Call For More Partnerships With Philanthropies To Tackle Issues

The challenges facing the world today are too large and complex for governments and the social sector to tackle alone, and partnerships between the public and private sector as well as donors and philanthropic groups have become increasingly important, said participants at the inaugural Philanthropy Asia Summit yesterday.

- Tham Yuen-C

To this end, philanthropists need to move beyond issuing cheques to using their large resources to bring about change, they said.

The one-day event organised by Temasek Foundation and held in a hybrid format at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore, focused on climate change, pandemic security and the widening education gap within and across countries. It saw groups pitching projects from harnessing artificial intelligence to close the education gap to a global early-warning system for pathogens that cause pandemics.

UBS announced a US$2 million (S$2.7 million) donation to The Mangrove 40 initiative to design nature-based solutions to conserve and restore mangroves. It will invest an additional 10 per cent to match other donors’ contributions.

Temasek Holdings executive director and chief executive Dilhan Pillay Sandrasegara called on participants to develop new models of philanthropy that can multiply impact and be a force for good.