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CFS wins two awards at the Charity Transparency and Governance Awards 2019

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Home Resources News CFS wins two awards at the Charity Transparency and Governance Awards 2019

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CFS wins two awards at the Charity Transparency and Governance Awards 2019

John Doe

CFS wins two awards at the Charity Transparency and Governance Awards 2019: The Charity Governance Award – Special Commendation for Governance and Management – and the Charity Transparency Award

CFS is honoured to have won the Charity Governance Award – Special Commendation for Governance and Management – as well as the Charity Transparency Award. Conferred by the Charity Council, we were privileged to be amongst a select line-up of outstanding charities that were recognised for exemplary disclosure and transparency practices at the Charity Governance Awards dinner on 3 December 2019.

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Group of elderly sitting around a round table

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Three young men playing soccer on a field, displaying teamwork, agility, and passion for the sport.

Changi Foundation – Helping youths to realise their dreams

About the Charity Transparency and Governance Awards 2019

A total of 67 charities, including CFS, were conferred the Charity Transparency and Governance Awards for their overall excellent transparency and governance practices.

In addition, CFS was among the seven charities that won the Charity Governance Award.

The Charity Transparency Award was first launched in 2016, to recognise charities with good disclosure practices that the Charity Transparency Framework recommends.

Inaugurated in 2012, the Charity Governance Award recognises charities that have adopted the highest standards of governance, in line with the Code of Governance for Charities and IPCs.

Exemplary governance and management practices

CFS is governed by a board of eminent professionals, selected via a rigorous process, who serve pro bono. They work closely with CFS’s management to steer the organisation in realising our strategic vision. Our Board has set up several committees, with recognised experts as members, to ensure the organisation is run optimally with transparency, aligned with our mission and purpose. Since our inception, CFS has continuously invested significant resources to exceed expectations in governance, compliance and management. Part of the training process for board and staff is to highlight the importance of acting according to the highest standards.

Sharing our lessons

Over the past years, our Board and staff have worked hard to ensure that we maintain these high standards across the organisation and in daily work. CFS’s steady growth in the last decade is testament to the trust donors and partners have placed on us, as well as the dedication of our staff.

CFS is honoured to attain this accolade and will be happy to share our experience other charities going forward. We found it especially useful to work closely with our auditors, who have provided valuable guidance and support. Charities can also draw on the helpful resources provided by the Commissioner of Charities and the Charity Council in Singapore, which we highly recommend.

Looking ahead

We are thankful to our partners and donors who trust our professional expertise to meet their giving goals. We are so grateful to our Board of Directors and committee members for their dedicated oversight and support.

“Ours is a business built on trust. Good governance is integral to our success and that of our stakeholders. We will not rest on our laurels but continue to improve and innovate to ensure continued confidence in CFS,” said Catherine Loh, CEO, CFS.

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John Doe

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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Opinion

Governance is a continuous journey for charities

John Doe

By Trillion So

EARLIER this month I attended the Charity Transparency and Governance Award dinner organised by the Charity Council. It was a proud moment for the charities that received the Charities Transparency Awards (CTA) 2019, which ranged from small, medium to large, all 67 of them.

I sit on the board of Community Foundation Singapore (CFS) and chair its Audit and Risk Committee (ARC). CFS received the CTA for the Large Category and Special Commendation Award (SCA) 2019 for Governance and Management.

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Bright moon illuminating serene city park.

The Funding Network (TFN)

As the ARC chair of CFS, I felt a sense of achievement; at the same time recognising that this could only be done with the focus and team work between management, staff, board and board committee members. As a winner in the Large Category, CFS was up against many worthy, well-established organisations with a bigger staff strength. This shows that good governance, transparency and management, can be achieved by everyone, as long as the right ingredients are present.

There is no one magic ingredient. Some key considerations are:

Consider the size, age, purpose, funding model and future growth plans of the organisation first;

Which aspects of good governance are critical now, and which will become important in three years’ time?

Identify skills, resources and people needed to effectively implement new or changed governance and management processes/systems; and

Plan and coordinate any changes within appropriate timeframes – a practical timetable for phasing in new practices is better than hasty reaction

Corporate governance is a journey towards building trust and confidence with key stakeholders, alongside having a mindset of acting with integrity. The beauty of a journey is that you never stand still. You will strive for continuous improvement and enhancement. Improved governance will result in improved public image and transparency, which then motivates the community to give more time and money, and ultimately increase the benefits of the beneficiaries.

