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The Asia Pacific Giving Network (APGN) is a community formed to promote cross-border philanthropic activities in the Asia-Pacific region. Launched in 2023, this network aims to encourage international philanthropic activities that are growing along with the economic development of the Asia-Pacific region. It seeks to promote interest in overseas donations within countries and provide practical support to foundations and charitable organizations. To this end, this series of articles introduces the reason and purpose of APGN, global-era donations, and cases of overseas and domestic donations utilizing the donation network.
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According to Giving Korea survey, international aid ranks second after social welfare as the most popular area for domestic donors, indicating a high interest in global charitable causes. In 2023, 5 out of the top 10 fundraising issues on Happy Bean(the biggist crowd funding platform in ROK) were for overseas relief, specifically for emergency aid to Türkiye and Syria after the earthquake, with donations ranging from 660 million to 2.04 billion won. This trend is not unique to Korea but is also observed in other countries in the Asia-Pacific region. Due to globalization, there’s an increase in populations living abroad, away from their home countries. Additionally, climate crises are causing natural disasters like earthquakes and typhoons in various locations. As a result, there’s a growing tendency to perceive local issues as global concerns and vice versa, transcending national boundaries.
APGN was formed to promote philanthropic culture and activities amidst these changes, and held its kick-off meeting in January 2023. Prior to forming this network, research was conducted with the help of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, King Baudouin Foundation, and Asia Philanthropy Circle, with Give2Asia carrying out the study. The main questions addressed were: “What is the current state and potential of cross-border donations in each country in the Asia-Pacific region?”, “What legal and institutional challenges do they face?”, and “What infrastructure exists to facilitate donations?”. The results are contained in “Unlocking Cross-Border Philanthropy In Asia”.
Based on the research results, highly credible and capable non-profit organizations from each country got involved, including Give2Asia Australia, Gift Trust New Zealand, Give2Asia Hong Kong, Japan NPO Center, and The Beautiful Foundation from Korea. The purposes and roles of APGN are as follows:
Mission
- Formation of a community of foundations and charitable organizations aiming to increase overseas funding
Purpose
- Catalizing cross-border giving interest in the region.
- Cross-border giving refers to inbound and outbound giving
- APGN is made up of members interested in becoming leaders in cross-border giving in their country.
Role
- Building donor demand – to give to charitable causes outside their country and
- Supporting local non-profit organisations to receive funding from outside their country.
A similar network has already been formed and is operating in Europe, called Transnational Giving Europe(TGE). Initiated by Belgium’s King Baudouin Foundation in 2017, it operates in 19 countries with one organization in each country. Through inter-organizational connections, it helps link donors who wish to donate to other countries and assists them in receiving tax benefits. Over the past 15 years, the cumulative donations have reached approximately 200 billion won.
As interest in cross-border donations grow, philanthropic organizations need to be prepared to meet this demand. Trust and relationships are crucial in promoting this new wave of cross-border giving, and existing highly trusted institutions are best suited to instill confidence in donors considering overseas donations. The knowledge and experience of each APGN member will help strengthen the capabilities of all network members.