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Asia Community Foundation

Ocean Philanthropy Gains Momentum in Southeast Asia as the 30×30 Southeast Asia Ocean Fund Surpasses Target and Announces First Grantees

Singapore, 24 April 2025:

Just three months into operation, the 30×30 Southeast Asia Ocean Fund has surpassed its initial fundraising target of USD 5M and announced its first cohort of grant partners. Announced in October 2024, the funders’ collaborative which is now made up of 11 philanthropic funders, and administered by Asia Community Foundation, is fueling a growing movement to protect 30% of Southeast Asia’s seas by 2030. This milestone marks a shift from commitment to action, with community-led conservation efforts receiving crucial support to drive impact on the ground.

The global 30×30 Goal is a commitment to protect at least 30% of the world‘s land, freshwater and ocean by 2030 to address the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss. It was formally adopted as part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework at the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in December 2022.

Backed by leading philanthropic organisations, including Bluejacket Foundation, Dalio Philanthropies, Djinda Foundation, ECCA Family Foundation, Eden Impact, Oceankind, Quantedge Advancement Initiative, Rumah Foundation and The Moh Family Foundation, the 30×30 Southeast Asia Ocean Fund is dedicated to accelerating ocean protection in the region. By pooling resources and expertise, the fund supports high-impact marine conservation initiatives aligned with the global 30×30 Goal, prioritising local organisations across Southeast Asia to empower communities driving on-the-ground conservation efforts.

The funders’ collaborative officially launched in January 2025, receiving a strong response to the call for proposals. Organisations from seven Southeast Asian countries submitted a diverse and compelling range of applications, highlighting the pressing need for funding to protect ocean ecosystems.

Following a thorough review process, three projects were chosen for their strategic approach and strong alignment with the Fund’s mission of creating, expanding and strengthening protected and conserved areas, with a clear focus on enhancing biodiversity and ensuring long-term ecosystem health for communities and nature. By supporting work that engages local groups in planning, implementation and governance, the fund aims to foster equity, long-term impact and sustainable conservation outcomes that reflect the needs and strengths of local actors.

First Cohort of Grantees

Manengkel Solidaritas (North Sulawesi, Indonesia): to improve the effectiveness of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) by developing management plans, establishing Community Surveillance Groups, and promoting sustainable livelihoods.
Sulubaai Environmental Foundation (Taytay, Palawan, Philippines): to expand and create MPAs to safeguard critical habitats, engage communities, and implement sustainable practices.
Yayasan Konservasi Alam Nusantara (Bird’s Head Seascape, Indonesia): to strengthen conservation areas through Indigenous women-led customary practices, supporting sustainable marine management and empowering indigenous communities

The Fund is currently accepting applications and invites organisations working on marine conservation and community-driven initiatives to apply.

The funding provided through this initiative represents just a drop in the ocean—much more is needed to achieve the 30×30 Goal in the region and secure a sustainable future for communities and nature.

“We decided to join the 30×30 Southeast Asia Ocean Fund because it fills a critical gap — supporting locally led marine conservation across a region where biodiversity and community wellbeing are deeply intertwined. This is our first pooled, regional fund, and it meaningfully complements our own oceans portfolio by enabling us to back grassroots efforts beyond our own geographical scope. Oceans know no boundaries — and they urgently need collective solutions. We are especially encouraged to see Asian-based funders coming together, and are eager to learn quickly from other countries to bring insights back to where we work, and to scale our own efforts through collective action.” Carol Liew, Managing Director, ECCA Family Foundation

“Supporting ocean conservation in Southeast Asia, with its diverse and developing countries, presents an opportunity not only to protect precious ecosystems, but also to address critical humanitarian priorities for hundreds of millions across the region.” said Kathlyn Tan, Director of Rumah Foundation.

As efforts to protect the ocean and build a sustainable future continue, regional and global funders, local actors and conservation practitioners are invited to join this vital initiative.

