Four Asian companies are among world’s 20 largest corporate givers

September 9, 2025

Source: Media Outreach

New research reveals how leading corporations are aligning social impact with business strategy

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 September 2025 – A new report from The Bridgespan Group – backed by its Funder’s Council, including the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP), The Rockefeller Foundation, and the Gates Foundation – reveals the world’s largest corporate givers and how they are driving scalable, lasting social impact. Among the 20 largest corporate givers globally, four Asian organisations – The Hong Kong Jockey Club and its Charities Trust (8), Samsung (12), Tencent (14) and China Three Gorges Corporation (20) – collectively contribute more than US$1.6 billion annually to philanthropic causes.

“Companies describe their giving in many ways, from corporate social responsibility or ESG commitments to corporate sustainability efforts or as part of their core business purpose,” said Gwendolyn Lim, co-author and Bridgespan partner. “We use the term ‘corporate giving’ because it goes beyond traditional philanthropy to cover initiatives that support charitable activities that contribute positively to social and environmental outcomes.”

This second report in a multi-year series – originally led by Bridgespan with the support of IoP – not only lists the largest corporate givers but also uncovers how and why they give and what distinguishes high-impact corporate philanthropy.

“Corporate giving is no longer peripheral, it’s becoming central to how companies define success,” said Brian San, secretary-general of the Institute of Philanthropy. “The most forward-thinking firms embed social impact into their core strategy, not just their CSR teams. With scale, reach, and intent, corporate-led giving is uniquely positioned to drive meaningful change across diverse contexts.”

Drawing on Bridgespan’s global experience and interviews with corporate-giving leaders, the report highlights how Asia’s philanthropic landscape diverges from global norms, shaped by distinct business structures and cultural dynamics:

Founder, family, and state-linked leadership is far more common in Asia: Sixty percent of the region’s largest corporate givers are founder- or family-led, compared to just 20 percent globally, reflecting Asia’s deep tradition of family-owned enterprises. Notably, 25 percent of Asia’s top givers are state-linked, while none of the top global corporate givers are, highlighting how philanthropic priorities in Asia often align with state-led initiatives.
Conglomerates dominate the landscape: Only 10 percent of the world’s largest corporate givers are conglomerates, versus 60 percent in Asia, where multi-industry giants remain central to both business and philanthropy.
Direct giving is the norm: Eighty percent of global corporate givers rely on external partners, while Asian corporate givers are more likely to fund their own projects, suggesting a hands-on approach or gaps in local partnerships.

Building on these insights, the report outlines three proven approaches used by high-impact corporate givers:

Place-based giving: Investing in communities near company operations to address local needs and build long-term resilience.
Capability-led giving: Applying core business strengths – such as technology, supply chains, manufacturing processes, or talent – to create shared value for both society and the company.
Business-aligned giving: Delivering high-value products or services to underserved populations in ways that complement and reinforce the company’s mission.

“When aligned with strategy and executed thoughtfully, corporate giving can shape real outcomes for society and the environment,” said Xueling Lee, co-author and Bridgespan partner. “For corporations looking to start this journey, our research offers practical guidance to maximise the impact of their giving.”

Explore the full report here.

https://www.bridgespan.org/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-bridgespan-group/?originalSubdomain=sg
https://www.instagram.com/thebridgespangroup/?hl=en

Hashtag: #TheBridgespanGroup #Bridgespan #Philanthropy #CSR #ESG #CorporateGiving #InstituteofPhilanthropy

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Tineco Celebrates 9.9 with Promotional Prices Storewide and New S9 Artist Breeze

MIL OSI

September 9, 2025

Source: Media Outreach

Tineco has launched a storewide limited-time promotion for 9.9, with prices starting from just $99.
The global leader in smart cleaning technology is also introducing the all new S9 Artist Breeze, an addition to its flagship S9 lineup.

SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 9 September 2025 – Tineco, a global leader in smart cleaning technology, has launched a storewide limited-time promotion for 9.9. Customers looking for innovative, user-friendly vacuums can explore Tineco’s range of home appliances at wallet-friendly prices from just $99. In addition to the festivities, Tineco also announced the launch of the S9 Artist Breeze, an addition to the brand’s top-performing S9 range.

Tineco 9.9 Special Promotions

ATTRACTIVE 9.9 PROMOTIONS UP FOR GRABS

From now till 14 September, customers purchasing through Tineco’s official website, Lazada and Shopee flagship stores, and mass retailers, can enjoy up to 75% off, with deals starting from $99.