Reflecting on CFS’s journey, the board members are of diverse backgrounds and set the right tone from the top. Management takes all recommendations from internal auditors and the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) very seriously.

I recall one of the reviews by MCCY a while back revealed that CFS did not have an Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) framework. Management immediately embarked on a project assisted by an external consultant to adopt ERM.

With the ERM, it is very clear which are the top risks, what can be done to mitigate the risks and whether any new risks have emerged so that actions can be taken to reduce the risks. It was not a one-off effort, but a continuous and purposeful deployment of ERM, up to today, which yielded results. The Audit Committee then transformed into the ARC from that point onwards, to ensure there is focus on both audit and risks. This is just one example of the continuous enhancement culture that is important for good corporate governance.

What’s next for the charities after receiving the CTA 2019? How do they continue on this corporate governance journey? What should they do differently?

One area that will disrupt business as usual for charities is: new technologies and the digital economy. Charities are starting to use Blockchain technology to ensure donors’ monies are spent on the right programmes and right recipients, including visibility and impact monitoring. Board members of charities need to think about their digital strategy and the risks involved in going digital.

CYBER RISK

Cyber risk is very real and can destroy the reputation of a charity and negate the good work it is doing, bringing it to a standstill if not properly managed. As an audit partner, I have noticed that cyber risk is fast becoming the top risk in most organisations. The Code of Governance issued by the Charity Council requires charities to build up their image to be consistent with its objectives and so charities will have to think of performing vulnerability assessments and penetration tests where applicable.

If charities tap on this area, they will increase productivity and enhance governance. Charities can harness the power of data analytics to perform continuous monitoring, gain insights and highlight areas to investigate. For example, in the area of procurement and payments, insights such as duplicate payments, split payments, early or late payments, and similar bank accounts between vendor and staff, will be red flags worth following up. The beauty of data analytics is that it combs through 100 per cent of the data and can be done continuously. Once set up, it can improve efficiency and effectiveness of internal controls, and is a great tool of oversight.

However, most charities would not have the expertise to start a data analytics programme and it may be costly too. I echo what Grace Fu, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, said in her speech at the Charity Transparency and Governance Awards. She mentioned that charities and the community should collaborate to serve Singaporeans better, and to engage new partners and harness community resources.

There is a call, therefore, for people with technology, digital, data analytics and cybersecurity skillsets to step up and volunteer in the charities sector to help make a difference. Perhaps the CSR programmes of corporates should include placing their people with such expertise to sit in charity boards or committees, as well as collaborate in the partnership with charities and government.

I also hope that the recipients of the CTA Awards pay it forward by mentoring other charities in the corporate governance space, and for larger charities to play a bigger role in the charities sector, especially in the technology and digital space to enhance the corporate governance more efficiently and effectively.

The writer is partner at PwC Singapore and board member of Community Foundation of Singapore, where she also chairs its Audit and Risk Committee

Source: Business Times © Singapore Press Holdings Limited

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John Doe

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

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News

Media release: CFS launches community impact fund to raise marginalised groups’ participation in the workforce

John Doe

Partners with social enterprises and charities to concurrently provide WSQ*-certified vocational training and social support.
Targets for 60% of participants to attain sustained employment**.

Singapore, May 23, 2019 – The Community Foundation of Singapore (“CFS”) has launched a new community impact fund to address social exclusion from the country’s workforce. Called the LIFT – short for Learning Initiatives for Employment – Community Impact Fund, it will support programmes that provide vocational training for marginalised groups in Singapore and place them in jobs in the open market.

The programmes are targeted at four marginalised groups – persons with disabilities, persons recovering from mental illnesses, disadvantaged women and youth-at-risk. Its focus is on helping them navigate and overcome barriers to securing sustained employment. This is done through equipping and supporting them with both hard and soft skills for obtaining and maintaining jobs in the food and beverage industry. The programmes may be expanded to span more industries in the future.

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Wheelchair-bound individuals enjoying a day at the zoo

Outing for Seniors Community Impact Fund – Bringing seniors out to improve their well-being

A woman tenderly assisting another women lying in a bed, providing care and support to ensure their well-being.

Migrants Emergency Assistance and Support (MEANS) Community Impact Fund – Helping migrant worker in need

“Marginalised groups have largely been excluded from the labour market because of various stereotypes, stigmas and prejudices. This often leads to economic and social vulnerability that follows them for life. We hope to pilot new pathways to help the vulnerable make a living, improve their self-esteem and become more involved in society,” said Joyce Teo, Deputy Chief Executive Officer at CFS. “LIFT meets this need in a holistic manner by concurrently providing participants with technical training, social support and job coaching to help them manage socio-emotional and financial stressors while they learn and work. Ultimately, the aim is to help them get and stay employed with the help of the community.”

