Case Studies
Our case studies showcase standalone examples of social impact that also contribute to the Centre for Asian Philanthropy & 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.
A community of like-minded business leaders joined forces to fight deforestation and drive forward China’s environmental movement. “It started with planting trees,” said Zhang Li, the current secretary general of SEE Foundation. The original aim of the association was to…
From investigative journalism to sustainable logging — and now advising the world’s largest companies on community engagement — Telapak has been unwavering in its mission for an environmentally conscious Indonesia. Telapak began life as a group of young activists, conducting…
Recognizing the severity of the environmental challenges facing China, investor-turned-entrepreneur Hao Wu set up an environmental enterprise for waterless toilet solutions to directly address issues of water scarcity, sanitation and hygiene. Under Wu’s leadership, Landwasher has become China’s top waterless…
Through 50 years of innovation in agricultural technology, BAIF Development Research Foundation (BAIF) has helped millions of Indian farmers to upgrade their animal husbandry practices, cultivate productive homestead orchards, and better manage natural resources. From its early days, BAIF has…
For more than 60 years, the social services and development ministry of the Archdiocese of Manila have helped the less fortunate to find self-reliance and dignity. In doing so, it has cultivated its next generation of leaders and donors. Caritas…
Users of Twitter and other social media platforms connect with each other to build an Indonesian foundation committed to sharing, learning, and bridging gaps between the classroom and the professional world. Academy of Sharing is a 21st-century social movement that…
Under the aegis of a public-private partnership model, a non-profit taxi association was formed to improve the livelihoods of low-income taxi drivers, while bolstering the local economy. The Taiwan Taxi Academy Association (TTAA) was formally established as a non-profit organization(NPO)…
By helping villagers in rural communities become owners and operators of their own water facilities, Lien AID through its clean water and sanitation programmes has improved the health and well-being of thousands of rural poor in Cambodia and elsewhere in…
A small but influential local NGO based in Indonesia is helping nations across the Indo-Pacific Ocean implement programs to promote the sustainable use and aquatic wonder of their coastlines. The Coral Triangle Center (CTC), a local NGO headquartered on the…
By providing free-of-charge vocational education to the disenfranchised children of migrant workers and ethnic minorities, BN Vocational School (BNVS) has helped to improve their career prospects — and meet the growing need for well-trained and confident workers in China’s burgeoning…
A walk by a caring pediatrician through one of the world’s largest slums inspired the founding of a Mumbai NGO that became a model for how to help poor mothers and families learn about nutrition and protect the health of…