PBC 2026 DAY 2 TURNS FOCUS TO INCLUSIVE GROWTH, COLLABORATION AND THE NEXT GENERATION OF CHANGEMAKERS

Dr the Hon Starry Lee, President of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR (front row, 5th left); The Hon Mrs Regina Ip, Convenor of the Non-official Members, Executive Council of the HKSAR (front row, 4th right); Club Chairman The Hon Martin Liao (front row, 5th right); Club Deputy Chairman and IoP Chairman Lester Huang (front row, 3rd right); Club Stewards; Club CEO and IoP Director Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges (front row, 4th left); and other members of the Club’s Board of Management at the PBC 2026 Gala Dinner.
 

The second day of PBC 2026 moved the Forum’s “Leaping for Impact” theme from ideas into action, with discussions spanning inclusive growth, Asian philanthropy, youth development, technology, organisational resilience and the role of sport in nurturing future leaders.

PBC 2026 concluded on 8 September at the West Kowloon Cultural District. Convened by The Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust in association with the Institute of Philanthropy (IoP), the two-day Forum brought together over 2,000 delegates and more than 80 speakers from philanthropy, sport, business, government, academia and the social sector.

Marking its 10th anniversary, PBC 2026 was also a highlight of the Club’s Year of the Horse campaign and was themed “Leaping for Impact”, drawing inspiration from Olympic and Paralympic values and the discipline, resilience and teamwork associated with sport. Since its launch in 2016, the Forum has attracted over 10,000 participants and more than 380 speakers from over 40 countries and regions.

Dr the Hon Starry Lee, President of the Legislative Council of the HKSAR, said at the Gala Dinner that, over the past decade, the PBC forum had not only borne witness to the development of philanthropy, but had also promoted exchange and collaboration among the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and the international community. Looking ahead to the country’s 15th Five-Year Plan, she noted that philanthropic models that take a long-term perspective and place greater emphasis on capacity building and talent development would become increasingly important.

If Day 1 of the forum examined how philanthropy can navigate growing complexity, Day 2 turned to a more practical question: how can sectors work together to expand opportunity and make social impact more sustainable?

Expanding opportunity for all

The morning began with Keynote 2, “The New Growth Agenda: Philanthropy’s Role in Expanding Opportunity for All”, delivered by Hari Menon, President, Global Growth and Opportunity, Gates Foundation.

Menon examined how philanthropy can act as a catalyst while helping ensure that everyone can participate in and benefit from economic growth. The message reinforced a central PBC 2026 theme: resources can achieve greater impact when connected with systems, institutions and the communities they are intended to serve.

Plenary 6, “Philanthropic Impact in Asia: When Capital Works Across Systems”, broadened the discussion to approaches combining different forms of capital, expertise and institutional capacity. In a rapidly changing region, philanthropy increasingly needs to look beyond individual projects and identify where collaboration can unlock wider outcomes.

From heritage to youth and organisational resilience

Late-morning Impact Studios and Co-Learning Workshops focused on turning ideas into practical approaches across areas including heritage conservation, trust-based philanthropy, youth participation and organisational resilience.

Together, the sessions reflected a shift in philanthropic thinking: sustainable impact depends not only on funding, but on strong organisations, relationships and communities.

New approaches to giving, education and inclusion

The afternoon programme examined the evolving philanthropy landscape in China, explored how cross-border platforms intersect with the charity policy environment in the Greater Bay Area to enable collaboration at greater scale.

Building on the earlier adoption and adaptation of the CoolThink@JC curriculum in Cambodian primary schools, The Club’s Charities Trust signed a memorandum of understanding with Cambodia’s Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport to advance early childhood education and development.

The Bridgespan Group also released new research on how Asia’s wealthiest families give, supported by the Institute of Philanthropy, the Rockefeller Foundation and the Gates Foundation. Bridgespan’s research on corporate giving ranked The Hong Kong Jockey Club and its Charities Trust first among corporate donors in Asia and eighth globally, with average annual approved donations of US$774 million from 2020 to 2024.

Across these discussions, the message was consistent: complex social challenges require organisations to combine resources, expertise and local understanding.

From the field to the boardroom

Sport returned to the forefront in Plenary 7, “From the Field to the Boardroom: Training for Leadership”.

Discipline, teamwork, resilience, decision-making under pressure and continuous learning are valuable far beyond competition. In philanthropy and social development, these qualities can help organisations remain focused on long-term goals while adapting to changing circumstances.

The idea also echoed The Hong Kong Jockey Club’s broader positioning at PBC 2026. The Club and its Charities Trust have long sought to transform lives and strengthen communities through sport, reinforcing the connection between sporting values, inclusion and enduring social impact.

Passing the torch

The two-day main programme culminated in the Closing Plenary, “Passing the Torch: From Athletes to Future Changemakers”, featuring Yvette Kong, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Arelyx and Olympic swimmer; Jacqueline Lai, Hong Kong, China Equestrian Team rider and Asian Games medallist; and Cado Lee, two-time Asian Games gold medallist and Hong Kong, China Rugby Sevens player. It was moderated by Yao Ming, Founder and Chairman of Yao Foundation.

The discussion highlighted how youth development through sport depends on more than technical training. Yao Ming cited the Yao Foundation’s support for rural primary schools in the Chinese Mainland, while the panellists stressed curiosity, personal agency, listening to young people and learning through setbacks. Yao described sport as a space where children can experience frustration, resilience and growth beyond what books can teach, adding: “I think we can learn something from them instead of just passing something to them.”

The session brought the sporting metaphor full circle: passing the torch means carrying experience, values and responsibility forward while giving the next generation room to find its own path.

Turning momentum into long-term impact

In his closing remarks, Winfried Engelbrecht-Bresges, Chief Executive Officer of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and IoP Director, said the Forum had shown that system change depends on collective action, while innovation matters most when it expands opportunity, strengthens inclusion and enables people to fulfil their potential. Summing up the two days, he said: “If there is one lesson that has emerged consistently over the past two days, it is that meaningful impact does not happen by accident. It requires vision, discipline and commitment. But above all, it requires collaboration.”

The Club’s support for PBC 2026, like its wider charity and community initiatives, is made possible by its unique value creation model, through which racing and wagering generate tax contributions, charity support and employment opportunities for the community.

In 2025/26, the Club returned HK$39.3 billion to the community, including HK$30.7 billion to the HKSAR Government in taxes and Lotteries Fund contributions and HK$8.6 billion in approved charity donations.

The Forum’s 10th anniversary was also marked by a gala dinner at the Hong Kong Palace Museum, bringing together foundation leaders, government officials, academics and community leaders from the Chinese Mainland, Hong Kong and around the world.

Across both days, the broader message was that philanthropy is not defined by financial resources alone. Long-term impact depends on collaboration, trust, capability, innovation and continuous learning.

As the Forum drew to a close, “Leaping for Impact” ultimately pointed to something more sustained than a single leap: creating the conditions for ideas to grow, partnerships to endure and positive change to reach further.