Social Innovation Program

Event Report: Asia Philanthropy Congress 2024

January 14, 2025

The Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) is continuously seeking greater collaboration with the swiftly growing Asian philanthropic sector to better realize its humanitarian goals in the region.

On November 29, 2024, the Asia Philanthropy Congress 2024 was held at the Tokyo Station Hotel. The event was organized by The Nippon Foundation, with SPF playing an important role as a key partner.

The congress, which is the third since 2022, aims to gather foundations and other key stakeholders in Asia and facilitate coordination and cooperation among them. The theme of the third congress was to discuss the path to realizing Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) in Asian societies – securing development without leaving anyone behind.

Chairman Yohei Sasakawa

The congress commenced by the opening remarks by Yohei Sasakawa, Chairman of The Nippon Foundation. Chairman Sasakawa stated that social issues in Asia cannot be solved by states or governments working alone. He also extended the hope that the Congress would be able to widen and deepen the connection between actors across sectors working to holistically tackle these problems.

Ms. Yoko Kamikawa

Next, Yoko Kamikawa, a member of the House of Representatives and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Japan, gave her keynote speech. Ms. Kamikawa emphasized the importance of co-funding between the government and other public sources, private businesses, and philanthropic organizations to maximize the impact of initiatives addressing social issues. She went on to communicate her expectation that, although Asian societies are both internally and externally diverse, the Congress would offer a unique opportunity for the effective “co-creation” of solutions.

After the plenary sessions in the morning, a session organized by SPF titled “The Catalytic Role of Philanthropy in Addressing Regional Challenges” was held in the afternoon. The session focused on the increasing gaps between urban and rural areas in Asia and showcased how philanthropy could bolster problem-solving efforts in this field.

Mr. Yoshitaka Tabuchi

In the session, Mr. Yoshitaka Tabuchi, Co-founder / Co-CEO of Zebras and Company Inc. delivered the keynote address. He presented the concept of “zebra” companies, which aim to realize a better world through sustainable business operations, mutual benefit between multi-stakeholders, and inclusiveness and diversity. He then explained how Zebras and Company advocated for and convinced the Japanese government to incorporate support for zebra companies into its regional regeneration policy.

Director Ayaka Matsuno

Next, Ms. Ayaka Matsuno, Director of SPF’s Social Innovation Program, presented the outline of the new report published by SPF: “Tripple Ripple: Unlocking the Power of Catalytic Philanthropy in Asia.” The report, based on interviews conducted across fifteen institutions in seven countries, summarized nine key factors for philanthropy to achieve “catalytic” properties.

The session moved on to a panel discussion, where Ms. Siti Kamariah Ahmad Subki, Managing Director and Trustee of Yayasan Hasanah, Dr. Darlo Sagun, Vice President at the Bayan Family of Foundations, and Ryoji Kasahara, Director-General of the Fukutake Foundation, each presented on their foundation’s initiatives, followed by an exchange of ideas facilitated by Director Matsuno.

Ms. Subki

Ms. Subki introduced the Hasanah Social Enterprise Fund, in which Yayasan Hasanah partners with the Malaysian Ministry of Finance and regional intermediaries to support social enterprises.

Dr. Sagun

Dr. Sagun outlined the Bayan Family of Foundations' effort on building an ecosystem for social enterprise development through multi-sector collaboration at the national level as well as some local government unit levels such as Quezon City and other local governments.

Mr. Kasahara

Mr. Kasahara then explained how the Fukutake Foundation worked with various partners including the Benesse Corporation to regenerate Naoshima and other islands in Seto Inland Sea through contemporary art. He also introduced how Fukutake Foundation supports other like-minded initiatives by providing grants.

The panelists

The panelists emphasized the importance of collaborating with partners, having a long-term view, and prioritizing the welfare and contentment of local people as the key “outcome” of foundations’ works. The session gave great insight into how we can maintain and create “happy communities” in Japan and other Asian countries.

To see further details of the report “Tripple Ripple: Unlocking the Power of Catalytic Philanthropy in Asia,” please click here.

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