The global economic crisis is hitting U.S. nonprofit organizations hard. In Asia, APPC recently published the article,Philanthropy in Challenging Times: The Financial Crisis and the Future of Corporate Philanthropy. Below is an excerpt of the article from the 41st edition of APPC Post:
In Asia, the U.N. children's agency UNICEF warned that "tens of thousands of young children… could die as a result of the food and economic crisis." According to a report quoted in a Chinese website, mortality for children under the age of five, in East Asia and the Pacific, could "increase by up to 11 percent in countries severely affected by the crisis."
As of this writing, several multinational corporations based in Southeast Asia have already closed their operations. Even economic China is experiencing a slowdown. For organizations heavily reliant on corporate philanthropy, the closures, shutdowns, and mergers and acquisitions could mean not only budget cuts; it could also mean program closure altogether.
In a Joint Breakfast with the Coordinating Committee of the Worldwide Initiative for Grantmakers’ Support (WINGS) in late November, some APPC Board Members shared how non-profits in Asia are changing due to the crisis. In Singapore, the government has challenged the non-profit sector to raise the number of volunteers as it seeks alternative resources for programs. A rise in corporate volunteerism and knowledge transfer is also predicted in the Philippines and corporate giving efforts will focus more on enterprise and community development.
India is also gearing up for more employee engagement in community initiatives, with CAF India partnering with companies such as RBS, Barclays and Pepsi to launch “Give as You Earn” Program. This kind of involvement is a way to increase morale especially in this time of crisis.
Photo courtesy of stuck in customs
