Navigating Change: Innovative and Collaborative Giving for Asia
As part of our international giving webinar series—designed to share expertise with donors, including individuals, corporations, foundations, and professional and philanthropic advisors, Myriad USA hosted a thought-provoking session on:
- Innovations in philanthropy developing across Asia
- New philanthropic capital models for U.S. donors to leverage in order to increase impact in Asia
- Opportunities for U.S. donors to consider their giving strategies and align them with Asia’s philanthropic ecosystem
Moderated by Ly Tran, Director for Asia Pacific at Myriad USA, the session featured:
- Pradeep Nair, Former Regional Director for South Asia at the Ford Foundation and Board Member at Myriad USA
- Sumitra Pasupathy, Founder of KAI; Co-Founder and Partner at Philanthropy Dialogues
- Kenichi Nozaki, Principal, Portfolio Team at Mulago
Read the highlights below for the key takeaways and watch the entire session recording here.
Asia’s Scale, Complexity, and Opportunity
Asia’s sheer scale—home to nearly 60% of the world’s population and a major contributor to global GDP—offers both immense opportunities and complex challenges. The region faces significant wealth gaps and climate vulnerability. Yet, as panelists emphasized, Asia is also a birthplace of social innovation, pioneering models such as microfinance, affordable healthcare, and digital banking that have shaped global development.
Despite these strengths, Asia’s philanthropic ecosystem is often misunderstood by U.S. donors, who may perceive the region as risky or self-sufficient. The speakers challenged these myths, highlighting the vibrant networks, government partnerships, and local leadership driving change.
Collaborative Models and New Capital Approaches
A central theme of the discussion was the rise of collaborative giving and innovative capital models. Donor-advised funds, giving circles, and blended approaches that combine philanthropic, private, and public resources are gaining traction, enabling donors to pool funds and share risks.
For solutions to scale and become universal, it is important to work closely with governments, which provide the infrastructure and financial resources needed to scale solutions in health, education, and climate. Designing interventions that are simple and affordable for governments to adopt is crucial for maximizing reach and sustainability.
Panelists also highlighted a cultural shift: younger leaders entering the social sector are ‘hustlers’—blurring the lines between sectors, wielding technology, and mixing philanthropic capital with venture-style investment. For donors, this creates an extraordinary opportunity: the chance to orchestrate different forms of capital, not dictate them.
Ecosystem Building and Promising Innovations
Recent years have seen a surge in ecosystem-building, with governments and networks strengthening support structures for philanthropy, especially in countries such as India, Indonesia, and Singapore. Large collaboratives, such as DASRA’s Rebuild India Fund and the India Climate Collaborative, have effectively built people-centered ecosystems by shifting power and decision-making to local leaders.
Innovative platforms such as the Tara Climate Foundation and the Newman Fund are deploying significant resources and fostering collaborations. The region’s willingness to experiment and take risks is seen as a major driver of innovation, with low costs of experimentation and high potential returns on impact.
Advice for U.S. Donors: Rethink, Engage, and Collaborate
Panelists urged U.S. donors to rethink their giving strategies by engaging with local ecosystems, investing in proximate leaders, and supporting systems-changing ideas. Building trust, partnering regionally, and leveraging intermediaries are key to navigating cultural and regulatory differences and amplifying impact. Donors should focus on where their capital can be most effective and not hesitate to seek help from Asia’s philanthropic networks.
Bridging Ecosystems for Greater Impact
In closing, the webinar underscored Asia’s immense potential for collaborative, innovative philanthropy and encouraged U.S. donors to shift their mindset towards opportunity, risk-taking, and ecosystem growth. Myriad USA stands ready to bridge U.S. donors with local partners, helping to facilitate meaningful connections, unlock fund flows, and amplify global impact.
You can watch the entire session recording here.
To better understand the roles of the support ecosystem in the Global South as potential contributors, please refer to the report here.
See over 1,500 of our pre-vetted nonprofit partners across the globe at https://www.every.org/myriadusa.
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