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Li Foundation Inspiring . Impacting Lives

๐— ๐˜‚๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฐ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—–๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ฒ โ€“ ๐—ง๐—˜๐—ก๐—š ๐—™๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—š๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ฎ ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฎ๐ŸฒThe Li Foundation, alongside our partners and friends, recently joined The ...
18/09/2026

๐— ๐˜‚๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฐ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—–๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ฒ โ€“ ๐—ง๐—˜๐—ก๐—š ๐—™๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—š๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ฎ ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฌ๐Ÿฎ๐Ÿฒ
The Li Foundation, alongside our partners and friends, recently joined The TENG Company's Music for Change Fundraising Gala 2026 at Shangri-La Singapore, an evening celebrating the transformative power of music across education, social impact, wellness and artistic innovation.

The TENG Company is a leading Singaporean not-for-profit arts company that reimagines the possibilities of Chinese music to expand creative boundaries, enrich the lives of vulnerable communities and empower lifelong learning. At the heart of their social impact work is a belief in music as a means to uplift, connect and support communities. TENG Gives Back brings live music to nursing homes, hospices, hospitals and treatment centres, bringing comfort and emotional consolation to patients, caregivers and staff. Its In-School Programmes for Targeted Students work with specialised institutions to support at-risk youths and individuals with special needs, using Chinese music to build confidence, teamwork and musical potential. TENG also explores the role of music in mental and emotional wellbeing through its Music for Wellness Series, while programmes such as Golden Beats use rhythm and group drumming to support seniorsโ€™ cognitive, emotional and social wellbeing.

During the evening, we were treated to an immersive experience that brought TENGโ€™s work to life through curated performances and personal stories from beneficiaries. Moving beyond the traditional fundraising dinner, the gala included performances by TENGโ€™s scholars and beneficiaries, a sharing on Traditional Chinese Medicine, a wellbeing talk by Physician Brandon Yew, and a brew-your-own tea experience.

Li Foundation is grateful to The TENG Company for an inspiring evening and for the opportunity to witness how music can go beyond performance โ€” becoming a source of comfort, connection and empowerment. We look forward to seeing TENG continue to harness the power of music for change and bring its impact to even more communities.

๐—™๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐—œ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—”๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป: ๐—” ๐—–๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐—ง๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—™๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ปHow can philanthropy, technology and community action come t...
18/09/2026

๐—™๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐—œ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—”๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป: ๐—” ๐—–๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐—ง๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—™๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป
How can philanthropy, technology and community action come together to create sustainable social impact?

This was one of the questions explored when Li Foundation recently hosted Rachel, Program Director from Tencent ่…พ่ฎฏ Foundation, for a conversation on potential areas of collaboration in Singapore and beyond.

Founded in 2007, Tencent Foundation is guided by the vision of being a โ€œconnector and co-creator of a better societyโ€, with a mission to put โ€œTech for Goodโ€ into practice and use philanthropy to drive innovation in sustainable social value. Its work spans areas including youth development, community development, and technology-enabled philanthropy.

Rachelโ€™s visit to Singapore also included a visit to an active ageing centre operated by Lions Befrienders, where she gained a closer look at how community-based programmes help seniors stay healthy, connected and engaged.

The visit provided a natural starting point for our conversation. As Singaporeโ€™s population ages, creating opportunities for older adults to remain active and connected will require not only services and support, but also new ways of engagement. This is reflected in the evolution of Relay Majulah. What began as a charity relay event has grown into a year-long movement focused on active ageing for the elderly through ultra-slow jogging, while raising support for Lions Befrienders.

In turn, Rachel shared how Tencent Foundation helps social organisations turn ideas into action โ€” from partnering with tech start-ups to fund and mentor promising youth-led projects, to providing NGOs with subsidised access to digital tools so they can experiment before committing to them. Looking ahead, the Foundation is launching an AI training course for NGOs in September, equipping nonprofit staff with the knowledge to understand and apply AI tools in their work.

Across these examples, a common thread emerged: technology can be most meaningful when it is paired with the right funding, support and human capacity to put it to use.

While our areas of expertise may differ, the conversation highlighted a shared belief: meaningful social impact is rarely created by one organisation alone. It comes from connecting people, ideas, resources and capabilities โ€” and finding new ways to turn them into action.