Promotional prices are applicable across Tineco’s range of products, from the Smart Wet Dry Vacuums to Vacuum Cleaners and Carpet Cleaners. Customers can enjoy discounted prices on Tineco’s key products, including the advanced S9 Artist Steam from $900 (u.p. $3,099), and S6 Stretch Pro from $400 (u.p. $2,099).

Device	Price	Promotion Information	Availability	Launch Promotions *T&Cs apply, while stocks last
S9 Artist Steam	$9xx	Free accessories worth up to $666: 12x Cleaning Solution 2x Hepa Filter 2x Roller Brush	Available now at Tineco’s official website, Lazada and Shopee flagship stores, and mass retailers	Promotion runs from now till 14 September 2025.
S9 Artist Breeze	$5xx	Free accessories worth up to $149: 2x Cleaning Solution 1x Hepa Filter 1x Roller Brush
S6 Stretch Pro	$4xx	Free accessories worth up to $275: 6x Cleaning Solution

NEW TINECO S9 ARTIST BREEZE GUARANTEES TOP CLEANING PERFORMANCE WITH LATEST TECHNOLOGY

Tineco introduces the S9 Artist Breeze to its top-performing S9 range

Fully equipped with Tineco’s latest technology, the new S9 Artist Breeze guarantees top cleaning performance suitable for Singapore lifestyles.

The technologically advanced S9 Artist Breeze ensures a clog-free, smooth and uninterrupted cleaning experience as the powerful 22kPa suction instantly removes dust and debris, and DualBlock Anti-Tangle Design effectively prevents hair and pet fur from tangling. Triple-sided Edge is designed for convenience, ensuring thorough cleaning along walls and leaves no corner uncleaned. Equipped with Tineco’s signature technology, the iLoop Smart Sensor, cleaning is optimised as suction and water flow are adjusted automatically and effectively.

With a runtime of 50 minutes, the S9 Artist Breeze is capable of cleaning entire homes of up to 300 square metres on a single charge in lay-flat mode. The new model is also easy to use with a 180° Lay-Flat Design that easily reaches under furniture and 90° Swivel Steering for easy maneuverability and maximum user comfort.

With the launch of S9 Artist Breeze, Tineco remains dedicated to innovation and providing smarter home appliances for all customers.

Hashtag: #Tineco

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

Man arrested for bronze sculpture burglary

LiveNews Publisher

September 9, 2025

Source: New Zealand Police

Police have arrested a 44-year-old man in relation to the theft of a significant bronze sculpture from the Mt Pleasant Community Centre.

The man will appear in Christchurch District Court on 16 September on a charge of theft.

“The theft of the sculpture has deeply upset the community, and Police have worked hard to locate the artwork and identify the person responsible” says Acting Detective Sergeant Steph Trengrove.

The artwork, titled Flight, was created by renowned Christchurch sculptor Llew Summers in 2018 and is valued at $95,000. Weighing 2.2 tonnes and measuring 2.2 metres in length, the sculpture depicts a large bird in flight, inspired by the nearby estuary. It was the final major bronze work completed by Summers before his passing in 2019.

Police became aware of the theft on 6 June 2025.

“Unfortunately, our investigation indicates that the sculpture has been destroyed and much of it sold as scrap metal, with only small pieces being recovered.”

“While we are pleased to have apprehended the offender, Police acknowledge the devastation the residents feel in losing such significant artwork.

We would like to warmly thank key community members who assisted officers with information and support throughout the investigation, including those from the scrap metal industry.”

If you see any unlawful or suspicious activity, please contact Police on 111 immediately. To report after the fact or in non-emergencies please contact us online at 105.police.govt.nz or call 105.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

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Woman taken into police custody after house fire, Sockburn

LiveNews Publisher

September 9, 2025

Source: New Zealand Police

To be attributed to Inspector Paul Reeves, Response Manager:

A woman has been taken into police custody following a house fire in Epsom Road, Sockburn this afternoon.

Emergency services were called to the address at 3.10pm today.

The woman was the sole occupant of the house and refused to leave when emergency services arrived.

While there was no risk to the wider community, cordons were put in place around the house to enable emergency services to work safely at the scene.

Police officers spent some time engaging with the woman and she was safely taken into custody at 4.55pm.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre.

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Nighttime road closures planned for State Highway 60 Tākaka Hill this week

LiveNews Publisher

September 9, 2025

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Recovery works are stepping up a gear on State Highway 60 Tākaka Hill this week, with nighttime road closures planned this week.

The route will be closed to all traffic on Thursday and Friday nights this week (11 and 12 September), between 8 pm and 5:30 am.

There is also potential for the road to be closed on Saturday night (13 September) if extra time is needed to complete the planned work.

