Case Studies
Our case studies showcase standalone examples of social impact that also contribute to the Centre for Asian Philanthropy and Society (CAPS)’s broader research. Together, they deepen understanding of private social investment across the region and highlight how individual initiatives connect to sector‑wide trends.
- All
- Environment
- Health
- Social Enterprises
- Sustainable Development
- All
- Environment
- Health
- Social Enterprises
- Sustainable Development
ChinaEnvironment
Case Study: The Business of Green | Society of Ecology & Entrepreneurs (SEE)—Creating the conditions for environmental philanthropy to thrive
A community of like-minded business leaders joined forces to fight deforestation and drive forward China’s environmental movement. “It started with ...
EnvironmentIndonesiaSocial Enterprises
Case Study: Evolution and Revolution | Telapak—Seeking Natural Resource Justice for Communities
From investigative journalism to sustainable logging — and now advising the world’s largest companies on community engagement — Telapak has ...
ChinaEnvironmentSocial Enterprises
Case Study: Landwasher—Guardian of the Blue Earth | Leveraging business solutions for environmental impact in China
Recognizing the severity of the environmental challenges facing China, investor-turned-entrepreneur Hao Wu set up an environmental enterprise for waterless toilet ...
IndiaSocial EnterprisesSustainable Development
Case Study: Frugal Innovation | BAIF Development Research Foundation—Transforming Lives in Rural India
Through 50 years of innovation in agricultural technology, BAIF Development Research Foundation (BAIF) has helped millions of Indian farmers to ...
HealthPhilippinesSustainable Development
Case Study: Love for the Least, the Last, and the Lost | Caritas Manila—Shaping, Serving, and Empowering the Poor
For more than 60 years, the social services and development ministry of the Archdiocese of Manila have helped the less ...
Indonesia
Case Study: Online and Offline | Academy of Sharing—Using Social Media to Build a Social Movement
Users of Twitter and other social media platforms connect with each other to build an Indonesian foundation committed to sharing, ...
Social EnterprisesSustainable DevelopmentTaiwan
Case Study: Driving Value | Taiwan Taxi Academy Association—Flipping Perceptions of the Taxi Industry
Under the aegis of a public-private partnership model, a non-profit taxi association was formed to improve the livelihoods of low-income ...
EnvironmentHealth
Case Study: Changing Lives with the Gift of Water | Lien AID—Enabling the Rural Poor to Protect Their Health
By helping villagers in rural communities become owners and operators of their own water facilities, Lien AID through its clean ...
EnvironmentIndonesia
Case Study: Protecting and Saving Marine Life | Coral Triangle Center—Leading the Fight against Destruction and Extinction
A small but influential local NGO based in Indonesia is helping nations across the Indo-Pacific Ocean implement programs to promote ...
China
Case Study: Trading Up | BN Vocational School—Giving China’s marginalized youth a shot at success
By providing free-of-charge vocational education to the disenfranchised children of migrant workers and ethnic minorities, BN Vocational School (BNVS) has ...
HealthIndia
Case Study: Helping Mothers and Children | Society for Nutrition, Education & Health Action—Nourishing India
A walk by a caring pediatrician through one of the world’s largest slums inspired the founding of a Mumbai NGO ...
EnvironmentSocial Enterprises
Case Study: Turning New Leaves | TreePlanet—Changing Attitudes Toward Dorestation in South Korea
Tech-savvy social enterprise TreePlanet leverages growing environmental awareness, current cultural obsessions, and high internet productivity to develop profitable products and ...
EnvironmentSocial EnterprisesSustainable DevelopmentTaiwan
Case Study: Building Collective Impact | New Homeland Foundation—Empowering a Disaster-Struck Community in Rural Taiwan
With the help of the New Homeland Foundation (NHF), the poor mountain village of Taomi emerged from the tatters of ...