๐—•๐—ฒ๐˜†๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฃ๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜†: ๐—.๐—ฃ. ๐— ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ด๐—ฎ๐—ปโ€™๐˜€ ๐—ฆ๐—ฐ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—œ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—”๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฎ ๐—™๐—ถ๐—น๐—บ๐˜€On 12 August, J.P. Morgan brought together a private audi...
04/09/2026

๐—•๐—ฒ๐˜†๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฃ๐—ผ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜†: ๐—.๐—ฃ. ๐— ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ด๐—ฎ๐—ปโ€™๐˜€ ๐—ฆ๐—ฐ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—œ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—”๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฎ ๐—™๐—ถ๐—น๐—บ๐˜€

On 12 August, J.P. Morgan brought together a private audience of clients, partners and friends at The Foundry in Singapore for a curated screening of films from the Inspiring Asia Micro Film Festival. Titled ๐‘ฉ๐’†๐’š๐’๐’๐’… ๐‘ท๐’๐’—๐’†๐’“๐’•๐’š: ๐‘บ๐’•๐’๐’“๐’Š๐’†๐’” ๐’๐’‡ ๐‘ถ๐’‘๐’‘๐’๐’“๐’•๐’–๐’๐’Š๐’•๐’š ๐’‚๐’๐’… ๐‘บ๐’๐’„๐’Š๐’‚๐’ ๐‘ด๐’๐’ƒ๐’Š๐’๐’Š๐’•๐’š, the evening used film as a starting point for J.P. Morganโ€™s network to engage in a broader conversation about philanthropy, opportunity and social mobility across Asia.

The screening featured four award-winning micro films from the 2023 and 2024 editions of Inspiring Asia, spanning Indonesia, Singapore and China. Together, they explored poverty not simply as a question of income, but through the opportunities, support systems and choices that shape whether individuals and communities can move beyond it.

The four films were:

โ€ข ๐—œ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ฎ'๐˜€ ๐—ฆ๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜ ๐—˜๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ด๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐˜†: ๐—ฆ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ป๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ฅ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ฃ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐˜‚๐—น๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€ (2024, Indonesia) โ€” following the 1000 Days Fund as it equips local health workers in East Nusa Tenggara to address childhood stunting at its roots.

โ€ข ๐—๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜† ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—›๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ: ๐—ž๐—ฒ๐—ฒ๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ฆ๐—ผ๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—น ๐— ๐—ผ๐—ฏ๐—ถ๐—น๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐—”๐—น๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐—ค๐˜‚๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฑ๐—ด๐—ฒ ๐—™๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป (2023, Singapore) โ€” the stories of children at the Tak Takut Kids Club by 3Pumpkins and the University Access initiative by Quantedge Foundation.

โ€ข ๐—ถ๐—ฌ๐—”๐—ž ๐—ง๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐—ฌ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜€ (2024, China) โ€” the decade-long journey of a yak-wool social enterprise by Qinghai Lake that has improved the livelihoods of 9,000 people.

โ€ข ๐—ช๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ธ ๐—”๐—ด๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป (2024, Singapore) โ€” amputees supported by the Lions Prostheses Centre as they rebuild mobility, independence and livelihoods.

๐—™๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—”๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป

The screening was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Faye Ong, Head of Philanthropy Centre, Singapore and Southeast Asia, J.P. Morgan Private Bank. The Philanthropy Centre works with clients to explore their philanthropic goals, develop strategies for giving, and connect them with opportunities to create meaningful social impact across the region.

Faye was joined by Dr. Ada Zhang, Executive Producer of Inspiring Asia and director of ๐‘พ๐’‚๐’๐’Œ ๐‘จ๐’ˆ๐’‚๐’Š๐’ and ๐‘ฑ๐’๐’–๐’“๐’๐’†๐’š ๐’๐’‡ ๐‘ฏ๐’๐’‘๐’†; Sue Toomey, CEO of Asia Community Foundation (ACF); and William Gondokusumo, Founder and CEO of Campaign for Good, one of Inspiring Asiaโ€™s regional partners in Indonesia.

The conversation explored a central question: how can stories of social challenges and community action deepen understanding, build empathy and ultimately lead to action?

Ada shared that while data, reports and impact metrics can show the scale of a social issue, stories bring audiences closer to the people behind the numbers โ€” their barriers, emotions, dignity, strengths and aspirations.