Rob Service, System Manager Nelson/Tasman, says understanding the slip’s geology is essential for developing a proper repair.

“Our contractors will be using a large drill rig to drill into an overslip at Goodall’s Straight. The drilling will provide information that is critical for understanding the geology of the slip and will also allow us to install drains to dewater and remove stress on the slip failure plane.”

View larger map [PDF, 614 KB]

Because of the size of the drilling rig and the work involved, Mr Service says a road closure is unavoidable.

“The drilling rig to be used is a big piece of equipment and will take up the entire road. Once it starts drilling, it cannot be paused or moved to let traffic through. This means traffic will not be able to get past it while it is working.”

“We realise the impact this will have on traffic, which is why the drilling will be done at night. Traffic volumes are much lower on the Tākaka Hill at night, so these night closures will inconvenience fewer people,” Mr Service says.

Regular users of the route are urged to plan ahead and be ready for the closures. While access will be available for emergency services, the route will be closed to all other road users.

Work schedule:

Thursday and Friday nights (11 and 12 September), 8 pm – 5:30 am (Closure possible for the night of Saturday, 13 September, if required)
SH60 Tākaka Hill CLOSED between Aaron Creek Road and Riwaka Valley Road.
Access will be maintained for residents on each side of the worksite, but residents will not be able to travel through the worksite during work hours.
Access will be available for emergency services.

MIL OSI

Next steps for National Ticketing Solution

LiveNews Publisher

September 9, 2025

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) says the findings of an independent review of the National Ticketing Solution (NTS) for public transport have supported a reset of the programme which will see the rollout of NTS in Christchurch from November this year, with a target to be operational throughout New Zealand by the end of 2027.

“NTS equipment will start to be installed on buses and ferries in Christchurch later this week as we prepare for the roll-out of contactless payments across the city from November,” says NZTA Chief Customer & Services Officer and NTS Sponsor Sarina Pratley.

“This is exciting news for Christchurch and for the broader NTS programme. By mid-November, bus and ferry passengers in Christchurch will be able to make fare payments using credit or debit cards.”

Mrs Pratley says the independent review commissioned by the NTS Governance Board in May 2025 has resulted in a range of recommendations across the programme that will help to ensure its successful delivery.

The report makes 10 primary recommendations and 32 sub-recommendations, including those relating to programme governance, leadership, delivery and decision making, as well as ensuring realistic resourcing commitments from all NTS partners*.

Mrs Pratley says the findings of the review are already being actioned. Three of the ten primary recommendations and 13 of the 32 sub-recommendations have been closed out, and the remainder are being urgently addressed.

“A new Programme Director has been appointed, the programme’s governance structure is being reviewed to strengthen decision-making, a restructure of the programme is underway to ensure it has the right resources to be successfully delivered, and additional resource has been committed to the NTS programme by the partners,” Mrs Pratley says.

The independent review has also highlighted that NZTA was overly ambitious with the original timeframes of delivering the NTS programme by the end of 2026.

“This finding is acknowledged,” Mrs Pratley says. “NTS is a complex programme to deliver. It is replacing four different ticketing systems that support five national and additional local concessions with one standardised national system.

“The challenge has been accommodating a broad range of localised requirements into one national technical solution. NZTA has used the review’s insights to get agreement for a more manageable incremental release plan for the technical solution. This has also enabled us to drive better alignment across Public Transport Authorities to support NTS.

“The NTS partners have welcomed the review’s findings and remain committed to the successful implementation of NTS, which will ultimately make it easier for everyone to hop on board and pay for public transport in New Zealand.”

NZTA will be publishing a redacted version of the independent review and its recommendations later this month, following consultation with our commercial partners. This will be available on our website: www.nzta.govt.nz(external link)

An updated regional implementation schedule for NTS is currently being developed, and will also be finalised later this month.

* The NTS public transport partners are: Auckland Transport, Greater Wellington Regional Council, Canterbury Regional Council, and a Regional Consortium – Northland Regional Council, Waikato Regional Council, Bay of Plenty Regional Council, Taranaki Regional Council, Gisborne District Council, Horizons Regional Council, Hawke’s Bay Regional Council, Nelson City Council, Otago Regional Council, and Invercargill City Council.

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Defence News – NZDF to lead multi-national engineering team in Cook Islands

LiveNews Publisher

September 9, 2025

Source: New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF)

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) will lead a multi-national effort carrying out engineering work in the Cook Islands this month.

Exercise Tropic Twilight will involve more than 45 New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel working together with military tradespeople from the Australian Defence Force, Republic of Fiji Military Forces, His Majesty’s Armed Forces of Tonga and the Vanuatu Mobile Force.