EnvironmentHong Kong
Case Study: Virtuous Economy | Hong Chi Association—Creating Green Opportunities for Hong Kong’s Disabled Workers
Through a unique tri-partite collaboration, Hong Chi Association has kick-started a glass bottle recycling project that has provided disabled workers ...
IndiaSustainable Development
Case Study: Water for Life | Dilasa Sanstha—Securing the livelihoods of poor farmers in India
By adapting indigenous irrigation techniques and empowering farming communities to generate alternative income streams, Dilasa Sanstha has changed the lives ...
PhilippinesSustainable Development
Case Study: Pathways to Education | Pamulaan Center for Indigenous Peoples’ Education—Leading the Way
In piloting an education model that is sensitive to the experiences of young indigenous peoples in the Philippines, Pamulaan has ...
EnvironmentIndia
Case Study: Homegrown, Worldclass | Council on Energy, Environment and Water—Building an Independent Policy Think Tank for India
The Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW) was formed to provide independent domestic research to Indian policymakers for creating ...
Case Study: No Shadow, No Worry | WWWSE—Helping a Nation Rethink its Approach to Education
A fervor for education paid big post-war dividends for the Republic of Korea, but also spawned a private market that ...
HealthSocial EnterprisesTaiwan
Case Study: Sustainability Through Innovation | Eden Social Welfare Foundation—Developing an Eden on Earth
Eden supports disabled persons in Taiwan by providing services and advocating for their rights. Through skills training and the development ...
India
Case Study: Changing the Game | Magic Bus—Giving Young People a Sporting Chance in Life
With thousands of volunteer mentors across India and a unique organizational model designed to help maximize its impact, Magic Bus ...
Malaysia
Case Study: Spotlight on Squash | SRAM—Growing a Game
From humble beginnings, the Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) popularized a little known club-based sport played by a few ...
HealthMalaysia
Case Study: Response and Recovery | MERCY Malaysia—Healing the Wounds of Disaster and Conflict
With emergency relief and long-term intervention, a humanitarian aid organization helps treat the physical and emotional wounds of people and ...
PhilippinesSocial EnterprisesSustainable Development
Case Study: Social Enterprise in the Countryside | CARD MRI—Empowering the Poor in the Philippines
The case of the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI) tells how a non-government organization ...
HealthHong Kong
Case Study: Care for the Body and of the Spirit | Haven of Hope Christian Service—Helping the Elderly, Sick and Handicapped of Hong Kong
The case of Haven of Hope Christian Services (Haven) tells how a faith-based organization can stay true to its founding ...
ChinaHealthHong Kong
Case Study: Curing Blindness and Building Trust | Lifeline Express—Transforming Eye Care and NGOs in China
The case of Nellie Fong and Lifeline Express tells the story of the creation and expansion of a unique social ...
HealthJapan
Case Study: The Silver Lining | Sawayaka Well-being Foundation—Volunteers for Elderly Care in Japan
Established by a prominent public prosecutor, Sawayaka Well-being Foundation has fostered the development of more than 2,000 community volunteer organizations ...
Sustainable DevelopmentThailand
Case Study: Bright Young Sparks | Songkhla Forum—Empowering Thailand’s Youth for the 21st Century
An innovative model developed in collaboration with the Siam Commercial Bank Foundation allows young people in Songkhla Province to design ...
Sustainable DevelopmentThailand
Case Study: Foundation for Slum Child Care—Providing Childcare Services in Bangkok’s Slums
With the patronage of a royal princess, two women from different sides of the railway track came together to establish ...
HealthSocial Enterprises
Case Study: Improving Choices and Outcomes | Children’s Medical Foundation—Saving Newborns in China’s Countryside
By focusing on a single mission, Children’s Medical Foundation shows how an organization can form partnerships with government and hospitals ...
Health
Case Study: Back in Sight, Back in Mind | HANDA—Healing Wounds for the Traumatized and Stigmatized
In partnership with people taken from their families and confined to remote camps before a cure was found for a ...