She recalled a girl she met while filming 3Pumpkinsโ€™ work during one of her visits. The girl told Ada, โ€œI don't have any friends at school. Most of my friends are here because they don't judge me.โ€ For Ada, those words captured something that statistics could not: children's need for dignity, belonging and acceptance. It was moments like this that reinforced the power of film to make complex social issues more tangible and human.

William built on this idea by sharing Campaign for Good's Community Vetting process, which invites friends, family and new supporters to take on challenges inspired by each film's themes. In this way, audiences become more than viewers, with storytelling serving as a starting point for participation and action.

Sue then addressed what makes action possible beyond inspiration. She highlighted ACF's role in providing the giving infrastructure that enables philanthropy to move across borders. For donors responding to issues they encounter through stories and other forms of engagement, reliable information, credible partners and clear pathways for giving are critical. ACF helps connect donors with credible organisations and community-based actors across Asia, enabling cross-border giving with greater confidence.

The impact of these stories can also extend beyond the screening itself. Ada shared how ๐‘พ๐’‚๐’๐’Œ ๐‘จ๐’ˆ๐’‚๐’Š๐’ was screened at Lions Club dinners and other events after its completion, reaching new audiences. As awareness grew, the prosthetics assistance programme featured in the film attracted additional donations, public attention and new participants. One of the film's protagonists, Ailing, who lost all four limbs, also gained a new employment opportunity through connections created by the film.

The Q&A that followed drew candid reflections from the room, including from guests who spoke about their own experiences with poverty or journeys supporting grassroots organisations.

Anthonia Hui, Co-founder of Clotho Family Office and Weavers of Change Foundation, offered a perspective on how philanthropy can translate empathy into action. As a long-term supporter of the 1000 Days Fund, she recalled first encountering the organisation when it was still developing its financial systems, business planning and governance structures. Despite this, she and other supporters chose to trust the team's commitment to the community and determination to address the issue.

Other guests shared their own observations and understanding of poverty, with some further elaborating on the power of films in spurring action. For J.P. Morgan's clients and partners, the evening offered an opportunity not only to encounter compelling stories from across Asia, but also to engage directly with practitioners working to address the issues behind them.

The evening demonstrated the potential of bringing together storytelling, philanthropy and networks for action, with J.P. Morgan providing a platform for its community to engage with issues of opportunity and social mobility, Inspiring Asia bringing stories from communities across Asia into the room, and organisations such as ACF and Campaign for Good creating pathways from awareness to action.

Li Foundation is grateful to J.P. Morgan for bringing its community together for this meaningful conversation, and to the panellists and audience for their thoughtful contributions.

๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐—ป ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—ฟ. ๐—•๐˜‚๐˜ ๐˜„๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐˜€ ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜…๐˜ ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฑ๐˜€ ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฒ, ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐˜„๐—ฎ๐—น๐—ธ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ด๐—ต ๐—ถ๐˜.

29/08/2026
๐—Ÿ๐—ถ ๐—™๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—›๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜๐˜€ ๐— ๐—ฃ๐—ฆ ๐—”๐—น๐˜‚๐—บ๐—ป๐—ถ ๐—ณ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—–๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐—ฆ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—น ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ฃ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜๐—ต๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐˜† @๐—š๐˜‚๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜‡๐—ต๐—ผ๐˜‚Recently, the Li Foundation hosted a de...
26/08/2026

๐—Ÿ๐—ถ ๐—™๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—›๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜๐˜€ ๐— ๐—ฃ๐—ฆ ๐—”๐—น๐˜‚๐—บ๐—ป๐—ถ ๐—ณ๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—–๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜€๐—ฒ ๐—ฆ๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ผ๐—ผ๐—น ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ฃ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜๐—ต๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐˜† @๐—š๐˜‚๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜‡๐—ต๐—ผ๐˜‚
Recently, the Li Foundation hosted a delegation of 21 alumni from the MPS program at the Chinese School of Philanthropy (CSoP@Guangzhou) for a learning tour and an exchange on philanthropic practice in Singapore and the wider region.