The exercise is held annually, and over the coming month will see NZDF’s 25 Expeditionary Support Squadron, 2 Engineer Regiment, with Australian and Pacific colleagues, deliver practical support to the island of Ma’uke, about 280km northeast of Rarotonga.

“We are pleased to make this important and practical contribution,” said Commander Joint Forces, Major General Rob Krushka.

“These engineers will deliver support such as solar farm maintenance, upgrades to Ma’uke School, maintenance of a water bore, water tank repairs, and water collection upgrades.”

The exercise is funded each year in the Southwest Pacific by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and is delivered by the NZDF.

“The NZDF stands ready to respond to defence and security, search and rescue, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief events, as required,” Major General Krushka said.

“Our highly skilled personnel and partners will deliver engineering tasks that I am sure will be appreciated by the community of Ma’uke.”

The exercise will be the first time one of the newly acquired Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J-30 Hercules aircraft will have landed on the island of Ma’uke.

As part of Tropic Twilight, the contingent will return via the main island of Raratonga, where the soldiers, with local police, will help deliver a Blue Light course with Cook Island youth – giving them leadership, discipline and teamwork skills in a structured but supportive environment.

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Public Roads – Transformative public access map unveiled

LiveNews Publisher

September 9, 2025

Source: Herenga ā Nuku – the Outdoor Access Commission

Herenga ā Nuku Aotearoa, the Outdoor Access Commission, is releasing a major upgrade to its mapping of public access to the outdoors.

After two years of cutting-edge work, an example of the improvement is that we can now confidently identify 55,000 km1 of publicly accessible unformed legal roads in New Zealand and point to them on our interactive map.

Acting chief executive Phil Culling said the upgrade represents a significant milestone for Herenga ā Nuku, the country’s only mandated mapper of public access.

“This is the most comprehensive and robust digital representation of public access Aotearoa has ever had.”

Involving a vast amount of innovative work improving the quality of the data upon which the public access mapping is based, the upgrade represents a crucial tool for anyone who wants to get outdoors, Phil Culling said.

The new map is now available to the public and will sit in Herenga ā Nuku’s mapping menu beside the old version so that people can experiment, explore, and compare.

Herenga ā Nuku GIS manager Matt Grose, who led the upgrade, said his team will focus on public feedback before turning off the old version at end of the year.

“This latest upgrade is a paradigm shift in structure and reliability. We welcome all input as we continue toward completion,” Matt Grose said.

Unformed legal roads

One of the most exciting aspects of the new map is that it reveals the extent of unformed legal roads-or ‘paper roads.’

Previously, there was no clear difference in the mapping between a formed and unformed road, since their legal status in the cadastre is the same and the data we had didn’t allow for a distinction. Users had to cross-reference the public areas map with another data source, for example, an aerial imagery base map or a photo taken on the ground, to be able to distinguish a formed road from an unformed one. For example, to tell where an unformed road-section carried on over pasture or into bush, after the formed part of the same legal road ended. The upgrading of the data means we can now specify, in the data, which roads are likely to be unformed.

Also for the first time, we can calculate that these roads span 110,370 hectares-approximately 20 meters wide on average-and total 55,185 kilometres in length.

As a comparison, to travel 55,000km, you’d have to walk the length of New Zealand via the 3,000 km Te Araroa Trail no fewer than 18 times.

And in terms of area, if you set foot on every square metre of Tongariro National Park-it’s just under 80,000 ha-you’d still fall well short of the 110,370 ha of Aotearoa comprised of ‘paper roads’.

The total land occupied by all legal roads, both formed and unformed, is 362,926 hectares (181,463 km).

The region with the largest area in roads, formed and unformed, is Otago, with 42,835 ha. It also has the country’s most unformed legal roads, at 16,733 ha.

The region with the smallest area in all roads is Gisborne, at 9,431 ha; while the smallest amount of unformed legal roads belongs to Wellington, at 1,857 ha.

More numbers: North vs South

Total land area versus public access areas: The North Island has three-quarters (77%) of Aotearoa’s population, 43% of its land area, but less than a quarter (23%) of its publicly accessible outdoor areas.

Conservation land, unformed legal roads and tangata whenua land: The South Island has 81% of Aotearoa’s publicly accessible conservation land, 61% of its unformed legal roads and only 4% of its tangata whenua land.

Public access mapping: a timeline

The background of this upgrade goes as far back as 2001, when Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) launched Landonline as the country’s authoritative source of cadastral survey and title information. While it was a leap forward, it was not fully digital, and it had no mandate to record or map public access areas.

