Strengthening Social Services: The Bluejacket Foundation’s Commitment to Capacity and Capability Building
Charities often struggle to secure funding for capacity and capability building, as donors tend to prioritise direct programme support over long-term infrastructure development. Yet, enhancing these areas is crucial for sustaining financial health, delivering effective and reliable services, and increasing their overall impact. Recognising this, the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) partnered with the Bluejacket Foundation in November 2022 to launch a two-year pilot initiative—the Capacity and Capability Building Grant—designed to support growth of charities and equip them for greater community contributions.
Charity partners and donors from Bluejacket Foundation gathered at Society for the Aged Sick for a roundtable discussion.
Charities often struggle to secure funding for capacity and capability building, as donors tend to prioritise direct programme support over long-term infrastructure development. Yet, enhancing these areas is crucial for sustaining financial health, delivering effective and reliable services, and increasing their overall impact. Recognising this, the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) partnered with the Bluejacket Foundation in November 2022 to launch a two-year pilot initiative—the Capacity and Capability Building Grant—designed to support growth of charities and equip them for greater community contributions.
The grant currently supports six charities, assisting them in retaining and recruiting essential talent, optimising resources, boosting efficiency, and expanding their impact.
The Bluejacket Foundation’s Mission
The Bluejacket Foundation was established by a family-owned shipping business, with ‘Bluejacket’ being a nod to sailors’ traditional blue uniforms. During the pandemic, their business persisted due to the relentless efforts of their crew, many of whom were stuck on ships for up to a year because of restrictions. Reflecting this dedication, the Foundation seeks to aid the committed individuals who work hard to keep charities and non-profits’ engines running.
As Mr. Teo, the Foundation’s representative explained, “In partnership with the Community Foundation of Singapore, the Capacity and Capability Building Grant supports the development and retention of talent, ensuring charities have the essential workforce to carry out their vital work.”
Bridging the Gaps: A Roundtable on Charity Needs
The roundtable highlighted benefits and key gaps in current funding options.
To help the donors gain deeper insights into the evolving needs of the social service sector, CFS organised a roundtable discussion between the Bluejacket Foundation and the charities supported by the grant. At the discussion, charities candidly shared their experiences with existing funding options, highlighting both the benefits and the critical gaps that need to be addressed.
Charities in Singapore have access to various grants, such as the Community Silver Trust (CST), the Career Conversion Programme for Social Workers (CCP), the Professional Capability Grant (PCG), the Care and Share Grant, and the Community Capability Trust (CCT). These grants support workforce training, staff development, and organisational growth, which have been extremely helpful for enhancing service delivery and building organisational capacity.
However, despite the available funding opportunities, certain needs remain unmet:
- Increasing Need for Robust Backend Services: Existing grants usually focus on front-end programmes and manpower training. As services expand and governance requirements increase, charities face challenges in maintaining robust backend support systems, including HR, IT, finance, fundraising, and marketing. Manpower in these areas is often strained as a result.
- Securing Long-Term Funding in a Competitive Philanthropic Landscape: While government grants provide valuable financial assistance, charities must sustain themselves once the funding ends. Smaller charities, in particular, struggle to secure long-term funding in a competitive philanthropic environment.
- Attracting Quality Leadership in the Social Services Sector: Effective leadership is essential for the sustainable development and growth of charities. However, attracting and retaining top-tier talent in C-level positions within the social services sector remains challenging due to compensation that often lags behind other industries. While many charity leaders bring invaluable passion and operational expertise, they may lack the broader leadership skills required to effectively manage and guide a charity organisation.
A Sustainable Solution: Many-Helping Hands Approach
It is clear that as the sector continues to evolve, a many-helping-hands approach—involving ongoing collaboration between charities, donors, and the government— is crucial in driving long-term sustainability and effectiveness. While government grants provide support, creating a diversified funding model is essential for long-term success. By fostering talent development and providing additional financial support, initiatives like the Capacity and Capability Building Grant can enable charities to focus on delivering their core missions, enhancing service quality, and addressing emerging community needs.
CFS is proud to be part of this journey of improving the social services sector alongside the Bluejacket Foundation.
Get Involved
CFS is a leading provider of donor-advised funds in Singapore, working with donors to establish and manage funds that align to their values. Contact us to learn how your support for charitable causes can make a greater impact.
References
- Ang, B. L. (2016, February 22). Capacity and Capability Building. Ministry of Social and Family Development. https://www.msf.gov.sg/what-we-do/odgsw/social-insights/2016-Capacity-and-Capability
- Khalik, S. (2024, February 14). Salary guidelines to help community care sector be more competitive in retaining talent. The Straits Times. https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/salary-guidelines-for-community-care-sector-to-help-it-be-more-competitive-in-getting-workers
- Related Topics For You: CHARITY STORIES, DONOR STORIES, DONOR-ADVISED FUND, EVENTS