Founded in June 2014, CSoP@Guangzhou is the first academy in China dedicated to philanthropic education and philanthropic cultural research. At the heart of its leadership development efforts is the MPS program, a flagship initiative designed to cultivate senior philanthropic practitioners and social changemakers through a combination of professional practice, humanistic learning and scientific thinking. Drawing on a network of scholars and experienced practitioners, the program brings together philanthropy leaders from across China to deepen their understanding of the sector and strengthen their capacity to create social impact. To date, it has developed over 300 students from across 20 provinces and municipalities.

The Li Foundation is proud to be a strategic partner of the MPS program, alongside the Narada Foundation, the Guangdong Harmony Community Foundation and other partners committed to strengthening China's philanthropy talent pipeline. The visit to Singapore offered an opportunity to extend this learning journey beyond the classroom, bringing together experienced MPS alumni with practitioners working across Singapore's philanthropic ecosystem.

The exchange began with the Li Foundation sharing its approach to philanthropy and an overview of several of its key projects, followed by a lively Q&A with the visiting alumni. Kelsey from Temasek Foundation then introduced the Foundation's work in the climate and liveability space, with particular focus on its use of prize philanthropy. The Green Future Innovation Challenge, held in China, provided a useful example of how competitive funding mechanisms can surface and scale innovative solutions to pressing climate challenges.

Beyond sharing organisational approaches, the conversation provided a space for participants to compare perspectives on how philanthropy can evolve in response to changing social needs, and how funders and practitioners can work together to translate ideas into meaningful impact. The visit was part of a broader learning journey in Singapore, during which the MPS alumni also attended the launch of the family philanthropy intermediaries report, supported by the Li Foundation. Together, these engagements offered the delegation perspectives on both the practice of philanthropy and the broader ecosystem shaping its development in Singapore and the region.

The exchange underscored a shared commitment to developing capable, values-driven philanthropy practitioners โ€” whether through structured leadership development such as the MPS program, or through hands-on experience in designing and delivering philanthropic initiatives. The Li Foundation is grateful to CSoP@Guangzhou for bringing this group of accomplished MPS alumni to Singapore, and looks forward to deepening opportunities for learning and exchange between the two institutions.

๐—™๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ถ๐—น๐˜† ๐—ฃ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜๐—ต๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐˜† ๐—œ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ฆ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ: ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜ ๐—Ÿ๐—ฎ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ตAs family philanthropy continues to evolve in Singapore an...
26/08/2026

๐—™๐—ฎ๐—บ๐—ถ๐—น๐˜† ๐—ฃ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜๐—ต๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐˜† ๐—œ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐—ฒ๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—ฆ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ: ๐—ฅ๐—ฒ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜ ๐—Ÿ๐—ฎ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ต

As family philanthropy continues to evolve in Singapore and across Asia, philanthropic intermediaries are playing an increasingly important role in connecting private wealth with social needs, while helping donors navigate the increasingly complex landscape of giving.

On 14 August, Family Philanthropy Intermediaries in Singapore: Landscape and Future Prospects was launched at the Wealth Management Institute (WMI), bringing together philanthropists, practitioners, researchers, and social sector leaders to explore the development of Singapore's philanthropic intermediary ecosystem. The event was co-organised by the China Institute for Philanthropy and Social Innovation (CIPSI) at Renmin University of China, Asia Philanthropy Circle, and WMI's Asia Centre for Changemakers, with support from the Li Foundation.

Mapping Singapore's Philanthropic Infrastructure
The report is the result of a two-year study by CIPSI, supported by the Li Foundation. Through three rounds of fieldwork and interviews with 35 institutions and individuals, the research team examined Singapore's evolving family philanthropy intermediary ecosystem.

Through eight case studies, it offers a panoramic view of the sector, illustrating the different development paths, operating models, and services of philanthropic platforms. For individuals and families looking to engage in philanthropy in Singapore and the region, it provides a practical starting point for understanding the available pathways to giving and the different ways intermediaries can support their philanthropic journeys.

Interestingly, the research began with a broader question: how are Asian family offices and family foundations developing their own approaches to philanthropy, from the values that shape their giving, to how they make decisions and pursue social impact? However, through the fieldwork, the team found that Singapore's rapidly developing philanthropic advisory platforms offered a more useful and insightful lens to understand how wealth, professional services, and social needs are connected, leading to a change in the studyโ€™s focus on this intermediary ecosystem.

