Philanthropy vs. Capital Markets: Who Really Moves the Needle?
17 Sep 2025, 10:30:00 - 12:00:00 (GMT+8:00)
Impact Lab 2 (Level 4 Suntec Convention Centre)
In an era of overlapping crises—climate instability, AI-driven upheaval, and persistent inequality—the pressure to create impact is no longer optional. Every sector is now being asked: What good are you actually doing? Businesses are building sustainability into their models. Investors are embedding ESG (however imperfectly) into their portfolios. But what about philanthropy?
In this bold debate, we ask whether philanthropy has lost its nerve—or whether it’s the only form of capital free enough to lead systemic change. As calls grow louder for strategic giving, risk-taking, and justice-oriented funding, the role of philanthropy is at a crossroads. Should it behave more like business, with defined metrics and scalable models? Or is that very mindset what philanthropy must resist?
