APPC and the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) are sifting through the various ideas proposed by conference participants and planning how they will follow up the recent conference on ‘Philanthropy in Disasters: Tsunami and After’, held on 28-30 November 2005 in Phuket, Thailand. A key goal is to ensure better information systems about community-level disaster-response mechanisms for donors and other actors as they undertake disaster preparedness, or relief and reconstruction.

Conference discussions underscored the value of, for example, transnational action research projects about traditional forms of philanthropy and community institutions. How can we best use what exists at community level as a resource for development and philanthropy? How can we develop community response mechanisms that can link up with national and international donors and disaster response organizations? In the coming months, APPC and CAF hope to contribute to building these systems, in the process forging synergistic links among countries in the Asia Pacific.

Breaking ground on promoting accounting standards for NPOs
APPC’s project, in collaboration with the Ford Foundation, to develop financial accounting standards for non-profit organizations has produced a set of recommendations for the consideration of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), in the hope that IASB will take these on and set accounting standards for the sector. The project started in 2004 following APPC’s 2003 conference on governance and organizational effectiveness. 

In the meantime, the project will move forward to train trainers, using two documents: an Issues Paper that brings together the results of consultations in the seven participating countries, and an Accounting Manual or Guide, to be used by NPO accounting managers around the region. The training is scheduled for 15-18 February in Bangkok, and is expected to involve initially 30 trainers in the campaign to promote use of the manual.

For more information about APPC, email the APPC Secretariat at appcpost@yahoo.com or contact Rory Tolentino, Executive Director, at roryappc@pldtdsl.net

APPC
Rm 208, Center for Social Policy and Public Affairs, Social Development Complex, Ateneo de Manila University, Katipunan Road, Quezon City, Philippines.
Tel +632 426 6001 (local 4645)
Tel/fax +632 426 1427 (direct line)
Email appcpost@yahoo.com
Website http://www.asianphilanthropy.or