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CFS welcomes new Chairman Christine Ong, succeeding Laurence Lien
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CFS welcomes new Chairman Christine Ong, succeeding Laurence Lien

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(From left) Catherine Loh, Christine Ong and Laurence Lien.

The Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) welcomes new Chairman Christine Ong on 1 April 2019, succeeding outgoing Chairman Laurence Lien. The handover was announced at the CFS Philanthropy Forum 2019 held on 18 March.

Signalling a new phase for CFS as the organisation looks to the future, Christine brings extensive experience spanning 30 years from the banking and finance industry, with key leadership positions in Citibank and UBS. She has long been involved in volunteering and mentoring in community regeneration, education and the arts. At UBS, she started a community affairs programme which raised $3 million to support various causes around the region including educating disadvantaged young people in East Java and saving children from being used as drug mules in the Mekong sub-region.

Christine is a current board member of Focus on the Family. She most recently served as Chairman of Arts House Limited and was previously on the board of The Esplanade Co Ltd (2015–2018).

Said Christine, “It is an honour for me to step into Laurence’s giant shoes at CFS. Laurence has not only built a successful organisation but his inclusive leadership has helped forge strong relationships with donors, partners and stakeholders.I am grateful for the opportunity to lead CFS which, over the years, has transformed how philanthropy is approached. As the organisation evolves to respond to an increasingly complex social landscape, I shall continue to build on the trust and meaningful relationships established between donors and charity partners to inspire even more giving and lead CFS into the next decade.”

Laurence was a founding director of CFS when it was launched in 2009, acting CEO from 2009–2013, and has served as its Chairman since 2013. He has been instrumental in introducing the concept of community philanthropy through donor advised funds to Singapore. He played a significant role in helping CFS grow to achieve 126 funds, raising over $134 million and disbursing over $71 million to over 400 charitable organisations in Singapore.

CFS CEO Catherine Loh remarked, “Under Laurence’s strategic leadership, CFS has grown tremendously and established itself as an organisation well-regarded for its community knowledge, professionalism and strategic approach to giving.”

Reflecting on his ten-year tenure at CFS, Laurence said, “When you start a venture in the non-profit sector, you don’t own anything. The rewards are not material but instead a personal satisfaction that comes from knowing you made a difference.”

He cited CFS’s phenomenal four-fold growth in 2018 as a fitting time for his departure, “CFS is really at an inflection point and it is a good time to leave on a high note. I am confident that with a good board and team already in place, and an experienced hand taking over as Chair, CFS will grow from strength to strength, and become a landmark in Singapore’s giving landscape.”

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The competition was organised by City Harvest Community Services Association and received support from FUN! Fund, a Community Impact Fund jointly established by the Community Foundation of Singapore and the Agency for Integrated Care, with the aim of addressing social isolation among the elderly.

Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information & Ministry of National Development Mr Tan Kiat How attended the event. He encouraged the elderly to stay physically and mentally well, as well as urging them to participate in community activities and enjoy their golden years together.

Learn more about FUN! Fund at https://www.cf.org.sg/fun-fund/.

 

The programme provides the children with a non-threatening platform to connect with peers and have positive conversations. In addition, it exposes them to different people who can assist to broaden their perspectives.

L.S., a volunteer with the Reading Odyssey programme @ Spooner Road

中心“常胜将军”胡锦盛:比赛限时反应要快

现年92岁的胡锦盛是最年长的参赛者。自2017年退休后,他几乎每天都到活跃乐龄中心报到,从此爱上了玩拉密,每次可玩上三个小时,在中心是“常胜将军”。

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News

All about legacy giving

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LEGACY giving is not the prerogative of the ultra-wealthy alone. That is the mindset the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) wants to inculcate with its latest movement – the Legacy Giving Initiative (LGI) – which was launched by a campaign called A Greater Gift last November.

According to a Social Pulse survey, while the majority of respondents (83 per cent) flagged awareness on what legacy giving is, only 33 per cent considered legacy as a means of giving, and just 3 per cent indicated they would take action.

Legacy gifts can be broadly defined as planned, future donations to charities, which include cash, marketable securities, insurance payouts, and CPF monies. Those looking to support a cause over a period of years can establish a donor-advised fund (DAF) with organisations such as CFS to manage grant distributions. Now, about six months after the Legacy Giving Initiative was launched, CFS is shifting into the knowledge phase of its initiative.

CFS chairperson Christine Ong said the foundation “will drive this phase by engaging with prospects and partners, conducting targeted research to gather data insights, and building formal alliances with multipliers”.

