NextGen
PHILANTHROPISTS
Around the world, philanthropy is entering a renewed chapter shaped by deeper collaboration, broader community involvement, and a growing commitment to young people. Recent developments across Asia and beyond reveal a clear and encouraging pattern: organisations are investing not only in urgent needs but also in the long-term empowerment of the next generation.
In early 2025, CapitaLand Hope Foundation expanded its regional support for vulnerable children and youth through a new round of grants across Singapore, China, India, and Vietnam. Within China, several provincial education foundations, particularly in Guangdong and Zhejiang, launched new rural-youth learning initiatives focused on digital access, STEM enrichment, and mental-health support for students in underserved communities. These efforts, along with Sun Life Singapore’s inaugural Social Impact Report highlighting S$1.2 million invested in community initiatives, signal a rising commitment to building strong and future-ready societies across Asia.
Youth leadership is becoming more visible across the region, although the expressions differ in each country. In Singapore, more than 300 young volunteers were recently recognised at the Singapore Red Cross 2025 Awards Ceremony for their humanitarian contributions, including community outreach and support for vulnerable seniors. In major Chinese cities such as Shanghai, Chengdu, and Nanjing, student social-impact groups have been leading volunteer projects in migrant-youth mentorship, climate education, and eldercare. These parallel developments show how youth in both countries are stepping forward to shape meaningful social change.
The wider philanthropic ecosystem is evolving at the same time. In Singapore, the SG Youth Forum 2025 brought together students from across the nation to present ideas on climate action, digital inclusion, and community wellbeing. In China, universities and nonprofits in Beijing and Shenzhen have expanded their youth innovation labs, offering mentorship, resources, and incubator-style guidance for student-led projects in environmental technology, health access, and neighbourhood revitalisation. Both countries demonstrate a shared belief that providing young people with platforms and support can create scalable impact.
New forms of cross-sector collaboration are also emerging across Asia and the world. Internationally, the partnership between digital creator MrBeast and the Rockefeller Foundation has drawn significant attention for using storytelling to inspire youth philanthropy. In China, several major technology companies have launched programmes with local charities to promote responsible AI education for teenagers and to co-develop community-driven public welfare solutions. These collaborations reflect how modern philanthropy increasingly combines technology, media, and civic engagement.
Taken together, these developments reveal a philanthropic landscape that is more interconnected and forward-looking than ever. Corporations, nonprofits, communities, and young people in Singapore, China, and beyond are aligning their efforts to strengthen resilience, expand access, and build inclusive support systems. The future of social good is becoming clearer: lasting impact will come from collective action that empowers youth, encourages collaboration, and places communities at the centre of meaningful transformation.
Set against these broader developments, our project sits within a philanthropic landscape that is increasingly focused on youth, collaboration, and long-term societal resilience. By creating space for young people to engage thoughtfully with social challenges, it reflects a shared belief across the region that meaningful impact begins with exposure, guidance, and trust in the next generation.
At the same time, the project adopts a measured, partnership-driven approach that echoes wider shifts toward cross-sector cooperation and sustainable capacity-building. Rather than pursuing immediate outcomes alone, it contributes to a longer arc of community impact, aligned with emerging global trends that prioritise inclusion, shared responsibility, and future readiness.
