Forbes Asia has honoured some of the Asia-Pacific region's most noteworthy givers in its annual “Heroes of Philanthropy” list.

Several Singaporean philanthropists have made Forbes Asia's "Heroes of Philanthropy" list this year, including Tan Kheng Lian, daughter of late OCBC chairman and philanthropist Tan Chin Tuan.

She heads the Tan Chin Tuan Foundation, which has given tens of millions of dollars since its inception in 1976 to causes such as education, the arts and community development.

Another philanthropist recognised for honouring their family's legacy is Robert Ng, chairman of Singapore's Sino Group, who set up the Ng Teng Fong Foundation in 2010, named after his father. Its largest donation of $92 million went to rebuilding a hospital in Jurong.

In Australia, Peter Hall, chief executive and chief investment officer of Sydney-based investment boutique Hunter Hall, made an appearance on the list. His firm runs four ethical investment trusts plus an ethical superannuation fund. Hall donates 5 per cent of his firm’s profits and up to 25 per cent of his personal income each year to causes such as environmental and animal protection charities. Over the years, he has given almost $20 million to ocean conservation, anti-whaling activism and animal welfare.

Those who have pledged a notably long-term commitment include Indonesia’s Budi Hartono’s Djarum Foundation, which over the past 30 years has donated to causes including heritage preservation, the arts and education, where nearly 9,000 students at 100 universities have benefited. Similarly, Japan's Ryoichi Jinnai, founder of Consumer Lender Promise, has over a period of 15 years directed $650 million to improving the agricultural competitiveness of the northern island of Hokkaido.

In China, Wang Jianlin, chairman of Wanda Group, a commercial property company and cinema chain operator, has pledged $150 million to job creation, training and other assistance in a five-year effort to uplift Danzhai County in Guizhou Province, a poor region in southern China. 

Other moguls who have committed to improving education standards in their home countries include Vineet and Anupama Nayar, founders of Sampark Foundation in India, which boasts a $100 million outlay funded entirely by the Nayars and represents more than half of their wealth. The foundation is rolling out kits with child-friendly teaching aids to 50,000 government schools and 3 million students across Uttarakhand and Chhattisgarh.