“The digitally-led campaign, A Greater Gift, has introduced people from different walks in life in Singapore to legacy giving,” she said.

CFS’ microsite on legacy giving has reached out to three key audiences – individuals, professional advisers and charities – receiving over 33,000 page views from 19,000 visitors since its launch and offering information on legacy giving.

Radio spots were also featured in the campaign, reaching over 1.3 million people.

Gregory Vijayendran, the president of The Law Society of Singapore, said that for the gift-giver, legacy giving has four advantages.

First, it allows the donor to give their own voice to their unique personality, values and beliefs for a cherished cause. Secondly, it creates a meaningful memorial to perpetuate the legacy of the donor, he said. Thirdly, it positively impacts subsequent generations through sustained giving. And, lastly, he said it deepens and lengthens the connection between the charity and the donor.

Ms Ong is keen to build on the momentum gained so far. She said that donors’ profiles with CFS have evolved over the last 12 years since it was set up.

“The younger generation is more interested to identify problems, or be more involved with understanding the issues and identifying the cause before they decide to set up a fund,” she said.

CFS is looking into ways to measure the social impact of the research programme.

“We hope to see how this can be done on a more standardised national level. We want donors to be more focused on the impact of their giving and, at the same time, allow charities to upscale, to make them better stewards to their donors,” said Ms Ong.

“CFS will be sharing knowledge on legacy giving, to empower and enable more individuals to plan and make legacy gifts. In addition, we will work with professional advisers by providing them with resources to help them ignite conversations with clients, and share its knowledge on legacy giving, as well as the potential of DAF, to empower and enable more individuals to plan and make legacy gifts.”

To date, CFS has cultivated over 400 professional advisers and charity representatives, through online events, seeding a network of conversation starters and multipliers for legacy giving.

Ms Ong said the aim is to send the broader message that “everyone can give”.

“Giving is not about the amount and you can start at any stage of your life. For those who can set up their own DAF, they can make a pledge – we will take pledges of S$200,000 and create funds for them,” she said.

“Regardless of one’s background and lifestyle, everyone can play a part in the shared ambition for a fairer and more sustainable Singapore.”

This article was originally published in The Business Times here. Source: The Business Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction

To find out more about Legacy Giving, kindly visit our Legacy Giving website or contact us here.

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Events

Celebrating a decade of inspiring and enabling philanthropy in Singapore

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Two female individuals can be seen in the picture, both dressed in red shirts and holding a volleyball ball.

After months of anticipation, CFS’s year-long 10th anniversary celebrations came to a high point on 5 September 2018 at a gala event held at The Arts House. Guest of honour, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu, and 120 guests including donors, charities and other partners, came together to commemorate this major milestone in CFS’s history.

In her keynote speech, Minister Fu reflected on philanthropy’s important role in Singapore’s history and its continued relevance in building a culture of care. She thanked CFS for “its excellent work in raising funds and giving out grants, as well as in inspiring and enabling giving in Singapore” and that “as Singapore’s only community foundation, CFS plays an important role as a bridge builder between local communities and the larger charitable ecosystem.”

CEO Catherine Loh spoke of how CFS had “much to prove” when she joined six years ago, but that’s she proud to see CFS having a much wider reach in the public sphere today. “The entrance of a community foundation like CFS has transformed how philanthropy is approached,” she remarked, signaling future plans to grow legacy giving, collaboration and impact.

Outgoing chairman Laurence Lien took the occasion to leave CFS with an audacious goal – to raise $1 billion in our donor funds at some point in the future. He expressed, “We count on you present today, to continue journeying with us, to grow this community of givers. We all are part owners of CFS because we are all the part of the Singapore community.”

Guests were also treated to a violin performance by Joey Lau, winner of the Goh Soon Tioe Centenary Award 2017, a fund managed by CFS.

Amidst dinner and cocktails, the mood was buoyant, as many offered their enthusiastic congratulation. “It’s fantastic to see tonight that the achievements of CFS get celebrated,” said Sebastien Lamy, Director of Keppel Corporation and CFS board member. “I look forward to an even stronger partnership with CFS moving forward,” remarked Tui Jurn Mun, Republic Polytechnic.

The evening ended on a jubilant note as we savoured, shared and reflected on an amazing journey over the last decade. Here’s to the next 10 years of giving!

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet consectetur adipiscing elit dolor

The competition was organised by City Harvest Community Services Association and received support from FUN! Fund, a Community Impact Fund jointly established by the Community Foundation of Singapore and the Agency for Integrated Care, with the aim of addressing social isolation among the elderly.

Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information & Ministry of National Development Mr Tan Kiat How attended the event. He encouraged the elderly to stay physically and mentally well, as well as urging them to participate in community activities and enjoy their golden years together.

Learn more about FUN! Fund at https://www.cf.org.sg/fun-fund/.

 

The programme provides the children with a non-threatening platform to connect with peers and have positive conversations. In addition, it exposes them to different people who can assist to broaden their perspectives.

L.S., a volunteer with the Reading Odyssey programme @ Spooner Road

中心“常胜将军”胡锦盛:比赛限时反应要快

现年92岁的胡锦盛是最年长的参赛者。自2017年退休后,他几乎每天都到活跃乐龄中心报到,从此爱上了玩拉密,每次可玩上三个小时,在中心是“常胜将军”。

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Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.

News

Lianhe Zaobao: More companies and individuals seeking professionals to manage their charitable funds

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John Doe
two men standing and talking with red bags

新加坡社区基金会成立10年来,设立或管理的慈善基金从2008年的两 个增至今年2月的110个,而基金会筹获的善款也已达1亿元,发放的 款项达6000万元,惠及的慈善团体多达400个。

Song Huichun

随着国人对有效行善的意识提高,更多企业和个人善款捐赠者过 去10年来选择与专人合作,协助他们管理和发放善款给希望帮助的机 构或项目。

数据显示,捐赠者透过新加坡社区基金会(Community Foundation of Singapore)设立或管理的慈善基金从2008年的两个 增至2013年3月的47个,到了今年2月已增至110个,10年来增幅超过50 倍。

协助企业或个人捐赠者以可持续、妥善和具透明度的方式管理与 设立行善基金的新加坡社区基金会迈入第10年,多年来,基金会把捐 赠者与他们关注的相关慈善团体妥善配对,制定有效行善策略,让更 多有需要者受惠。

基金会总裁罗佩仪(50岁)接受《联合早报》访问并透露上述数 据时说,基金会成立之初希望做的是通过了解捐赠者关注的课题及行 善动力,协助发展出一套适合捐赠者的有效行善策略。

新加坡社区基金会在本地超过2000个慈善机构中找出适合捐赠 者资助的项目……找出不同群体的需求及捐赠者可提供协助的机会, 让捐赠者可更有效地施予援助,发挥更大影响力。”

罗佩仪说,在为捐赠者与慈善项目或机构进行配对时,捐赠者的 理念、兴趣、愿意承担风险的限度、拨款数额等都会影响基金会所做 的推荐。而基金会发挥的影响力,也随着更多国人了解以有效方式行 善何其重要后,逐年增加。

深入了解慈善机构运作 及善款影响力

基金会提供给本报的数据显示,截至2013年3月,基金会共筹到 5000万元善款,发放的款项约1200万元,惠及130个慈善伙伴。

而到了今年2月,基金会筹获的善款已达1亿元,发放的款项达 6000万元,惠及的慈善团体多达400个。

为了确保善款获得妥善运用,基金会也会深入了解慈善机构的运 作、领导班子、受惠人如何获益、财务状况、个别项目如何进行、有 多少资源、有没有执行能力等。基金会也会为捐赠者跟进汇报善款发 挥的影响力,以及使用后的结果等。

罗佩仪说:“企业一般上会觉得这样的模式很管用,因为他们必 须向股东汇报善款用途。”

她也说,基金会未来会继续透过讲座和活动接触更多群体,让各 方更了解基金会提供的服务。

运输业者发挥“专长” 让派发食物更有效

交通运输企业行善不忘发挥专业,出钱出力出车,协助非盈利组织有效地派发更多食物给有需要的人。

交通运输业者金钟集团(Goldbell Group)自2015年起成立金钟基金会,探讨如何在经营生意的同时尽社会企业责任,选择帮助真正需要帮助的人。

金钟财务服务私人有限公司执行董事蔡满榜(38岁)积极带领金钟集团履行企业社会责任,他受访时说,在和新加坡社区基金会合作行善之前,金钟集团一般都以零星方式回馈社会,有机会就帮忙,没有一个制式的行善结构。

在金钟基金会成立隔年,因刚好有一名新加坡社区基金会成员认识蔡满榜的父亲,从此,金钟集团就透过新加坡社区基金会从旁牵线和指引,确认行善计划和目的,帮助本身关注的群体。