From Practice to an Asian Model of Philanthropy
At the launch, Lionel Li, Founder and Chairman of the Li Foundation, reflected on the practical question that first inspired the research: as family offices and private wealth grow in Singapore, where should individuals and families begin if they want to turn their desire to give into meaningful social impact?

For Lionel, the answer requires a better understanding of the ecosystem itself โ€” the institutions, platforms, and pathways available to donors. This led to the idea of systematically mapping Singapore's family philanthropy landscape, which subsequently aligned with CIPSI's research direction in 2024.
Report author Prof. Wang Xiaoyun, Associate Director of CIPSI, shared that the research revealed a diverse yet complementary ecosystem shaped by organisations with different backgrounds, including philanthropist-initiated, government-initiated, Temasek-linked, private bank-initiated, and ground-up organisations. Drawing on various forms of economic, social, and symbolic capital, these platforms serve different donor types and have developed distinct approaches in terms of risk appetite, project selection, pathways to impact, and regional focus.

Prof. Wang also highlighted that Singapore's experience is notable not simply for adapting Western models of modern philanthropy, but for gradually developing a practice path with distinctly Asian characteristics. In particular, the collaborative relationship between government and civil society stands out: government policy, tax incentives, and institutional arrangements help mobilise private wealth towards philanthropy, while creating a relatively stable environment for charitable organisations and professional platforms to develop.

This experience, she noted, offers useful insights for China and other parts of Asia as they explore more mature philanthropic ecosystems.

From Mapping to Action
The report's findings also provided a foundation for two panel discussions on the practical challenges facing philanthropy today.

The first panel, Singapore's Social Sector: Emerging Needs and Opportunities, featured Paul Tan of Community Foundation of Singapore, Martin Tan of The Majurity Trust, and Edmund Twohill of ImpactSG. The discussion explored how Singapore's growing family office ecosystem can translate into deeper engagement with social issues, and how intermediaries can bridge the gap between financial capital and the needs of the social sector.

The second panel, Family Philanthropy and Intermediaries: Catalysing Impact in Asia, brought together Sue Toomey of Asia Community Foundation, Sana Kazi of AVPN, and Anthonia Hui of Clotho Family Office and Weavers of Change Foundation. Panellists examined the complexities of cross-border giving, highlighting the importance of due diligence, local knowledge, trusted networks, and shared infrastructure in helping donors navigate different markets. They also emphasised that philanthropic capital extends beyond financial resources to include expertise, relationships, and a willingness to learn.

Together, the research and discussions pointed to a common opportunity: strengthening the infrastructure and knowledge base that can help more private wealth move towards sustained social impact. As Asia enters a new cycle of intergenerational wealth transfer, the question is not only how wealth is preserved and passed on, but also how it can contribute to solving social challenges and creating long-term public value. In this context, family philanthropy has the potential to pass on more than wealth itself โ€” it can cultivate a sense of responsibility to society and create an impact that grows across generations.

The Li Foundation is grateful to CIPSI, Asia Philanthropy Circle, and WMI's Asia Centre for Changemakers for convening this timely exchange. We hope the research will contribute to greater knowledge-sharing between China, Singapore, and the wider Asian philanthropic community, and serve as a foundation for more professional, strategic, and sustainable philanthropy across the region.

๐—™๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐—˜๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜†๐˜€๐˜๐—ฒ๐—บ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ: ๐—” ๐—ฃ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜๐—ต๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐˜† ๐—˜๐˜…๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ฒ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐—š๐—ผ๐—ฏ๐—ถ ๐—ฃ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜๐—ต๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐˜† ๐—”๐—บ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜€ A delegation of more than 50 Gobi...
05/08/2026

