Huang Chen Foundation

Climate change is water change. 69% of the effects of climate change are felt through the water sector, and these impacts are causing havoc on water scarcity, flooding, water security, and water quality. Water is a $1.4 T/yr global industry, so just over 1% of global GDP, but water is responsible for around 10% of global GHGs. This is why the Huang Chen Foundation invested in Burnt Island Ventures, the leading water specialist VC firm. Their 2021 seed Fund I portfolio of 18 companies is in great shape, with a high graduation rate and a lot of incoming term sheets. Their MOIC will be above 1.5X in the next 4 weeks and is expected to be above 2X by Q4. They are raising a second seed fund of $50m and an Opportunity fund of $75m - we would love to provide an intro if you are looking to make an impact and generate returns from the water sector. https://lnkd.in/gbQvGs6X

We first came upon Cambodian Children's Fund back in 2012, and it was one of the first NGOs we supported in our philanthropic journey. It's amazing to see how far they have come, and how many kids they've helped from childhood to graduation. Seeing kids who were struggling to make ends meet at a garbage dump end up graduating from high school and attending university is simply a miracle.

The 30 by 30 initiative is a global initiative made by governments and NGOs to designate 30% of Earth's land and oceans as protected areas by 2030. Our foundation saw a large gap in conservation dollars earmarked towards ocean protection versus more conservation dollars going towards terrestrial protection. In response, we have been writing grants to Wildlife Conservation Society's marine protected area program for the past two years. One example of their marine work was to establish a new marine protected area around Bangladesh's Saint Martin's Island to conserve the Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, along with the other extraordinary biodiversity there. https://lnkd.in/gXyPhzxb

An investigative report on Mongabay.com that uncovered a massive shark finning operation by China's Dalian Ocean Fishing company was partially funded by our support for Mongabay's Indonesia program. The report discovered that DOF's boats had been illegally killing 60-100 sharks per day, amounting to roughly 31,000 sharks in 2019. This amount exceeds China's entire REPORTED catch of 735 tons in 2019, meaning that China as a whole drastically undercounted its shark catch by over 50%. Dalian Ocean Fishing also engaged in rampant human trafficking in its enslavery of Indonesian deckhands. Some of these deckhands blew the whistle on DOF's practices by reporting them to Mongabay. Open and free journalism is integral to the exposure of illegal and harmful practices to nature by private and public entities. We hope that our support for Mongabay will continue to spur action and justice against these harmful actors. https://lnkd.in/eyeqpQnk

Our annual grants to Nomi Network have helped rescue vulnerable women in India and Cambodia from human trafficking, slavery, and poverty. In this poignant video of her journey, Adithi talks about the impact Nomi Network made on her life. https://lnkd.in/gs7CeJuZ

A recent grant from the Huang Chen Foundation to Rainforest Trust helped protect 1400 acres of intact rainforest - home of endangered species such as the Malayan Tiger, Helmeted Hornbill, Indochinese Leopard, and Malay Tapir. Details of the project, which is still seeking additional funding, can be found here: https://lnkd.in/gb52nnVC

In 2023, a grant from the Huang Chen Foundation to Rainforest Trust helped protect 25,000 acres of ocean in the Philippines Coral Triangle - home to critically endangered species such as whitetip sharks, hawksbill turtles, bowmouth guitarfishes, and scalloped hammerhead sharks. More on the project here: https://lnkd.in/gdBS6Vcf