Interested organisations can visit 30x30fund.org for more details.

About 30×30 Southeast Asia Ocean Fund:

The 30×30 Southeast Asia Ocean Fund is a funders’ collaborative dedicated to catalysing progress toward protecting 30% of Southeast Asia’s seas by 2030. It supports inclusive, equitable and effective conservation of ocean ecosystems, leading to positive outcomes for people and nature. Administered by the Asia Community Foundation, the 30×30 Fund unites regional and global donors to drive meaningful impact.

Contact:
Barbara Jackson
Director of Advisory and Impact
Asia Community Foundation
barbara.jackson@asiacf.org

Kathlyn Tan
Director
Rumah Foundation
kathlyn@rumahgroup.com

24 April 2025

Asia Community Foundation

Asia Community Foundation and elea: a strategic partnership to shape and advance philanthropic impact investing in Southeast Asia

Singapore, December 05, 2024:

The Asia Community Foundation (ACF) and elea Foundation for Ethics in Globalization join forces to support impact entrepreneurs and advance the philanthropic impact investing ecosystem in South East Asia. ACF and elea share a common belief, that social impact entrepreneurship is the primary catalyst for change and progress, addressing the needs of people affected by poverty. Therefore, they are launching the “Investing in Entrepreneurs for impact” fund.

At the core of the newly created philanthropic fund is to provide capital for the further development and expansion of the elea portfolio of impact ventures in Asia. The investment work is complemented by strategic support and hands-on collaboration through board memberships to enhance venture growth and maximize social impact.

A part of the fund is dedicated to further developing philanthropic impact investing in Asia, building on elea’s pioneering expertise since 2006, and shaping a robust ecosystem and network in the region. Therefore, ACF and elea will dedicate efforts to strengthen the pipeline and collaborate with accelerators and incubators to amplify this innovative approach to philanthropy and build a strong pipeline of impact ventures dedicated to alleviating absolute poverty in Asia.

“Impact-driven enterprises created by local entrepreneurs offer people living in absolute poverty access to jobs, markets, and value chains, and thus the prospect of a self-determined future. Through this, they promote the resilience of society as a whole which is why elea is excited to add more up-and-coming impact entrepreneurs and their innovative ventures in Asia to the elea portfolio as we advance”, says Andreas Kirchschläger, Founding Partner and CEO of elea. “Philanthropic impact investing offers a transformative approach to addressing absolute poverty, and for Asia Community Foundation, it represents a powerful way to move beyond traditional charitable giving. We are excited to partner on this fund with elea, a global leader in this field. This collaboration combines ACF’s mission to catalyse impactful funding with elea’s expertise and to bring donors along on an experiential giving journey,” adds Sue Toomey, CEO of Asia Community Foundation.

Learn more about the fund here.

About elea

elea fights absolute poverty with entrepreneurial means. As an active philanthropic impact investor, elea supports impact entrepreneurs and their ventures in the post-startup and growth phase in combining long-term economic success with sustainable, measurable impact. To this end, elea provides its portfolio companies not only with capital, but also with business know-how, coaching, and access to the global elea network. As such, elea sees itself as a growing community of committed entrepreneurs and philanthropic investors. https://www.elea.org/

About Asia Community Foundation:

The Asia Community Foundation (ACF) is a Singapore-based charity established in 2023 by experienced philanthropists from the Asia Philanthropy Circle. ACF aims to promote purposeful giving by connecting donors with social impact partners to address pressing socioeconomic and environmental challenges in Asia. One of its key initiatives is launching impact funds that facilitate collaborative giving, supporting a curated portfolio of organisations tackling critical issues across the region.