๐—™๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—บ ๐—˜๐—ฐ๐—ผ๐˜€๐˜†๐˜€๐˜๐—ฒ๐—บ ๐˜๐—ผ ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฐ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฒ: ๐—” ๐—ฃ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜๐—ต๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐˜† ๐—˜๐˜…๐—ฐ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ด๐—ฒ ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐—š๐—ผ๐—ฏ๐—ถ ๐—ฃ๐—ต๐—ถ๐—น๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜๐—ต๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐˜† ๐—”๐—บ๐—ฏ๐—ฎ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜€
A delegation of more than 50 Gobi Philanthropy Ambassadors visited Singapore from 29 July to 1 August 2026 as part of the 21st Xuanzang Road Business School Gobi Challenge (โ€œGobi 21โ€). The learning visit focused on philanthropy, social innovation and cross-sector collaboration.
On the afternoon of 30 July, the delegation attended a session at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKYSPP) themed โ€œPhilanthropy in Singapore: From Ecosystem to Practice.โ€ Lionel Li, Founder and Chairman of Li Foundation, and Dr. Ada Zhang shared complementary perspectives on Singaporeโ€™s philanthropy ecosystem and the development of a family foundation. Prof. Gu Qingyang of LKYPSS and Chair of the Master in Public Administration and Management (MPAM) Programme, shared insights on Singapore from a public policy perspective.
The delegation was led by Mr Qu Xiangdong, Founder of the Xuanzang Road Business School Gobi Challenge (โ€œXuanzang Roadโ€), together with Mr Huang Yi, Secretary-General of Geyou Foundation. The visit reflected a shared interest in how philanthropy can move from individual commitment towards organised, sustainable social impact.
Dr. Ada Zhang opened the session with an overview of Singaporeโ€™s philanthropy ecosystem, highlighting the roles of government agencies, foundations, cooperates, social service organisations and civic actors. Her sharing showed how policy support, enabling platforms, resource mobilisation and community-based service delivery work together to encourage cross-sector collaboration and respond to evolving social needs.
Lionel Li then shared his personal philanthropic journey, from his early involvement with Lions Clubs in China to the establishment of Li Foundation in Singapore. He introduced the Foundationโ€™s belief in inspiring lives and impacting lives, as well as its collaborative approach to philanthropy across Singapore, China and other parts of Asia.
His sharing also highlighted several of Li Foundationโ€™s flagship initiatives, including the China ECD Collaborative, Relay Majulah in Singapore and Inspiring Asia. Together, these initiatives reflect the Foundationโ€™s commitment to supporting children, strengthening communities and connecting social impact stories across Asia.
The session provided an opportunity to exchange perspectives on public policy, family philanthropy, social innovation and community action. It also explored how philanthropic resources, volunteer networks and cross-sector partnerships can contribute to more sustainable social impact.
Li Foundation was honoured to take part in the exchange and looks forward to continued engagement with the Gobi community.

๐‘จ๐™—๐’๐™ช๐’• ๐‘ฟ๐™ช๐’‚๐™ฃ๐’›๐™–๐’๐™œ ๐™๐’๐™–๐’…
Xuanzang Road Business School Gobi Challenge (็Ž„ๅฅ˜ไน‹่ทฏ โ€œXuanzang Roadโ€) is a well-known endurance and leadership journey for business school participants. Inspired by the historical journey of Master Xuanzang, the challenge brings together participants from business schools to cross the Gobi Desert, combining physical endurance, teamwork, reflection and personal growth. Over the years, Xuanzang Road has grown beyond an endurance challenge into a distinctive community shaped by perseverance, self-transcendence, mutual support and service. The official Xuanzang Road site currently refers to the 21st edition as the 21st Xuanzang Road Gobi Challenge.

๐˜ผ๐’ƒ๐™ค๐’–๐™ฉ ๐™‚๐’†๐™ฎ๐’๐™ช ๐™๐’๐™ช๐’๐™™๐’‚๐™ฉ๐’Š๐™ค๐’
Geyou Foundation (ๅŒ—ไบฌๅธ‚ๆˆˆๅ‹ๅ…ฌ็›ŠๆดๅŠฉๅŸบ้‡‘ไผš) traces its origins to the Xuanzang Road communityโ€™s response to the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, when Gobi participants voluntarily formed what later became the Foundationโ€™s predecessor. The Foundation was formally registered with the Beijing Municipal Civil Affairs Bureau on 21 September 2011
and received a 4A foundation rating in 2019. Guided by the belief of โ€œawakening life and living actively,โ€ Geyou Foundation continues to promote volunteer action, education philanthropy and public service through the Gobi community.

The Gobi Philanthropy Ambassadors are a cross-school volunteer network initiated by Geyou Foundation to promote philanthropy and carry forward the spirit of the Gobi Challenge. Its members support initiatives in disaster relief, environmental conservation, rural education and cultural heritage.

