Hearts of Gold

You’re never too young to start giving back—that’s the message Trina Liang-Lin and Edmund Lin hope to spread with their new philanthropic enterprise. In an exclusive interview with Singapore Tatler, the couple shares with Hong Xinyi the rationale behind starting the Lin Foundation Asia, and its intended impact

- Hong Xinyi

Most couples choose to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary with expensive gifts or a big bash, but Trina Liang-Lin and Edmund Lin went one step further—they decided to create something more permanent by setting up their own philanthropic foundation.

“Ed and I are not conventional people. We’ve often tried to think about more creative ways of doing things. We didn’t want our charity donations to be ad hoc. We wanted a considered approach targeted at specific causes close to our hearts, and also a continuity and legacy that would remain even after we have passed on,” says Trina.

The Lin Foundation Asia was launched in April this year, and the couple has set aside a “six-figure sum, for a start”. Their philanthropic efforts will be focused on women and children, in areas of education, employment and healthcare. “We have been asked numerous times why we want to start a foundation in our 40s—shouldn’t we be starting it later in life, like in our 60s or 70s?” quips Trina. “But there is no ‘correct’ or ‘good’ age to start a foundation. If we are ready to help now, then why shouldn’t we?”

Their relative youth belies their impressive professional achievements. Trina is the managing director of Temple bridge Investments, while Edmund is a partner, director and global head of financial services at consultancy firm Bain & Company. “Both of us are quite well-versed at assessing businesses,” says Trina. “It is vital for donors to understand, analyse and make good decisions about the charities they give to.”