金钟基金会和新加坡社区基金会展开合作初期,计划每年拨出30万元行善,而慈善团体“爱心食品”(Food From The Heart)是金钟基金会资助的团体之一。

蔡满榜说:“与该团体数次接触后,发现我个人的行善理念与他们的管理营运理念不谋而合,尤其是他们去找合作伙伴捐赠食品给他们要帮助的人,而不是花钱购买食品。”

在透过新加坡社区基金会促成更有效的合作之前,金钟集团已免费租借两辆有冷冻设备的卡车给“爱心食品”,方便他们载送易腐食品。

现在,金钟集团允诺资助“爱心食品”三年,支持该组织卡车队的营运和载送食品给有需要者所需的营运费用等。

如此一来,“爱心食品”就能更好地进行预算和营运规划,确保在金钟集团资助期间,有需者可持续获得食品援助。

除了“爱心食品”,金钟集团也资助过不少个别项目,包括绿色生活、援助有需要青年等。

Link to stories: Here and here.

Translation:

More companies and individuals seeking professionals to manage their charitable funds

In the 10 years since the Community Foundation of Singapore was established, the number of charitable funds set up or managed has increased from two in 2008 to 110 in February this year. The donations raised by the foundation have also reached $100 million, with $60 million distributed, benefiting up to 400 charities.
Song Huichun

As awareness of effective charitable giving increases, more corporate and individual donors have spent the past 10 years choosing to collaborate with dedicated professionals to help them manage and distribute charitable funds to the institutions or projects they wish to help.

According to statistics, charitable funds created or managed by donors through the Community Foundation of Singapore increased from two in 2008 to 47 in March 2013 and further increased to 110 in February this year. In 10 years, it has gone up more than 50 folds.

The Community Foundation of Singapore, which assists corporate or individual donors to manage and establish charitable funds in a sustainable, appropriate and transparent manner, is reaching its 10th year. Over the years, the Foundation has properly matched donors with the charities they care about, formulating effective strategies for good practices to benefit more people in need.

When CFS CEO Catherine Loh, 50, accepted the Zaobao interview, she disclosed the data above and added that the Foundation’s initial hope was to help develop a set of donor-friendly products by understanding donors’ concerns and the motivation to do good.

The Community Foundation of Singapore has identified programmes that are suitable for support from more than 2,000 charitable organisations in the country by identifying the needs of different groups to provide opportunities for assistance so that donors can more effectively provide assistance and make greater impact.

Ms Loh said that when pairing donors with charitable projects or institutions, the donor’s ideas, interests, willingness to take risks, the amount of funding, etc. all influence the Foundation’s recommendations. The influence of the Foundation is also gradually increasing as more people understand how important it is to be effective.

Learning more about charity operations and the impact of charitable funds

According to the data provided by the Foundation, as of March 2013, it had raised a total of $50 million in donations, with $12 million grants given out, benefiting 130 charitable partners.

In February this year, the donations raised by the Foundation reached $100 million, with grants amounting to $60 million, benefiting up to 400 charities.

In order to ensure the proper use of donations, the Foundation has an in-depth understanding of charity operations, leadership, impact on beneficiaries, financial status, how individual projects are run, how much resources they have, and whether they have executive capabilities. The Foundation also follow up with donors to report on the impact of charitable donations, as well as the outcomes.

Ms Loh said: “Companies generally feel that this model is very useful, because they must report to shareholders on the use of funds.”

She also said that in the future, the Foundation will continue to reach out to more groups through lectures and events so that all parties can better understand the services provided by the Foundation.

Transport operators use their expertise to make food delivery more effective

Transportation companies have not forgotten their professional role –  using their expertise and money to help non-profit organisations to effectively distribute food to those in need.

Transportation company Goldbell Group established the Goldbell Foundation in 2015 to explore how to conduct social responsibility while running their business and helping those in need.

Alex Chua, 38, Executive Director of Goldbell Financial Services Pte Ltd, actively led the Goldbell Group in fulfilling its corporate social responsibilities. During the interview, he said that prior to collaborating with the Community Foundation of Singapore, the Goldbell Group generally gave back to society in sporadic ways. If there’s an opportunity, they help, there was no structure for doing good.

In the year after the Goldbell Foundation was established, a member of the Community Foundation of Singapore who knew his father William Chua reached out to them. Since then, through guidance provided by the Community Foundation of Singapore, they have a philanthropic plan and goals, helping causes of their choice.

In the early stages of the collaboration between Goldbell Foundation and the Community Foundation of Singapore, it plans to set aside $300,000 a year to support charities, and charity Food from the Heart is one of the groups funded by the Goldbell Foundation.