The fund aims to support an initial 90 participants with a total of 12,600 hours of WSQ-certified vocational training (over a three month period per participant on average), as well as 5,400 hours of job matching, job placement and on-the-job coaching support. This works out to an average of 140 hours of vocational training and a further 60 hours of post-training support each. During the training phase, participants will also receive ongoing social support from charity partners to minimise or resolve family and/or other issues that may otherwise derail their learning.

Potential participants will first be identified and referred by IPC (Institute of a Public Character) charities, and then assessed in terms of attitude, aptitude as well as potential for employment. Successful candidates will then be trained by one of two social enterprises working alongside CFS as programme providers – Project Dignity will train participants for kitchen and service jobs while Bettr Barista will train participants to be baristas, and both will also provide job attachment opportunities during the training phase.

CFS aims for around 65% of participants to complete the training phase and for around 60% of graduates to be successfully placed into employment in open market conditions for at least three months – a milestone predictor of an individual’s ability to stay in sustained employment with regular income. To track the efficacy of the programmes, programme providers will, where possible, keep in touch with the participants for up to two years.

The establishment of the LIFT Community Impact Fund was catalysed by discussions that arose on the back of Colabs, an initiative by CFS and the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre that drives collaboration by bringing together the public, private and social sectors to learn and co-create solutions to tackle complex social issues in Singapore. Specifically, LIFT was sparked by talks with participants in a Colabs series that ran in the second half of 2017 and focused on persons with disabilities. The range of marginalised groups that stand to benefit from LIFT has been broadened to also include persons recovering from mental illnesses, disadvantaged women and youth-at-risk as there are considerable overlaps between these groups.

A guide providing practical ways to help persons with disabilities has been developed based on insights derived during the Colabs sessions. It outlines some of the challenges facing persons with disabilities, especially after they turn 18. These include the lack of employment options and opportunities for meaningful social interaction. It then suggests collaborative solutions targeted at three different levels – programme, organisation and sector. More details can be found on pages 9 to 14 of the guide, which can be downloaded here.

While an anchor donor has already been secured to seed the LIFT Community Impact Fund, CFS is looking to raise funds to cover the estimated S$528,000 required to support the programmes. Potential donors who wish to contribute to LIFT can visit Giving.sg or write to CFS at contactus@cf.org.sgfor more information.

CFS’s community impact funds help address unmet needs or under-supported causes in Singapore. Through collaborations with charity partners to identify gaps and co-develop programmes, these funds enable the disadvantaged to lead better lives with the support of the community at large. CFS currently has three other community impact funds – MEANS (Migrants Emergency Assistance and Support), Outing for Seniors and Safe Home.

(Photo: Bettr Barista)

* Workforce Skills Qualifications **For at least three months, a milestone predictor of an individual’s ability to stay in employment with regular income.

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John Doe

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

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Events

Donor Learning Trip – St Joseph’s Home’s Inspirational Inter-Generation Programme

August 7, 2024

At CFS, we work closely with over 400 well-governed charities to link donors to programmes that achieve meaningful impact. With our deep experience, we understand the importance of improving lives through community initiatives. St Joseph’s Home (SJH) is a good example of this.

About St Joseph’s Home (SJH)

SJH is a not-for-profit organisation set up by the Catholic Welfare Services in 1978 to provide shelter, care and love for the aged and destitute, regardless of race or religion.

Since then, SJH has innovated to pioneer unique models of care that meet the community’s evolving needs. This includes the hydrotherapy, night respite care for persons with dementia and the co-located Infant and Childcare Centre (ICC).

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Set up during the covid-19 pandemic, Sayang Sayang Fund raised $9.7m over three years, supporting over 400,000 lives
应疫情设立 Sayang Sayang基金三年筹970万元惠及40万人

SJH’s beautiful premise is situated at the heart of the Jurong Innovation District. It has wheelchair-accessible playgrounds, walkways and community spaces such as Café Verona and Funhouse to encourage chance interactions. Spaces are also configurable to accommodate structured programmes that require more privacy and comfort.

An Intergenerational Care Community

In August 2017, SJH pioneered Singapore’s first intergenerational community with an Infant and Childcare Centre (ICC) co-located in a nursing home.

