Philanthropy Connects 2022

From Bringing Wealth to Purpose To Bringing Purpose to Wealth

August 31, 2022 | Raffles Hotel

The Philanthropists Connect was Credit Suisse’s first in-person philanthropy event after the COVID-19 pandemic broke out. It marked a return of the annual Philanthropists Forum, which started in 2011 and launched SymAsia Foundation, Credit Suisse’s dedicated client philanthropy platform.

The event reflects Credit Suisse’s major commitment to facilitate and support philanthropic giving in APAC. It is a key platform to enable the bank’s clients from around the region to connect, learn and share with one another as well as thought leaders and expert practitioners in the social impact space.

This year, we explored how philanthropists are moving “From Bringing Wealth to Purpose to Bringing Purpose to Wealth”. Findings from our white paper reveal that philanthropy is no longer just a good-to-have, but increasingly a mission-critical activity among the NextGen philanthropists. They are no longer satisfied to be just passive funders, but seek to be co-creators of social solutions. By doing good in various, complementary forms (from grant-making to social investing) and focusing on ecosystem change, their philanthropy is becoming much more all-encompassing and sustainable.

Guest of Honor Mdm Halimah Yacob, President of the Republic of Singapore, and Keynote Speaker Dr. Adrian Cheng, Executive Vice Chairman and CEO of New World Development, inspired the attending philanthropists with their passion on this topic. Other speakers included:

• Mr. Laurence Lien, Lien Foundation and Asia Philanthropy Circle
• Dr. Mary Ann Tsao, Tsao Ng Yu Shan Foundation
• Mr. Gavin Vongkusolkit, Mitr Phol Group

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The Credit Suisse High Impact Webinar Series takes a close look at some of the most compelling philanthropic and social investing themes today:

Mental Health Philanthropy

One of the biggest areas of need that had surfaced from the pandemic was mental health. Before the virus struck, mental health was already an emerging need in philanthropy; now with the incidences of depression, stress, anxiety, substance abuse and other psychological problems rising sharply all across Asia, there is an urgent need for a sustainable, multi-pronged approach to address these challenges as part of a post-pandemic recovery. Against this evolving landscape, how can philanthropists drive change in mental healthcare?

In this webinar on 29 October 2021, as we heard from philanthropists Dato' Kathleen Chew Wai Lin, Keith Chua and mental health expert Dr. Daniel Fung on emerging mental health needs and their philanthropic journeys supporting impacted communities in the region. 

 

Family Philanthropy: Passing On the Philanthropy Torch, From One Generation to Another

Philanthropy is increasingly a key feature for wealthy families in intergenerational planning and legacy building, with the desire to give back shifting from ad-hoc charitable donations to focused multi-generational philanthropy that mobilizes all family members behind a common cause. Those passing on wealth share a common concern – how can the next generation continue to shape and build the family’s legacy via philanthropy, and how can they ensure sustainability down the generations?

In this episode on 25 May 2021, seasoned donors James Chen, Victor Rachmat Hartono and Dr. Mary Ann Tsao shared candidly about challenges in their family’s philanthropic journeys, the philanthropist’s “super power”, and the benefits of non-family directors and professionals. 

The Art of Philanthropy: Balancing Dreams and Reality 

In November 2020, we celebrated SymAsia Foundation’s 10th anniversary. To mark the occasion, our Chairman Professor Tommy Koh engaged prominent philanthropist Sunil Kant Munjal in a frank and hard-hitting interview that revealed the thinking behind his longstanding, wide-ranging giving that span healthcare, education and the arts.

With the experience and stature built up over his many years of philanthropy, Munjal is now embarking on a visionary global arts project.

High Impact Philanthropy

Whether you are a budding philanthropist or a seasoned donor, how do you generate impact in your giving? What are the tools available to support you as you invest your wealth, time and energies in your bid to create a better future? 

Our webinar in September 2020 showcased a real-life story of how an individual donor, Cherie Nursalim, joined hands with social innovator Virginia Tan and startup founder Sara Dhewanto to set into motion a High Impact cycle, involving traditional philanthropy, venture philanthropy and impact investing. The webinar also featured a successful case study on leveraging technology to disrupt the way aid is delivered to end-beneficiaries.