Community Foundation of Singapore Launches Campaign to Inspire Legacy Giving

September 16, 2025

New survey shows 87% of Singaporeans aware of legacy giving, with younger generation leading the way

Singapore, 15 September 2025 – The Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) today launched Make Your Story Greater, a campaign to inspire Singaporeans to embrace Legacy Giving – the act of leaving a gift in one’s will or estate to benefit the community.

The launch coincides with the 5th anniversary of CFS’s Legacy Giving Initiative and the release of findings from its CFS Insights Survey 2025, which reveal encouraging levels about awareness of legacy giving among Singapore residents.

Growing Awareness and Opportunity for Action

The survey of 1,008 Singapore residents, conducted online in March this year, found that:

87% of respondents are aware of the concept of legacy giving.
Among those familiar with legacy giving, 37% are uncertain about how to make arrangements for it.

“These findings are encouraging,” said Mr Paul Tan, Chief Executive Officer of CFS. “They show that Singaporeans across generations are aware of legacy giving and its potential impact. But the study also reveals that many are unsure of how to arrange a gift – and this is where CFS can play a vital role in guiding donors and enabling their giving.”

The study highlighted a key knowledge gap: 37% of those aware of legacy giving do not know how to arrange for it. Further details of the survey findings are available in Annex A.

Why Legacy Giving Matters Now

With Singapore set to become a super-aged society by 2030, changing family structures and rising single-person households are reshaping how people think about inheritance and social responsibility. Legacy Giving provides a way for individuals – regardless of their wealth or family situation – to contribute to the community’s future.

Globally, this trend is gaining momentum. In the UK for example, according to the Legacy Giving Report 2025, charities’ income from legacies increased to a record high of £4.5 billion in 2024, with a strong increase in the number of estates that included a gift to charity.

Donors Who Have Made Their Stories Greater

CFS is grateful to the donors who have stepped forward to share the profound and powerful stories behind their giving. At the heart of the Make Your Story Greater campaign are these deeply personal testimonies. The journeys of our three donors have been shaped by caregiving, resilience and family values.

1) David Lim, Everest Foundation (Personal Legacy Giving)

After leading Singapore’s first Everest expedition, David was struck by a rare nerve disorder that left him with permanent mobility challenges. His lived experience of vulnerability and recovery inspired him to set up the Everest Foundation in 2022, supporting both people with disabilities and animal welfare — causes rooted in dignity and compassion.

“I don’t have children,” said David, “but I do have people I want to help. Setting up a fund is a long-term approach that aligns with my values.”

2) Ryan Lee, Lee Choi Seng Foundation (Memorial Fund)

Inspired by his late father’s quiet generosity and his own caregiving journey through the devastating effects of dementia, Ryan Lee and his brother established the Lee Choi Seng Foundation in 2022.

The memorial fund supports eldercare and hospice organisations, ensuring that families do not face ageing or caregiving alone. Ryan explains, “He didn’t ask to be remembered, but we wanted his generosity to live on, not for recognition, but to inspire others.”

3) Bryan Chua & Rachel Yang’s family, SCATECH Philanthropy Fund (Family / Succession Legacy Giving)

For Rachel Yang and Bryan Chua, legacy is not just about wealth but about raising their children with a giving heart. “There is no better way to teach our children than to practise giving together as a family,” says Rachel.

Inspired by Rachel’s late father, whose compassion extended to the migrant workers he employed, the couple established the SCATECH Philanthropy Fund to carry forward his quiet generosity across generations.

“These stories from our donors are inspiring,” said Mr Tan. “By openly sharing their personal motivations, they show that legacy giving isn’t only for a narrow segment of high-net-worth individuals. Indeed, many Singaporeans can leave a meaningful legacy, whether to pass on values to the next generation or honour someone important in their lives. Either way, their charitable gifts can impact the lives of beneficiaries and create a caring and thriving society.”

CFS makes Legacy Giving simple

Since launching the Legacy Giving Initiative in 2020, CFS has led efforts to normalise this form of giving in Singapore. Donors may choose to make a direct gift to CFS or their preferred charity in their will. They may also establish a donor-advised fund with CFS with a minimum commitment of S$200,000, for sustained, long-term impact guided by our philanthropy experts.

Legacy gifts are not limited to cash. Singaporeans can also pledge assets such as CPF savings, insurance policies, investments, or property. With CFS’s trusted guidance, donors can structure these gifts in ways that are both practical and impactful, ensuring their accumulated assets continue to reflect their values and benefit future generations.

Click here to download the Legacy Giving images. Kindly credit the images to the Community Foundation of Singapore.

To watch the Legacy Giving video and learn how you can create your own legacy, visit legacygiving.sg.

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Media Contacts

Sean Long
Senior Account Manager
Splash Productions
Email: sean.long@splash.sg | Mobile: 9093 5213

Sow Jeng Teng
Assistant Manager, PR & Communications
Community Foundation of Singapore
Email: jengteng@cf.org.sg | Mobile: 9273 6757

About The Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS)

The Community Foundation of Singapore empowers individuals and organisations to fulfil their philanthropic giving with purpose and impact. Our vision is to nurture a generous society of caring, inclusive and thriving communities.

As specialists in Singapore’s philanthropic ecosystem, our dedicated team provides trusted guidance to help donors structure and optimise their giving based on their values and interests. We support a wide range of causes – from uplifting disadvantaged families and vulnerable children, to championing the arts, culture, and the environment.

To ensure every donation makes a meaningful difference, we uphold the highest standards of corporate governance and collaborate with over 400 charity partners to drive effective, measurable impact.

As of June 2025, CFS has raised over S$353 million in donations, including legacy gifts, and disbursed over S$210 million to diverse charity causes.

Visit www.cf.org.sg to learn more about what we do.

ANNEX A:

CFS Insights Survey 2025

BACKGROUND

CFS commissioned Pureprofile to conduct a study to better understand Singapore residents’ awareness, understanding and sentiment of CFS, and identify attitudes towards driving factors that can encourage legacy giving.

SAMPLING

The survey, conducted in March 2025, engaged 1,008 respondents drawn from the general population of Singapore residents aged 21 and above. Respondents were a natural fallout across gender and age groups, with a maximum of 30% of the sample having a monthly personal income below $5,000.