๐—ฆ๐˜‚๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—Ÿ๐—–๐—œ๐—™โ€™๐˜€ ๐— ๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ด๐—ต ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐— ๐—ฒ๐—น๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—™๐—ฒ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜„๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝThe Lions Clubs of Singapore District 309 Joint Installatio...
05/08/2026

๐—ฆ๐˜‚๐—ฝ๐—ฝ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—Ÿ๐—–๐—œ๐—™โ€™๐˜€ ๐— ๐—ถ๐˜€๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ง๐—ต๐—ฟ๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ด๐—ต ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐— ๐—ฒ๐—น๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ป ๐—๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—™๐—ฒ๐—น๐—น๐—ผ๐˜„๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ
The Lions Clubs of Singapore District 309 Joint Installation Ceremony for FY2026/2027 was made especially meaningful by the visit of Lions Clubs International President Mark S. Lyon to Singapore, and by a contribution made by Past District Governor Lionel Li, Founder of Li Foundation, to Lions Clubs International Foundation ( ) through 20 Melvin Jones Fellowships.
The ceremony brought together Lions leaders, members, and guests to mark the installation of District Governor Lawrence Sew and the District Cabinet for FY2026/2027. The presence of the International President added special significance to the occasion, reaffirming the shared commitment of Lions around the world to service, fellowship, and community impact.

A key highlight of the evening was PDG Lionel Liโ€™s donation of USD 20,000 to LCIF in support of 20 . The contribution was presented to International President Lyon, reflecting PDG Lionel Liโ€™s longstanding commitment to Lions service and his belief in recognising those who give selflessly to their communities.

The Melvin Jones Fellowship is one of the highest forms of recognition within Lions Clubs International Foundation, honouring individuals who demonstrate a strong commitment to humanitarian service. Through this contribution, PDG Lionel Li expressed his continued support for the Lions movement and its mission to create meaningful change in communities around the world.

The evening was also meaningful for LCS Bifrost - ๆ–ฐๅŠ ๅกๅฐ่™น็‚น็‹ฎๅญไผš, of which PDG Lionel Li is a member. Three Bifrost Past Presidents โ€” Charter President Ada Xian Zhang, Kun Yang, and Su Ying โ€” were appointed to serve in the District Cabinet, while Lion Xiong Anhua was formally installed as President of the Club. Candy Goh of Li Foundation was also appointed Organising Chairperson of Relay Majulah 2026, a year-long community movement co-organised by Li Foundation and Lions Club of Singapore.

Li Foundation congratulates District Governor Lawrence Sew and the District Cabinet for FY2026/2027. The evening reflected the continuing spirit of Lions service, leadership, and giving.

๐—”๐—ฑ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—–๐—ผ๐—บ๐—บ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐—ฃ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐˜€ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—œ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—›๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ž๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ดAs Hong Kong joins Inspiring Asia for the first time this year a...
28/07/2026

๐—”๐—ฑ๐˜ƒ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—–๐—ผ๐—บ๐—บ๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜๐˜† ๐—ฃ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐˜€ ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—œ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ฝ๐—ถ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—›๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ž๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ด
As Hong Kong joins Inspiring Asia for the first time this year as one of its eight regional competitions, the Inspiring Asia Committee visited Hong Kong to advance preparations for Inspiring Hong Kong. Dr. Ada Zhang, Executive Producer of Inspiring Asia, and Candy Goh engaged with local partners across wealth legacy, strategic philanthropy, social innovation, arts and culture, business education, and creative production โ€” reflecting the cross-sector spirit at the heart of Inspiring Asia.

Hong Kong Academy for Wealth Legacy( ) serves as the Hong Kong Regional Lead Partner. In conversation with Ms Angel Chia, Executive Director of the Academy, the discussion centred on how Inspiring Hong Kong can connect philanthropy, storytelling, and community impact, while creating a platform for meaningful local stories to be seen by a wider regional audience.

Lee Hysan Foundation, as Strategic Partner and Sponsor, brings deep philanthropic experience and a longstanding commitment to Hong Kongโ€™s social and cultural development. Ms Cecilia Ho, President of the Foundation, shared the Foundationโ€™s history, vision, and areas of focus, offering valuable insight into how strategic philanthropy can support community empowerment and cultural participation.

University of Chicago Booth School of Business also plays an important role as an Impact Partner of Inspiring Hong Kong. Its Hong Kong campus has been confirmed as the venue for the final screening and award ceremony, creating a meaningful setting where storytelling, social innovation, and impact-driven leadership can come together.

