COLLECTIVES Archives

A Gift of Hope: Igniting A Child’s Passion for Learning

Five-year-old Levon Sim dreams of becoming a doctor. But for children like her, the path of learning isn’t always easy.Raised by her grandmother, Judy, who is her sole caregiver, Levon faced early challenges in school. She couldn’t recognise the alphabet, and coming from a Chinese-speaking background, English was especially difficult. When a social worker flagged her developmental delays, Judy knew Levon needed extra support – but she wasn’t sure where to turn.

Avoiding Death Row: A Mother’s Journey of Redemption and Strength

June never imagined that she would stand at a crossroads between life and the death penalty. A series of choices led her to a moment that could have ended everything—but instead, she was given a second chance. She served a five-year prison sentence, an experience that forced her to reflect, grow, and redefine her future.Since her release in 2019, June has been rebuilding her life with courage and determination, reconnecting with her family, and proving that transformation is possible. With the support of New Life Stories’ Family Strengthening programme, she is not only healing but also helping others find hope.

More Than a Roof: How KeyStart Empowers Families Through Home Ownership

The KeyStart programme provided Mr Borhan and his three children with a stable home and a fresh start.A stable home environment is crucial to overall well-being, particularly for families with children. Lower-income families often encounter hurdles in achieving homeownership, which may include the inability to accumulate sufficient savings for a down payment, or to keep up with mortgage payments.

Opening Doors: Making Education Accessible to Vulnerable Children and Youth

Can a child truly focus on education if their family struggles to afford basic needs like food and shelter? Research has shown that education is key to breaking the cycle of poverty, but for children from lower-income families, daily survival often takes priority. This can hold them back and widen opportunity gaps. At CFS, we seek to address these challenges so every child gets the support they need to succeed.Our donors recently had the chance to learn more from two charities who are working to bridge this gap. Working in close collaboration with government ministries, schools, and communities, they deliver accessible education and renewed hope for children and youth through mentorship, befriending, and activities.

Ensuring A Brighter Future for Vulnerable Families and Children

Imagine being released from prison after a decade, returning home to children who barely know you. How do you begin to rebuild your life and relationships with your family? Imagine being a child who does not have good relationships at home or in school, having little trust and confidence in the people around you. How do you find a sense of belonging and begin to develop your self-identity?

CFS Celebrates 15 Years of Enabling Philanthropy

On 14th February 2024, CFS marked its 15th Anniversary with a Chinese New Year “Lohei” (Prosperity Toss) celebration. The event was graced by Mr Alvin Tan, Minister of State for Culture, Community and Youth, and Minister of State for Trade and Industry, and gathered nearly 160 donors, charity partners, and business associates, both longstanding and new.Unveiling the Sayang Sayang Fund Report was a great way to mark our 15th year, as it displayed the power of collective impact and love for our community. Established as an emergency response fund at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to support vulnerable groups, the Sayang Sayang Fund (SSF) impacted the lives of over 401,000 beneficiaries in Singapore. In a span of three years, an impressive $9.7 million was raised, showcasing the remarkable generosity and willingness of the community to offer their support.

Supporting Disadvantaged Students: Assumption Pathway Academy

The Collective for a Stronger Society aims to uplift, enable and empower lower-income families, and one area of focus is education. Assumption Pathway School (APS) offers an alternative route for students who face barriers to completing mainstream secondary school education. As a specialised school, APS offers vocational programmes accredited by ITE, and foundation and character development programmes developed in collaboration with MOE.Ms Gan Hui Xin’s life took a turn when she enrolled at Assumption Pathway School (APS) in 2016. Her earlier academic performance had been poor, which led to a waning interest in her studies. During her four-year tenure at APS, however, she discovered a new passion and attained an ITE Skills Certificate (ISC) in Hairdressing. Although unable to continue her education at ITE, she remained determined to continue her pursuit of knowledge.

FutureChina Global Forum: CFS CEO Advocates for the Integration of Philanthropy into Wealth Management Strategies

What is the civic responsibility of wealthy individuals and corporations?What are the ways they can include philanthropy in their wealth management strategies to create a lasting impact on society?

New office for S’poreans to partner the Government and give ideas

CFS is pleased to be a part of Forward SG, as we build our shared future, together.We know that collective effort – through financial support, knowledge-sharing, and community collaboration – is the bedrock of a stronger, more inclusive society.

#MyGivingJourney X Corinna Lim: From legal advocate to leading gender equality advocate

The #MyGivingJourney is a series by CFS where stories of remarkable women in the philanthropy sector are being told. In this story, we feature Corrina Lim, Executive Director at AWARE (Association of Women for Action and Research). Serendipity played a big part in Corinna Lim becoming Singapore’s leading advocate for gender equality. She was working as a lawyer when a colleague who was pregnant asked if she would like to take her place providing free legal advice in a community centre. It was the early 1990s and opportunities for pro bono work were very limited.

COLLECTIVES