Mr Chua said: “After several interactions with the organisation, I discovered that my concept of personal goodwill is in line with their management concept. In particular, they approach partners to donate food to the people they want to help, rather than spend money to buy food.”

Prior to promoting more effective collaboration through the Community Foundation of Singapore, the Goldbell Group has already rented two trucks with freezer equipment to Food from the Heart to facilitate the delivery of perishable foods.

Now Goldbell Group has promised to fund Food from the Heart for three years to support the operation of the truck fleet as well as the operating expenses required to transport food to beneficiaries.

As a result, Food from the Heart is able to better budget and plan its operations to ensure that those in need can continue to receive food assistance during the period the Goldbell Group is funding.

In addition to supporting Food from the Heart, Goldbell Group has also funded a number of individual projects, including environment projects, and providing help to young people.

Photo: Lianhe Zaobao

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The Straits Times: New youth collective to level playing field for disadvantaged young

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John Doe
Two people seated at a table with a 'City of Good' sign in the background.

By Seow Bei Yi

SINGAPORE – To help youth from disadvantaged backgrounds transition from school into the work environment, a new year-long programme will be launched this year to offer them workshops and vocational training.

Dubbed the “youth collective”, the initiative comes after a series of discussions involving 56 groups in the social service sector concluded that while education can help bridge social gaps, not every youth can fully tap its benefits.

Led by the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) and the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), the discussants found that economic, social and cultural differences contribute to a greater variance in academic performance among Singaporean students, compared to elsewhere.

The social gap may hence widen if disadvantaged youth here are not further helped, CFS and NVPC said.

Participants deliberated over the multiple challenges that disadvantaged youth face, with parents tending to work long hours or on shifts.

This leaves them little time to attend to their children’s learning needs, while the children often shoulder more adult responsibilities. It can result in poorer literacy and academic performance, and may lead to psychological issues such as depression and other conditions, CFS and NVPC said.

Contributing to the youth collective are a multi-national corporation, a Singapore firm, non-profit groups and researchers, CFS deputy chief executive officer Joyce Teo said yesterday. More details will be available when the project is launched later this year.

CFS and NVPC also released yesterday a 17-page guide on closing the gap for disadvantaged youth.

The youth collective is an early initiative sparked by Colabs, a series of discussions beginning last year that gathers disparate stakeholders across the social service sector to exchange ideas, including philanthropists, businesses, non-profit groups and sector experts. Colabs is led and funded by CFS and NVPC.

Explaining the need for it, NVPC Director of Strategic Partnership Darrel Lim said that, among other things, these discussions are designed to “uncover gaps in the current system and collectively devise ways to plug these gaps”.

“The challenge lies in what we call ‘wicked problems’, or very complex problems, that don’t lend themselves very well to any single party’s intervention. The only way to solve them is to bring together various parties and look at how we are working currently to serve beneficiaries, what are some of the problems that still exist, and why they exist despite everybody’s work,” he said.

Besides obtaining inputs from experts, beneficiaries and donors, the Colabs process involved a field trip and a poverty simulation exercise.

Following this first Colabs series, a second one ending in May looked at how to help those with disabilities. A third will focus on seniors. Spin-off projects from these series are likely to be announced later.

“There is information out there, but it is disparate,” said Ms Teo. “What we try to do is eventually distil that and say, there is something that we can do, and how can we go about doing it.”

“Collaboration is the way forward as the scale, scope and complexity of social issues today make it impossible for a single player or the Government to solve alone,” she added. Read more

Read the Colabs media release here.

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The competition was organised by City Harvest Community Services Association and received support from FUN! Fund, a Community Impact Fund jointly established by the Community Foundation of Singapore and the Agency for Integrated Care, with the aim of addressing social isolation among the elderly.

Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Communications and Information & Ministry of National Development Mr Tan Kiat How attended the event. He encouraged the elderly to stay physically and mentally well, as well as urging them to participate in community activities and enjoy their golden years together.

Learn more about FUN! Fund at https://www.cf.org.sg/fun-fund/.

 

The programme provides the children with a non-threatening platform to connect with peers and have positive conversations. In addition, it exposes them to different people who can assist to broaden their perspectives.

L.S., a volunteer with the Reading Odyssey programme @ Spooner Road

中心“常胜将军”胡锦盛:比赛限时反应要快

现年92岁的胡锦盛是最年长的参赛者。自2017年退休后,他几乎每天都到活跃乐龄中心报到,从此爱上了玩拉密,每次可玩上三个小时,在中心是“常胜将军”。

Picture of admin bluecube
admin bluecube

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book.

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