and Practices (CIIP), Co-Axis, Community Jameel, Conservation International, Dalio Philanthropies, Equinix Foundation, Gates Foundation, Google.org, Novo Nordisk Foundation, Sinar Mas, Tanoto Foundation, Tara Climate Foundation, Temasek Foundation, Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory, Temasek Trust, The Rockefeller Foundation, The World Economic Forum’s GAEA (Giving to Amplify Earth Action) initiative, TPC (Tsao Pao Chee), and Wellcome Trust.

 

The on-the-ground Impact Showcase visits were led by the Institute of Technical Education, KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital (KKH), Mandai Nature, National Environment Agency (NEA), and SunGreenH2, offering delegates a first-hand look at catalytic impact in action across groundbreaking initiatives addressing climate, health, and biodiversity conservation.

 

 

Immersive visits at the Impact Showcase.


Booths at the Innovation Showcase were helmed by Alliance Bioversity International and CIAT and MyFarmTrees, the Amplifier mentorship programme, Co-Axis, Dalio Philanthropies and OceanX, Infoxchange, Temasek Foundation, and Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory spotlighting research collaborations such as the Decarbonising Rice Project.

 

 

Advancing Bold, Collaborative Solutions for a Resilient Asia


Discussions at PAS 2025 reinforced that addressing Asia’s pressing challenges requires urgent action and cross-sector, cross-border partnerships.

 

Across the Summit, key takeaways include the need to drive climate action and nature-based solutions for a more sustainable, liveable Asia; foster health systems, education, and social resilience to tackle inequalities and build adaptive capacity; invest in human capital through inclusive education and skilling; and strengthen collaborative ecosystems that mobilise resources, bridge sectors, and scale solutions for systemic change.

 

In bringing these insights to life, speakers shared numerous real-world case studies of impact in action, pointing to opportunities for further collaboration.

 

Initiatives highlighted include:

Asia Centre for Changemakers, hosted by the Wealth Management Institute

• Asia Pathogen Genomics Initiative (Asia PGI), genomic detection for infectious disease elimination, by Duke-NUS Medical School

Decarbonising Rice Project, by Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory

GAEA Awards, by the World Economic Forum

Google.org AI Opportunity Fund: Asia-Pacific, with recipients selected by AVPN

High Touch High Tech (HTHT) for All, by The Learning Generation Initiative at Education Development Centre (EDC)

• Project Wolbachia, by NEA

Sustainable Oil Palm Replanting in Indonesia (SOPRI), by Abler Nordic, Livelihoods Funds, Musim Mas, and Temasek Foundation

The Amplifier mentorship programme, by CIIP and PAA, with 2025 Impact Innovation Partners: Macquarie Group Foundation, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, and SHEIN

• The Climate & Health Funders’ Coalition, launched by Wellcome Trust and The Rockefeller Foundation

The School Meals Coalition, a multilateral government-led and partner-supported effort

OceanX missions in scientific research and education for ocean conservation 


 

 

 

 

The projects and programmes discussed at PAS 2025 — many led by or involving PAA members and partners — exemplify how multi-stakeholder collaboration across sectors, innovative funding models, and tailored support can enable long-term, scalable change.

 

Several initiatives — including Asia PGI’s genomic detection project, Decarbonising Rice, HTHT for All, and OceanX missions — are part of PAA’s portfolio of high-impact, Asia-focused projects. To learn more or collaborate on these initiatives, please reach out to us


 

 

Launch of Two New Communities


At PAS 2025, PAA launched two new Communities: the Health for Human Potential (HHP) Community and the Just Energy Transition (JET) Community

 

 

Photo credit: Gates Foundation


The HHP Community aims to reduce preventable deaths and disease burdens across Southeast Asia, focusing on maternal, newborn, and child health and nutrition, as well as to tackle infectious diseases. The initial leads of the HHP Community are the Gates Foundation, Institute of Philanthropy, Quantedge Advancement Initiative, Tanoto Foundation, and Temasek Foundation.

The JET Community, co-led with members including Tara Climate Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, and other philanthropic organisations, looks to galvanise philanthropic leadership and accelerate Asia’s shift towards clean, inclusive, and people-centred energy solutions. Express your interest in the JET Community here.

At last year’s Summit, the first three Communities introduced were Blue Oceans, Sustainable Land Use, and Holistic & Inclusive Education. Since their launch, these three Communities have forged various pathways, from peer learning and exchange of expertise to piloting collaborative projects.

If you are keen to join or co-develop a Community, please reach out to us.

 

 

PAA Impact Report 2025


Our inaugural Impact Report, titled Seeding a Hopeful Future, highlights how collaboration across public, private, and philanthropic sectors is driving meaningful change across Asia’s most pressing challenges.



 

 

Since our launch in September 2023, PAA members have committed millions of dollars of their pledges towards programmes and initiatives in Asia. Among them are 19 catalytic projects, in areas spanning climate, education, and health, that PAA has mobilised over US$37.5 million in funding towards. 



 

Shared Commitment to Staying the Course

 

In his opening remarks at PAS 2025, Mr. Lim Boon Heng, Chairman, PAA, and Chairman, Temasek, noted that driving impact takes time, and staying the course matters. “That long-termism underpins all that we do at PAA, as we advance a future that is more equitable and resilient, alongside the philanthropic, public and private sectors,” Mr. Lim said.

 

Partnerships create common ground for purpose and action across sectors and borders, driving collective change for all. They are a force multiplier, said Mr. Desmond Kuek, Executive Director and CEO, Temasek Trust, in his welcome address.

 

Closing off the PAS plenary, Mr. Shaun Seow, CEO, PAA, reaffirmed PAA’s core purpose — bringing people and capital together to catalyse scalable, cross-sector solutions — and emphasised the importance of patience.

 

“We must have the appetite to think of philanthropic capital as risk capital,” Mr. Seow added.

 


Looking Ahead

 

We thank our dedicated members and partners for your invaluable contributions at the Summit and beyond, in advancing our shared mission of Priming Asia for Good.

 

Look out for our upcoming PAS 2025 Insights Report for in-depth takeaways.

 

Access the full session recordings here.

 

Partnerships remain the bedrock of our work. While PAS 2025 was a key milestone in co-creating and accelerating impact, the journey and work continue.

 

We hope to see you next year at PAS 2026, scheduled for 18–20 May.

 

Stay updated — subscribe to our PAA Pulse newsletter and follow us on LinkedIn.

 

 

Read More

 

Explore perspectives and reflections from PAS 2025, published in Alliance magazine and Devex:

 

 


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