US$9.15M
grants committed
Christian Enevoldsen
Chairman, ECCA Family Foundation
Dear Friends, Partners and Collaborators,
When we started ECCA, we knew one thing for sure: real change happens with people we love. Five years later, that truth still holds - only now, it’s written into the stories we’ve created together.
To the friends we met along the way. To the partners who opened our eyes. To the collaborators who brought new ideas and bold solutions.
This report is our thank-you.
Thank you for your trust.
Thank you for your time.
Thank you for reminding us that family is defined by connection, not just by name.
This report isn’t just a look back - it’s a glimpse behind-the-scenes. We’re sharing the journey we’ve taken with five long-term partners who have shaped trust, growth, and quiet moments that have changed us in ways we’ve never really put into words – until now.
This year, ECCA turns five - five years of listening, learning, and walking this path with you. We never knew exactly where this journey would take us (let’s be honest, we still don’t). But we always knew who we wanted beside us: people like you.
People who question the status quo, people who see possibilities where others see limits, people who believe that change isn’t just necessary – but within reach.
We don’t say this enough, but we love working with you. Truly.
From day one, you’ve inspired us, challenged us, and helped us grow. We’ve stumbled, adapted, and refined our approach - always learning, always listening. Your ideas, your energy, your trust – they’ve been deeply woven into ECCA’s very fabric.
This past year was a pivot. After stepping back in 2023 to reflect and recalibrate, 2024 became a year of action. We put our first five-year strategy to test, welcomed 6 new partners to the family and grew our small team to 4. Through it all, we stayed focused on what matters most: showing up for you.
This milestone is yours as much as ours. And as we look ahead, we’ll keep building bridges - with you, for you, because of you.
With gratitude,
ChristianEnevoldsen
CHAPTER 1: GROWING YEARS
Milestones, memories, and
the in-between
August 2020
The First “Hello”
We took the first leap and ECCA was born from a desire to build something meaningful. More than just another foundation, this was a space for real change, with people we believed in.
November 2020
Our First Multi-Year Partnership
It was still early days, but it was momentuous when we signed a three-year partnership with The Incubation Network to tackle ocean plastic pollution. This was special to us as it was the first signal that we were in it for the long haul.
December 2021
Eight new partnerships
By the end of our first full year, we had eight partners onboard. It was our “sandbox” season – experimenting, learning, and building the foundation of what ECCA could be.
April 2022
Our First Flagship Project
We co-created the ECCA-DMJX Photojournalism Award, a commitment to amplify untold stories and support emerging storytellers. It felt like our first public declaration of who we were becoming, and a pledge that we were serious and committed.
January 2023
The First Heart-to-Heart
Communication is the key ingredient in any relationship. So we designed our first-ever partnership survey to understand our partners better. The results gave a lot of insight into what our partners appreciate and how we can improve. Around the same time, we earned MCCY’s Light Touch Grantmaker status - proof that we were growing in all the right ways.
September 2023
The First Strategy Retreat
We came together for our first-ever Board strategy retreat. After reflecting and aligning our values, our Vision and Mission were born.
December 2023
Making it official
We made it official with the launch of our first five-year strategy (2024–2028) – backed by our first team retreat. Now we had a shared dream, grounded in trust, connection, and a common purpose (with a good dose of fun, of course).
January 2024
Expanding the Family
We joined the Asia Philanthropy Circle, opening doors to new ideas, peers, and possibilities.
May 2024
Growing in Thailand
We welcomed our first team member based in Thailand, where more than half our work takes place. Long-distance? We’re making it work.
October 2024
A Fresh look
With a new website and refreshed identity, we further embraced who we are and what we believe.
May 2025
A Love Letter, in Person
For the first time, we’re bringing everyone together – partners, friends, collaborators – for a gathering in person to connect and recenter ourselves. Because building a better world starts with caring for ourselves and each other.
5 years at One Glance
grants committed
US$ 2.26M
additional funding
partners received as a result of ECCA's support (e.g. connections made,recommendations, direct facilitation).
US$ 1.9M
Communities - Underserved
US$ 2.6M
Communities - Arts
US$ 0.4M
Nature - Ecosystem
US$ 4.2M
Nature - Oceans
60%
US$ 5.5M
Thailand
25%
US$ 2.3M
Denmark
15%
US$ 1.3M
Singapore
Discover the collective impact made possible by our partners
57.5
hectares of land and ocean protected or restored
(equivalent of 80 football fields!)
Total:
29,302.3
metric tons of plastic waste removed, upcycled or avoided from nature
(equivalent to 255 adult whale sharks!)
Total:
926
people’s livelihoods directly improved
via new jobs created, or formalized or increased income streams
Total:
39
products, technologies, or solutions
engaged to promote nature protection or restoration
Total:
1,407
underserved community members
who have trust in social opportunities and relationships and feel a sense of belonging to their community and society
Total:
3,870
underserved community members
accessing resources or opportunities that they otherwise would not have
Total:
211
underserved community members
who became more satisfied with their quality of life
Total:
51
people supported in finding employment
through training, skilling and employment programs
Total:
950
people who experienced social change
due to engaging with the arts
Total:
A roundup of responses from our 2024 partnership survey:
Reputable Foundation
88.5%
would recommend ECCA as a partner.
Trustful collaboration
Partners feel psychologically safe and are open to sharing challenges.
4.76 / 5
across key trust indicators such as feeling comfortable to approach ECCA when a problem arises; whether ECCA exhibited trust throughout.
"The Foundation seeks to understand the problem and is more consultative in approach rather than take a punitive approach to problems. That really helps to foster the level of trust we have now."
“Issues could always be raised with the Foundation, without ever fearing that this could damage their trust in us or our capacity to lead the project. I feel we can be true and honest, not pretending we have all the answers and solutions."
“We have been surprised with the continuous level of detail in the Foundation’s follow up."
Useful partnership
Partners value ECCA as a partner and friend.
4.74 / 5
“ECCA is a competent partner”
4.42 / 5
“ECCA understands our sector”
“The Foundation is an engaged partner who cares deeply about the work of their grantee partner. This can be seen through their dedicated presence in the execution of the grants. More significantly, they form deep relationships with their partners through the multi-year collaboration."
"When it comes to our sector and communities we serve, the Foundation is clear in where its understanding extends and where it ends. I see this as a source of strength, allowing us to explore approaches both within and outside of our immediate expertise."
"ECCA sincerely seeks to add tangible and needle-moving value through its work and resources, and is willing to be experimental in order to achieve its goals."
Boosted Confidence
96%
agreed that ECCA helped them feel more confident.
CHAPTER 3: LOVE IN ACTION
The ones who’ve grown with us
Our long-term partners and the journeys we went on together