How can leaders and funders invest in long-term outcomes to build truly thriving societies?
Social cohesion is often treated as a “soft” outcome, important, but difficult to measure and even harder to fund. Yet communities with stronger social bonds are better equipped to navigate disruption, reduce exclusion, strengthen participation and build resilience over time.
This session brings together funders, business leaders and social innovators from East and West to explore how investments in inclusion and social harmony can generate lasting social, institutional and economic value. The discussion will examine what meaningful returns look like, how they can be measured, and why traditional grant-making models may be insufficient for outcomes that take years to mature.
The discussion will explore how philanthropy can move beyond one-off grants towards catalytic, patient and collaborative capital; how public, private, people and philanthropic partners can work together; and how funders can assess outcomes that may take years to emerge.
For those seeking to move beyond short-term outputs and unlock deeper, system-level impact, this session offers a timely conversation on what it truly takes to invest in societies where more people can belong, participate and thrive