As the Hong Kong Implementation Partner, Under Production Ltd brings essential local production experience and creative ex*****on to the initiative. Through discussions with Kit Wong (็Ž‹ไปฒๅ‚‘) and Mokie MOK, the Inspiring Asia team explored how local creative talent, community stories, and professional production support can come together to bring Hong Kongโ€™s social impact stories to life.

ArtX HK Institute at City University of Hong Kong adds an important arts, culture, and innovation perspective to the initiative. In conversation with Professor Fen Jennifer Lin, Associate Vice-President (Global Strategy) of City University of Hong Kong and Director of HK Institute, the team discussed how arts, culture, technology, and documentary storytelling can contribute to Inspiring Hong Kongโ€™s focus on community impact and creative expression.

In Hong Kong, this ecosystem is taking shape through partners who each bring distinct strengths and networks to support community storytelling.
Li Foundation looks forward to seeing outstanding films and community projects emerge from Inspiring Hong Kong this year, bringing meaningful stories from Hong Kongโ€™s vibrant social impact landscape to the wider Asian stage.

๐—ก๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ก๐—ฒ๐˜…๐˜ ๐—š๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜†๐˜๐—ฒ๐—น๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€: ๐—” ๐—–๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐—˜๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฐ ๐—ž๐—ต๐—ผ๐—ผ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ญ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ผ ๐—ช๐—ฒ๐—ถ ๐—™๐—ถ๐—น๐—บ๐˜€The Li Foundation was del...
24/07/2026

๐—ก๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐˜๐—ต๐—ฒ ๐—ก๐—ฒ๐˜…๐˜ ๐—š๐—ฒ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—ผ๐—ณ ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜†๐˜๐—ฒ๐—น๐—น๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€: ๐—” ๐—–๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐˜„๐—ถ๐˜๐—ต ๐—˜๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ฐ ๐—ž๐—ต๐—ผ๐—ผ ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฑ ๐—ญ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ผ ๐—ช๐—ฒ๐—ถ ๐—™๐—ถ๐—น๐—บ๐˜€

The Li Foundation was delighted to welcome acclaimed Singaporean filmmaker Eric Khoo and producer Fong Cheng of Zhao Wei Films for an engaging exchange on the transformative power of storytelling and film in driving social impact.

As one of Singapore's most internationally celebrated filmmakers, Eric Khoo has played a pioneering role in shaping the nation's film industry over the past three decades. His award-winning worksโ€”including Mee Pok Man, 12 Storeys, Be with Me, My Magic, Ramen Teh, and the animated feature Tatsumiโ€”have been showcased at leading international film festivals such as Cannes, Venice, and Berlin. Through his distinctive storytelling, Eric has consistently explored themes of identity, humanity, family, and resilience, bringing Singaporean stories to audiences around the world.

Joining him was veteran producer Fong Cheng, one of Singapore's most respected film producers. Over the course of her career, she has produced numerous acclaimed films and documentaries that have been recognised at major international film festivals. Meanwhile, Zhao Wei Films has built a reputation for creating works that combine artistic excellence with thoughtful reflections on contemporary society. It has also served as a launchpad for many of Singapore's leading filmmakers, including internationally recognised directors such as Royston Tan, Brian Gothong Tan, Boo Junfeng, and Nicole Midori Woodford.

During the meeting, the Li Foundation shared its mission of inspiring and impacting lives through its six focus areas, with particular emphasis on Inspiring Asia, the Foundation's flagship platform that harnesses storytelling to promote positive social change across the region. The discussion explored the unique role of film in fostering empathy, amplifying underrepresented voices, and encouraging dialogue around important social issues. Eric and Fong Cheng also shared about their journeys in filmmaking and some of the experiences that have shaped their work over the years.

The exchange highlighted a shared belief about the power of stories to inspire action and underscored the importance of nurturing the next generation of filmmakers to tell stories that matter. It was especially meaningful that our conversation will continue beyond the meeting room, with Eric graciously accepting our invitation to serve as a Grand Final Judge for this year's Inspiring Asia Micro Film Festival. We are honoured to have him lend his creative vision and wealth of experience to encourage and inspire emerging filmmakers from across Asia.

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