Kumar Bahukhandi
A new report launched today by Sattva Consulting, with support from WINGS’ #LiftUpPhilanthropy Fund, uncovers the emerging architecture of collaboration for development across South and Southeast Asia. titled Strengthening Collective Impact in South and Southeast Asia, the study offers a first-of-its-kind mapping of how philanthropy support ecosystems (PSEs) are enabling or stalling cross-sector partnerships in seven countries: Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka.
Drawing on 147 multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) across 13 broad sectors, from climate and food security to education and health, the report highlights both progress and persistent gaps in how philanthropic ecosystems are organised, resourced, and connected.
“We’re in a moment of profound global uncertainty, marked by conflict, climate extremes, and shrinking aid, where the role of regional philanthropy is more critical than ever. Our research across seven countries reports heartening movements in collective action across topics and stakeholders. Yet, only 13% of multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs) include Philanthropy Support Organisations (PSOs) in a backbone role, which is crucial to establishing and scaling collective action, limiting its transformative potential. To respond to today’s urgent challenges with the speed, scale, and solidarity they demand, we must invest in building PSO capabilities. Engaging with governments and the private sector is an essential part of establishing sustainable collective action. At Sattva Consulting, we see a clear opportunity to strengthen this ecosystem and unlock the full power of diverse, well-supported MSPs,” Aarti Mohan, Co-founder, Sattva Consulting.
Some early signals from the report:
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India demonstrates the most developed philanthropy support ecosystem in the region, which enables both a significant number of multi-stakeholder partnerships and substantial philanthropic capital flows. In FY 2023-24 alone, approximately USD 280 million in philanthropic capital was directed through MSPs in the country.
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Indonesia’s MSP ecosystem has promising models in climate and food security, backed by growing domestic philanthropy and evolving private-public collaborations. Regional PSOs have a strong focus on influencing government policies as a means to drive collective action.
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Most MSPs are flying without support, only 13% across the region have a philanthropic support organisation (PSO) playing a backbone coordination role, revealing a critical whitespace for ecosystem actors.
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Public-Private-Philanthropy Partnerships (PPPPs)are among the most effective approaches for aligning government, private sector, and philanthropic efforts to drive systemic change by influencing policy, fostering innovation, and scaling impactful interventions.
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Innovative finance is gaining traction, from Indias REVIVE Alliance helping workers and microentrepreneurs to Indonesia’s nutrition-focused platforms drawing in private sector investments.
But the report isn’t just about metrics; it zooms in on how regional collaboration is evolving. It traces the evolution from loosely connected knowledge-sharing networks to more grounded, implementation-focused programmes that inform practice, alongside the emergence of outcomes-based financing models. This is unfolding in parallel with the gradual development of data ecosystems – all against the backdrop of a persistent gap: the absence of dedicated PSO databases in any country. Together, these shifts reflect a developing ecosystem, gaining momentum toward more coordinated and impactful collective action.
“The new report from Sattva highlights just how vital strong philanthropy support ecosystems are to unlocking the full potential of multiâ’stakeholder partnerships across South and Southeast Asia. It shines a light on where collaboration is working-and where greater support is needed-to drive systemic change across sectors and borders. This is precisely the focus of the #LiftUpPhilanthropy (LUP) Fund, launched by WINGS and generously coâ’funded by the European Union, which aims to foster deeper connections, stronger ecosystems, and a more enabling environment for philanthropy to catalyse meaningful and lasting impact,“Jodel Dacara, Regional Coordinator for Asia and the Pacific.
The study also highlights the role of regional conveners like Asian Venture Philanthropy Network (AVPN), Philanthropy Asia Alliance (PAA), and Asia Philanthropy Circle (APC) in strengthening collaboration across borders.
The full report includes country-specific analyses, best practices for enabling MSPs, and actionable recommendations for ecosystem actors working to drive more effective and collaborative development outcomes across the region.
About Sattva Consulting
Sattva Consulting is an Indian-origin global impact consulting firm. Our work spans 25 countries and 5 continents as we engage with communities, businesses and governments to deliver societal impact at scale since 2009. We believe that civil society, business, and government all have a critical role to play in building an equitable and sustainable world, and we actively partner with all stakeholders to enable impact through our research & advisory services, knowledge platforms and collaborative initiatives.
About WINGS
WINGS is a network of over 230 members, consisting of philanthropy associations, networks, academic institutions, support organisations, and funders, across 58 countries, whose purpose is to strengthen, promote and provide leadership on the development of philanthropy and social investment to promote and develop philanthropy and contribute to a more effective and diverse civil society.