Infants as young as two months old to children up to age six get daily opportunities lasting 45 to 90 minutes to interact with nursing home residents. Children and residents engage in activities such as shared newspaper reading, puzzles, LEGO building, singing and storytelling.

These interactions form part of the children’s curriculum, where they learn about culture, and pick up motor and literacy skills. They also form part of the resident’s daily care, which is made possible only because of the close collaboration between the ICC and the clinical team of SJH.

Our donors were recently invited to visit St Joseph’s Home and witnessed their recently-launched intergenerational art therapy programme. Joy was evident on the faces of both residents and children as they waved to one another.

Gladys and Nathan (children on the right) learning about the dragon boat festival with Mdm Quek* (resident on the left)

Intergenerational Programmes as a Therapeutic Intervention

With all the buzz around intergenerational programmes (IGPs), here’s what sets SJH apart.

Every programme has a therapeutic outcome and St Joseph’s Home Infant and Childcare Centre teachers work closely with SJH’s clinical team to develop IGPs that:

Resonate with both generations
Intentionally facilitate conversations and relationship-building
Have therapeutic outcomes such as improve mood and increased social wellbeing

Our visit coincided with the fifth of eight sessions conducted by an Occupational Therapy Assistant. Residents and children were collaborating on a calligraphy painting.

Mdm Tan*, one of the participants who had been hesitant to join social activities, is observed laughing and making eye contact with Estelle, the spritely five-years-old that she’s paired with.

Estelle (left) sharing a conversation with Mdm Tan* (right). She has learned to move closer to Mdm Tan as the resident is hard of hearing.

Another resident, Mdm Wee*, has shown remarkable improvement, eating better and faster on days when she meets the children.

It’s inspiring to hear about Mdm Wee’s progress. She used to take two hours for lunch, often breathless and discouraged, preferring to stay in her bedroom. Now, after just a few sessions, she’s more motivated, energetic, and engaged, even asking about the children. She can now finish her meal in half an hour

Imelda Anthony, Principal of St Joseph’s Home Infant & Childcare Centre

The donors of CFS witnessed the energy within the group and comfortable interactions. These took hours to foster, and cannot be justly put in words.

Developing such results is an art. It calls for a careful integration of the medical and psychosocial needs of the residents, their unique interests and the developmental stage and disposition of the child that they’re paired with.

Teachers need to be equipped with an understanding of the residents and constantly communicate with the therapist before and throughout the IGP to ensure that the therapeutic outcomes are met.

Intergenerational Programmes as Education

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” – Aristotle

Since its inception in 2017, the teachers at St Joseph’s Home Infant and Childcare Centre have focused on investing in the character of the children. Empathy, kindness, and respect are not just taught but also demonstrated.

Children observe the staff and teachers interacting with residents, learning to respectfully gain the attention of those who may be weak or frail. They also practise handling wheelchairs and being considerate in their movements and volume around residents.

During the IGP, children will progressively pick up the residents’ names, interests, or areas in which they might need help with. For example, children might help residents by repeating instructions closer to their ears or uncapping the tools that require more fine motor skills.

Intergenerational Programmes as an Innovative Care Model

As pioneers in integrating the preschool curriculum with elderly-inclusive activities, SJH has learned and experimented along the way, all while remaining committed to their vision of providing person-centred, dignified care.

Their experience has since inspired other organisations. Looking ahead, SJH envisions the intergenerational programme as an integrated part of person-centred, holistic care for elderly residents. They continue to experiment with various programme types and structures, monitoring their impact and collaborating with research partners.

How You Can Help

St Joseph’s seeks $150,000 annually to run the programme, which involves childcare teachers, music, art, and occupational therapists that serve 20 children and 40 to 60 elderly residents. To find out how to become a CFS donor, click here.

*Names changed to protect confidentiality.

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Stories Of Impact

2020 Annabel Pennefather Award winners Eunice and Wai Yhann: How perseverance and determination helped two young women become champion athletes

John Doe

Every year on the 8^th of March, the world celebrates the efforts and achievements of all women both past and present with International Women’s Day. This year, we honour a sports icon, lawyer and woman of the year in 2004 – the late Annabel Pennefather, who was a trailblazer in every sense of the word.

Annabel was a former national hockey player, former Vice-President of Singapore National Olympic Council, former President of the Singapore Hockey Federation, a pioneer of women sports administrators in Singapore and a champion of women in sports globally.

