Everyday Heroes of Philanthropy is a content series celebrating the people in our community whose giving is guided by heart, purpose, and a deep belief in making a difference. 

This is the story of Mr Yeo Whee Jim — a man who is turning love, loss and adversity into a legacy of care that will extend way beyond his lifetime. 

News of his illness could have led him to withdraw and turn inward. For Yeo Whee Jim, it became a reason to reach outward – to give, to create, and to leave a legacy of hope.

Finding Clarity in Crisis

By his late forties, Yeo Whee Jim had built a full and purposeful life, with two decades in public service, a thriving training consultancy, and the quiet devotion of a father raising his daughter after his wife’s passing.

Then, in 2023, everything changed.

Whee Jim was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the brain and spinal cord, leading to the gradual loss of muscle control. Doctors told him he likely had two to five years left.

“It wasn’t despair I felt,” he says quietly. “It was clarity.”

For Whee Jim, the diagnosis sharpened rather than diminished his sense of purpose. “If I only have a few years left,” he recalls thinking, “I want to spend them doing something meaningful.”

That conviction led him to establish the Lok Yan and Whee Jim Fund, a donor-advised fund with the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS), a living legacy rooted in faith, love, and the belief that giving can outlast one’s lifetime.

Love That Outlives a Lifetime

The fund’s name is both a tribute and a continuation of a story that began long before his illness – the story of his late wife, Lok Yan.

When she was diagnosed with cancer, their daughter was just a year old. Between rounds of treatment and long hospital stays, Lok Yan spent her remaining energy on her family. She wrote dozens of letters and prepared boxes of gifts for every milestone her child might one day experience — birthdays, graduations, even her wedding day.

“When I look at that box of letters,” Whee Jim says, “I see a mother’s vision of love that outlives her own life.”

After she passed, he invested what she left behind so it could continue supporting their daughter, who was then only seven. He affectionately calls it the “monthly coupon” – a symbolic gesture that her mother’s care still surrounds her.

“Every month she gets a reminder that Mum’s still here,” he says. “Helping her live, help others, and make the world a better place.”

From Loss to Legacy

When his own diagnosis came years later, Whee Jim revisited the question of legacy — not as inheritance, but as the passing on of values.

“I started thinking about what my daughter would remember about me,” he says. “Not what I could leave her in material terms, but what I could leave her in meaning.”

Friends encouraged him to channel his reflections into creative expression. He turned to poetry and photography – art forms that allowed him to explore grief, beauty, and faith through a new lens. He went on to publish two books combining his poems and images, each a deeply personal meditation on love, loss, and gratitude.

“These were my creative legacies,” he says. “They were my way of saying: life can still be beautiful, even when it hurts.”

But he also wanted to create something that would make a difference beyond his immediate circle. That was when he turned to CFS.

Partnering for Impact

“I knew CFS from my time in the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth,” he explains. “They know how to turn personal intent into structured impact.”

In CFS he found a partner that could translate his desire to help others into a concrete, sustainable framework.

Together, they designed the Lok Yan and Whee Jim Fund, a vehicle for lasting good that reflects his values and vision.

The fund supports disadvantaged children and families, young caregivers who shoulder responsibilities beyond their years, and provides opportunities through education, sports, and the arts.

Rather than disbursing a lump sum, it is structured as an endowment fund, where the principal is invested and the annual returns distributed to beneficiaries. This ensures that his giving continues to generate impact year after year.

“It’s not for my daughter to own,” he explains. “It’s for her to continue. Eventually, if she chooses to, she’ll be in the driver’s seat, deciding who to support and how to create impact.”

To ensure stewardship in its early years, two close friends serve as advisors to the fund, helping guide its direction and preserve his intent.

“Through this, my daughter won’t just inherit resources – she’ll inherit a framework for giving. That’s what I want her to learn: that generosity is a way of life, not a one-time act.”

Choosing Faith Over Fear

In speaking about his condition, Whee Jim is disarmingly calm. His words are deliberate, sometimes punctuated by long pauses. Yet his clarity of mind and spirit are unmistakable.

He quotes the bible’s Book of Job: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return.” It’s a line he often reflects on, a reminder of how little we truly own, and how much we can give.

“It’s irrational to fear dying poor,” he says. “It’s far worse to die having given nothing of yourself.”

For him, philanthropy is not about wealth but about responsibility.

“From whom much is given, much is required. I’ve been blessed with so much – a good education, a loving family, opportunities. I want to give back.”

He smiles when he says this, not with bitterness but with quiet acceptance. “ALS may take away my body,” he says, “but it doesn’t have to take away my purpose.”

What Legacy Truly Means

When asked what legacy means to him, Whee Jim pauses before answering.

“Legacy isn’t about what we leave behind,” he says finally. “It’s about the values that help others live better lives, beyond our own circle of family and friends.”

Through his fund and his writing, he hopes to model what he calls an “other-centred life” for his daughter – one that balances courage and compassion, faith and action.

“If a quadriplegic man can set up a fund,” he adds with a grin, “I don’t see why others can’t.”

His message is not one of heroic sacrifice, but of perspective – that life, even in its most difficult seasons, can be lived with purpose. “You don’t have to wait for a crisis to give meaning to your life,” he says. “You just have to start paying attention to what truly matters.”

Living and Giving Audaciously

For those unsure where to begin their own giving journey, Whee Jim offers a simple advice: “Just start now.”

“Every one of us has given something – a minute, a listening ear, a bit of time. That’s where giving begins.”

He believes that generosity doesn’t need to be grand or dramatic. It just needs to be intentional. “It’s not about how much you give, but whether you give with heart.”

As his condition progresses, daily tasks have become more challenging. Yet his outlook remains grounded in gratitude. “There’s still beauty in every day,” he says. “I’ve learned to see the world not through what I’ve lost, but through what I can still give.”

Through the Lok Yan and Whee Jim Fund, his poetry, and his quiet determination, Whee Jim continues to live his philosophy: that a meaningful life is one measured not by what we accumulate, but by what we contribute.

“To live is to give,” he says. “And to give generously is to live audaciously.”

About the Lok Yan and Whee Jim Fund

Established in May 2025, the Lok Yan and Whee Jim Fund supports disadvantaged children, young caregivers and families, empowering them through education, sports, and the arts.

The fund is administered by the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS), which provides stewardship, due diligence, and strategic grantmaking to ensure every dollar achieves meaningful, lasting impact.

Through this partnership, Whee Jim’s vision of faith, love, and purposeful giving will continue to uplift lives, long after his own story has been told.

Every story of generosity begins with a single step.

Your own giving journey can begin today. At CFS, we work alongside individuals, families and businesses to transform generosity into lasting change.

Begin your journey with us: https://cf.org.sg/contact/get-in-touch/