Contact:

Tess Mackean
Director of Development and Engagement
Asia Community Foundation
tess.mackean@asiacf.org

5 December 2024

Asia Community Foundation

30×30 Southeast Asia Ocean Fund Launched to Protect Marine Biodiversity

Singapore, October 28, 2024:

Rumah Foundation, Oceankind and Asia Community Foundation are proud to announce the launch of the 30×30 Southeast Asia Ocean Fund at the 16th UN Conference of the Parties summit (COP16) in Colombia. The fund seeks to provide a platform for collaborative philanthropy and shared learning, while catalysing conservation action in one of the world’s most biodiverse marine regions. This initiative comes at a critical juncture as world leaders gather to evaluate the implementation of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, which includes the ambitious target of conserving at least 30% of the world’s land, freshwater, and ocean by 2030. At COP16, governments are urged to act together with urgency to meet the 30×30 target as they are significantly falling short of that pledge.

To date, just four out of 11 Southeast Asian countries have joined the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, an inter-governmental coalition that aims to deliver upon this target. With less than 3% of the region’s national waters under formal protection, the 30×30 Southeast Asia Ocean Fund, co-chaired by Rumah Foundation and Oceankind and managed by Asia Community Foundation, aims to contribute towards the protection of 30% of Southeast Asia’s seas by 2030.

“Ocean philanthropy stands at a pivotal crossroads, urgently calling for funders to unite in addressing the critical challenges facing marine ecosystems.” said Kathlyn Tan, Director of Rumah Foundation. “With the region home to approximately a third of the world’s coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves, Southeast Asia’s marine biodiversity is remarkable both regionally and globally. By supporting the 30×30 goal, funders can play a vital role in safeguarding the livelihoods of millions and the ecosystems that sustain them, while also contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation.”

The 30×30 Southeast Asia Ocean Fund has three core objectives:

Create new marine protected and conserved areas.
Expand coverage of existing marine protected and conserved areas.
Strengthen the effective management of existing marine protected and conserved areas.

The fund’s approach will extend beyond traditional Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to include other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs), Indigenous and Traditional Territories (ITTs), Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs), and other relevant designations. As a region home to millions who rely on ocean-based livelihoods and some of the world’s most biodiverse hotspots, it is essential that Southeast Asia scales marine protection equitably, ensuring people-centred conservation approaches that benefit Indigenous Peoples and local communities.

Mariko Powers, Program Officer at Oceankind, emphasised the importance of local engagement: “Southeast Asia is a critically important region to advance equitable and effective ocean conservation. We believe that investing in local capacity to drive ocean protection is key to achieving 30×30, and that the Impact Fund represents an incredible opportunity to channel resources to impactful projects, civil society champions, and strong local organisations toward these ends.”

The fund is now open for expressions of interest from local actors and conservation practitioners across the region. We also invite regional and global funders to join this vital initiative, reinforcing our collective commitment to a sustainable future for our ocean.

For more information on how to participate or apply for funding, please visit 30x30fund.org.

About Rumah Foundation:

Rumah Foundation is the philanthropic arm of Singapore-based family office, Rumah Group and we are passionate about people and nature. Driven by the urgency for ocean protection, our ocean-climate portfolio supports interventions that address awareness and education, the protection and restoration of blue carbon sinks, and sustainable seafood; with a focus on Southeast Asia. We deploy both philanthropic and investment capital for positive environmental and social impact. Additionally, the foundation has a humanitarian portfolio dedicated to empowering marginalised communities by focusing on critical areas, such as refugee support, poverty alleviation and community development.

About Oceankind:

Oceankind supports strategic organisations, exceptional leaders, and promising initiatives that seek to improve the health of the marine environment. Globally, our conservation portfolio is centred around efforts to reduce overfishing, establish marine protections, and safeguard critical ocean ecosystems such as blue carbon habitats. We support the work of our partners to advance ocean conservation at scale by contributing to results-oriented projects and by investing in organisations’ capacity to play a key role in the field.

About Asia Community Foundation:

Contact:

Tess Mackean
Director of Development and Engagement
Asia Community Foundation
tess.mackean@asiacf.org

Kathlyn Tan
Director
Rumah Foundation
kathlyn@rumahgroup.com

28 October 2024