Indonesian Philanthropy holds tremendous potential, enriched by local traditions, social ties, and religious values. However, Indonesian philanthropy has not fully moved into a strategic institutional philanthropy, instead remaining ad hoc in its implementation. This is not helped by the existing governmental regulation relating to mass organization and philanthropic foundations. Current governmental efforts do not allow sufficient faculty for the mass organization or philanthropic foundation to grow and develop, instead aiming at their strict control.

The above conclusion is the result of a research by the Lien Centre for Social Innovation, Singapore, which was conducted in Indonesia and other countries in South East Asia. The research is published in a book titled: “Levers of Change: Philanthropy in Select South East Asian Countries”, the launching of which was held on 3 December 2014 at Hotel Sultan, Jakarta. The book launch was also accompanied by a book review, organized by PFI and PIRAC (the Public Interest Research and Advocacy Centre).

Prapti Upadhyay, a researcher from The Lien Centre, opined that strategic philanthropy development in Indonesia is hindered by the limited data available concerning philanthropic activities, especially that related to the value of donations. This is partly because of the societal preference for remaining anonymous, and partly because of the local perception that the monetary value of donations could be considered sensitive information. In addition, financial support for the purpose of surveys and research into philanthropic practices is usually limited. Hence, accurate data is not easily obtained