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Asian philanthropy is surging forward, and Danish foundations should take note

Inspiration for Danish foundations can be drawn from Asian philanthropy, says Carol Liew (right), Director of ECCA, and Naina Subberwal Batra (left), CEO of AVPN. They both encourage collaborative partnerships, much like those seen in family foundations across Asia.

There’s growing inspiration to be found in Asian philanthropy, say Carol Liew (right), Managing Director of the ECCA Family Foundation, and Naina Subberwal Batra (left), CEO of AVPN. Both advocate for more collaborative partnerships — a hallmark of many family foundations across Asia.

While the philanthropic sector in Denmark often looks to the United States for new methods, trends, and best practices, Asian philanthropy is increasingly offering valuable lessons too.

That’s the view of Carol Liew, Director of the ECCA Family Foundation, a Singapore-based foundation working on climate and nature restoration across several Asian countries. The foundation was established by Christian Algot Enevoldsen, son of Pandora founders Winnie Liljeborg and Per Enevoldsen.

Carol Liew highlights partnerships and funding approaches as key areas where Asian philanthropy differs from its European counterparts.

“Asian foundations rarely have a visible presence at the major global philanthropy conferences, but there’s a lot happening in the region right now. With a new wave of foundations and philanthropists emerging, there’s strong momentum behind innovative partnerships and financing models that are helping to drive impact across Asia,” she says.

On March 27, Carol Liew joined a group of Danish foundations in Copenhagen for the Spaces2025 conference to exchange experiences and explore opportunities for collaboration. The event was organized by the Poul Due Jensen Foundation and the EAC Non-profit Foundation.

Naina Subberwal Batra, who also took part in the meeting, believes Danish foundations have much to learn from the way Asian foundations approach philanthropy — particularly when it comes to flexibility and innovation.

“There’s a high degree of flexibility in the Asian philanthropic sector. With fewer rigid structures in place, there’s more freedom to work in an agile and adaptive way,” she explains. “Many Asian foundations are experimenting with different approaches, testing new methods, financial tools, and partnership models,” she says.

Naina Subberwal Batra is the CEO of AVPN, one of Asia’s largest networks for social investment. In addition to numerous leading Asian foundations, its members include the Ford Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

A More Flexible Approach

Asia’s recent economic growth has fueled a significant expansion in the region’s philanthropic sector. Philanthropic capital has grown rapidly over just a few years, shifting from locally focused giving by wealthy individuals to the rise of professional foundations tackling global challenges. According to the World Economic Forum, many of these new foundations are highly aware of the need to move beyond traditional charity and adopt more strategic, impact-driven models.

Unlike in Europe or the US, philanthropy in Asia is less institutionalized and bound by formal structures — and this, says Naina Subberwal Batra, brings greater flexibility.

“There’s no one fixed way of doing things,” – Naina Subberwal Batra, CEO of AVPN

It’s precisely this rapid development that has contributed to a more agile and innovative philanthropic culture, Batra believes.

“Foundations are adapting their work to the context they operate in. They’re not coming in with prepackaged solutions but are open to experimentation — and that’s a key strength when it comes to driving real impact,” she says.

Carol Liew echoes this, noting that many Asian foundations are deeply focused on responding to the needs of their partners on the ground.

“In many foundations, the thinking is that people on the ground are best placed to find the solutions — and funding should be flexible enough to support that. That’s why many no longer refer to ‘grantees,’ but to ‘partners,’” she explains.

Partnership Philanthropy

One of the strongest emerging trends in Asian philanthropy is collaborative philanthropy. According to Philanthropy in Asia, a report published by AVPN, Asian philanthropists are increasingly embracing collaboration — a shift made possible by more robust regulatory frameworks and the growing number and diversity of actors engaged in large-scale social change across the region.

This collaborative approach is expanding across both geographic and thematic areas, says Naina Subberwal Batra.

“Of course, not every foundation works this way, but there’s a growing emphasis on partnerships — with NGOs, government agencies, and companies — to tackle specific challenges. We’re seeing strong openness to cross-sector collaboration,” – Naina Subberwal Batra, AVPN

This spirit of partnership is also gaining ground between foundations themselves. Increasingly, it’s not just a couple of foundations joining forces, but larger alliances forming — either to co-develop projects or to collectively fund intermediary organizations that channel resources into a shared area of focus.

One example is the 30×30 Southeast Asia Ocean Fund, established under the Asia Community Foundation to support marine conservation. The ECCA Family Foundation is one of ten foundations contributing to the fund. As Carol Liew explains, such partnerships are essential for driving meaningful change, especially for smaller funders:

“We couldn’t achieve the same impact alone. By coming together around a common goal, we’re able to strengthen our knowledge base, spread risk, and ultimately mobilize more resources for the cause,” – Carol Liew, ECCA Family Foundation

Potential for Danish–Asian Cooperation

The recent meeting in Copenhagen aimed to bring Asian philanthropy into sharper focus for the Danish foundation sector, encouraging dialogue, knowledge exchange, and potential collaboration.

“It makes good sense for Danish foundations to look to Asia if they want to create greater impact,” – Naina Subberwal Batra, AVPN

Naina Subberwal Batra sees strong potential in partnerships between Danish and Asian foundations—particularly for generating systemic change, a growing priority among Danish funders.

“Danish foundations haven’t traditionally focused on Asia. But Asia, home to the world’s largest population, is on the frontlines of many global crises, including the climate emergency. Engaging with the region could significantly amplify the impact of Danish philanthropy,” – Naina Subberwal Batra

Major institutions like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation have already ramped up their presence in Asia. During her time in Copenhagen, Batra also met with the Novo Nordisk Foundation to discuss the region’s growing relevance.

Carol Liew shares this optimism. She sees strong opportunities for collaboration—both in Asia and in Denmark, where the ECCA Family Foundation’s founder has philanthropic roots. In recent years, the foundation has actively sought to build partnerships with Danish funders to support work in areas like climate and the environment.

“We’ve had meaningful exchanges and knowledge sharing, but forming concrete co-funding partnerships has proven more difficult. There may be differences in approach, but we remain open and hopeful—there’s great potential to align on shared goals,” – Carol Liew, ECCA Family Foundation