In 2008, the Walking Access Act established the Walking Access Commission (which later became Herenga ā Nuku Aotearoa, the Outdoor Access Commission). The Act legally required the Commission to compile, hold and publish maps and information about land over which members of the public have walking access.

In 2009 this task became easier when LINZ made digital lodgement of survey and title transactions mandatory. That is, the records of these transactions could no longer be consigned to paper files stored in the back rooms of offices scattered around the country, but instead, they had to be accessible online to anyone, anywhere.

As a result, in 2010, the Walking Access Commission developed and launched the first version of its online mapping system, Walking Access Mapping System (WAMS). On top of LINZ’s survey and title records and a base layer composed of topographic or aerial imagery, the Commission could now add a layer showing public access areas.

Between 2010 and 2018, WAMS underwent various phases of improvement as the nation’s vast swathes of historic and current land information records were gradually digitised, translated, interpreted and otherwise captured by the new technology.

In 2018, it became clear that a more systematic approach was needed to fill gaps arising from the organic way the country’s land information was digitised, the limited public resources available, and the complexities of cross-government interaction.

As a result, also in 2018, George Williamson, one of the country’s most senior surveyors and land advisors, was commissioned to write an independent report on the state of the Commission’s public access data and how to make it more complete.

This prompted the Commission to rebuild its public access areas dataset from scratch.

In 2022, the Commission was renamed Herenga ā Nuku Aotearoa, the Outdoor Access Commission, reflecting that outdoor access also includes cyclists, horse riders and others. From that point, its mapping system, WAMS, kept its name in acronym form, but it no longer refers only to access on foot.

In 2023, to speed up and improve the rebuild of the public access areas dataset, the Commission launched a two-year Data Improvement Programme.

In early 2025, that programme developed a new data pipeline – an automated, repeatable process for identifying public access.

All these developments have now culminated in this latest upgrade: Aotearoa’s most complete mapping of public access areas is now open for the public to explore.

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Transport Sector – Tasman speed reductions redundant and costly – Transporting New Zealand

LiveNews Publisher

September 9, 2025

Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

Road freight association Transporting New Zealand says it is disappointed with Tasman District Council’s decision to proceed with widespread speed limit reductions across the district, saying that they simply don’t stack up.

“On many of the roads where speed reductions have been approved, the mean operating speed is already well below the new limit, which makes the cost of implementing the changes and the return on investment highly questionable,” says Membership Manager Lindsay Calvi-Freeman.

Examples include:

1. Goodall Road: will drop from 100 to 60 km/h, yet vehicles only average 36 km/h.

2. Riwaka-Kaiteriteri Road: will drop from 80 to 60 km/h, but the mean operating speed is already just 46 km/h.

3. Sandy Bay-Marahau Road: will drop from 80 to 60 km/h, but with a mean operating speed of 56 km/h, it’s already under the new limit.

“With safety gains ranging from nil to marginal, this is another example of symbolic changes being prioritised over genuine improvements,” Calvi-Freeman says.

“Crash data shows these reductions will deliver virtually no safety improvements, yet the council seems happy to spend ratepayer money regardless.”

Calvi-Freeman says the council had supported some of Transporting New Zealand’s feedback, including opting to use advisory signs on some roads, instead of needlessly signposting blanket speed reductions.

“However, the need for advisory signs on most of those roads is still highly questionable. Instead of prioritising investment on real roading improvements, the council is spending money on things that by its own admission will make little if any difference,” says Calvi-Freeman.

About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter-regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country.

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First Responders – Fire and Emergency New Zealand welcomes four specialists home from Canada

LiveNews Publisher

September 9, 2025

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Fire and Emergency New Zealand has welcomed its third contingent of firefighters home from Canada, where they have been supporting efforts to combat significant wildfires across Alberta.

The four-person specialist team departed New Zealand on 5 August and arrived home today (9 September). They have been undertaking specialist roles as taskforce leaders and helicopter coordinators.

Assistant National Commander Nick Pyatt says the team has worked in remote and challenging conditions across Alberta for the past five weeks.

“Our people have shown incredible resilience and professionalism throughout this deployment as they worked alongside crews from Canada and several other countries. We’re proud of the way they’ve represented Fire and Emergency and New Zealand,” he says.

New Zealand firefighters are still deployed in Manitoba, Canada. A further team of four specialists are working as part of an eight-person Incident Management Team comprising experienced personnel from New Zealand and Australia. An additional fifth specialist is fulfilling the International Liaison Officer role.

“These deployments help build our capability to manage large wildfires at home, and we are more than happy to provide mutual assistance to our international counterparts,” Nick Pyatt says.

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