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“As her long-time friend, I remember Annabel to be an elegant and warm lady. She combined her passion in sports with her skills as a lawyer to develop Sports Law, its rules and practices both in Singapore and internationally,’’ reminisces Arfat Selvam, Managing Director of Duane Morris & Selvam LLP.

‘’Annabel helped to raise the standards of governance in sports. It is befitting that IWF should honour the memory of a well-loved member by having this award in her name to promote the excellence in sports among our young women.”

Annabel’s legacy continues in the form of the Annabel Pennefather Excellence Award, which is presented annually to two female graduating student-athletes between 16 and 25 years of age, who have outstanding sports achievements. The award honours Annabel and her achievements in encouraging and empowering women in the field of sports.

Funded by International Women’s Forum (IWF) Singapore Education Grant, which is managed by the Community Foundation of Singapore, the Grant aims to recognise deserving young women with character and the commitment to achieve in their respective fields.

“With quiet confidence, fierce intellect and ever disarming charm, Annabel helped women in Singapore transcend their boundaries through her own experiences as a sportswoman. She always gave her best always to her family, work and country,’’ recalls Melissa Kwee, President of the IWF and friend to the late Annabel.

‘’IWF Singapore is grateful that her example and inspiration lives on in the lives of the recipients, whom I am sure she would encourage to simply be their best self.”

Besides sporting excellence, recipients of the award should demonstrate strong leadership, passion, integrity, moral character and conduct, and community spirit. The winners of the 2020 Annabel Pennefather Excellence Award are Au Yeong Wai Yhann and Eunice Lim Zoe, two young women who have demonstrated such excellence in their sporting fields.

It was Eunice Lim’s family that provided a nurturing catalyst for the young sportswoman to grow into her table tennis shoes at a young age.

‘’I picked up table tennis because I saw my brother playing against the wall when he got back from his school CCA training. I got curious and asked him to let me try it out and since then, I fell in love with this sport and have never stopped playing since,’’ Eunice remembers fondly.

Being a student-athlete, it was also a challenge for Eunice to maintain that delicate balance between doing well in school and training for competitions.

‘’I recall having to juggle both my studies and sports during major competitions seasons. It was not easy, as I did not take any breaks from school on both occasions. I knew I had to give 200% during my limited training sessions, knowing that my opponents are definitely clocking more training sessions than I can,’’ Eunice mulls in retrospect.

Eunice’s persistent efforts did eventually reap impressive rewards, bagging the 2018 bronze medal in the 11^th South East Asian (SEA) Championship and a bronze medal in the 2019 Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship.

Winning the Annabel Pennefather award was an important milestone for Eunice, who had grappled with thoughts of quitting table tennis whilst transitioning to university.

‘’I had thoughts of giving up the sport at some point because I felt that I was not achieving much. However, winning the Annabel Pennefather award really acted as a source of encouragement and gave me one of the many reasons to strive on. It reminds me that one’s effort will be recognised, as long as we put our heart and soul into the things that we love.’’

The Annabel Pennefather Award serves as a reminder that encouragement and acknowledgement is a powerful and indelible source for young athletes in their path towards excellence.

For 21 year old squash athlete Au Yeong Wai Yhann, it was her family’s loving support and an early exposure to different sports that gave her the confidence and techniques to create a solid foundation.

Despite strong support from her parents and a good head start in physical sports, it was still a challenge as a student athlete to study for her International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations and compete for the SEA Games and Marigold Squash Championships, where she won medals in both competitions.

‘’My goal to perform well in both the tournaments as well as my IB examinations motivated me to keep pushing and working even harder. And so, I was extremely pleased to have won 3 medals – two silver and one bronze – in the 2019 SEA games as well as be crowned the Womens’ National Squash Champion in 2020 because I knew it was a result of many years and hours of hard work and sacrifices.’’

Having won the Annabel Pennefather Award has reminded the young athlete as to how fortunate she has been able to pursue the sport that she loves, and also a motivation for her to continue striving for greater heights and inspiring her juniors to chase their dreams.

“Always believe in yourself. You are stronger than you think, and can achieve anything you set out to do, as long as you are willing to work hard for it. But in the midst of it, remember to take little breaks and reward yourself – self-care is extremely important to keep you going.”

“My hope is to see the sport scene grow and see more youths pick up and compete in sport. Sport is not just about winning or losing. The journey of training and competing itself allows one to develop strong values such as perseverance and discipline, as well as forge many friendships with others. It provides opportunities for all and so I hope that more kids will engage in it.’’