News

National Legacy Giving initiative to inspire philanthropic culture in Singapore

News

Home Resources News National Legacy Giving initiative to inspire philanthropic culture in Singapore

News

National Legacy Giving initiative to inspire philanthropic culture in Singapore

John Doe

Private philanthropy has an important role to play in providing much needed support for the community. The Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) kicks off this initiative today with “A Greater Gift” campaign, to boost awareness and drive conversations for legacy giving and its value to the community.

According to a Social Pulse Survey 1, there is a disconnect between awareness and action when it comes to legacy giving. While the majority of respondents (83%) flagged awareness on what legacy giving is, only 33 per cent is considering legacy as a means of giving, but only 3 per cent would take action.

Tertiary-educated adults with autism receive training for jobs in engineering sector

Children happily sitting on the floor, smiling and radiating joy.

Around 7,000 school children in need of support for meals

picture collage of audrey, beng ti, hian and nadia

Leaving a legacy of giving

CFS’ “A Greater Gift’’ campaign, which is digitally-led, will run over the next three months, inviting individuals, professional advisors, and charities to consider ways a legacy gift can provide meaningful support and leave a lasting impact. As part of the campaign, CFS has partnered with ambassadors to highlight the causes they support, capturing what inspired their interests in a particular cause and the legacy they wish to leave.

Going forward, CFS will work with professional advisors by providing them with resources to help them ignite conversations with clients. We will support charities, especially the smaller ones, which may not be equipped to engage legacy donors.

Legacy gifts can be broadly defined as planned, future donations to charities. While up to the individual, the gift can be cash, marketable securities, insurance payouts, CPF monies and marketable assets. Individuals looking to support a cause over a period of years can establish a donor-advised fund (DAF) with CFS, to manage grant distributions

CFS was selected to lead the Legacy Giving Initiative with its strong track record and deep experience in advisory and grant making. As a neutral entity not attached to a specific cause, CFS complements the philanthropy landscape by bridging donor intentions to causes and charities.

Mr. Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law said, “Legacy giving enables Singaporeans to leave a lasting and meaningful gift to society. We hope that more Singaporeans will consider planning their donations for the future, as it can help support our charities, and spread the spirit of SG Cares across generations. Thank you to the Community Foundation of Singapore for leading the Legacy Giving Initiative, and encouraging Singaporeans to contribute to a more caring and inclusive society.”

CFS Brand Ambassadors

Dr. Audrey Looi and Dr. Ang Beng Ti – An eye specialist and neurosurgeon respectively, this husband and wife duo have made it their mission to equip children with low-vision with skills and resources. After personally experiencing a gap in supporting their son who has a degenerative eye disorder, they committed to supporting the visually impaired via iC2 PrepHouse.

Nadia Ahmad Samdin – A lawyer whose own personal journey of receiving financial assistance in school has led her to championing support for at-risk youth and their families, who will particularly benefit from having steady care.

Dipa Swaminathan – A lawyer and TEDx speaker, her passion to improve the welfare of migrant workers here has led her to set up social initiative ItsRainingRaincoats in 2015, which has especially increased society’s kindness and compassion for this community at the height of the pandemic.

Hian Goh – An entrepreneur and venture capitalist who wants to contribute to the future of society by identifying the next big game-changers and creating opportunities for innovators to reach their full potential.

Kris Tan – A philanthropist dedicated to empowering the arts in Singapore. She set up a charitable fund with CFS, Kris Foundation, in 2009 to support young classical musicians in Singapore and will expand it to the wider arts community.

About Legacy Giving

The legacy giving campaign is part of a three-year Legacy Giving Initiative (LGI). This campaign will highlight that everyone can contribute to the community through a legacy gift, either through CFS or directly to a charity. The LGI will build awareness by helping individuals understand the ways to give and the value of planned gifts to charity. It will also support professional advisors working with clients and charities engaging their donors in philanthropy conversations. CFS is well placed to drive this initiative.

As Singapore’s only community foundation, it is a neutral philanthropy resource with experience in grantmaking advisory. Visit legacygiving.sg

1The Social Pulse Survey was started in 2016 as an on-going survey carried out by The Ministry for Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) to gather Singaporeans’ opinions and involvement with regard to matters such as sports, arts, culture and community living. Each month, about 500 interviews are conducted face-to-face with randomly selected households, and residents aged 15 and over across Singapore. The survey sample is representative of Singapore’s resident population.

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

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”。

Related Topics For You: CHARITY STORIES, DONOR STORIES, DONOR-ADVISED FUND, LEGACY GIVING, NEWS

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.

Stories Of Impact

Seniors Colabs learning journey #2: Wellness Kampung – entrusting the community to care for itself

John Doe

On the second learning journey for Seniors Colabs, a small group of participants met early on a weekday morning to observe how a community space called Wellness Kampung in Chong Pang estate can be designed and run by residents.

Set up in April 2016, Wellness Kampung is a network of three activity centres in Chong Pang, Nee Soon Central and Nee Soon East. The network was launched as a partnership between Yishun Health, St. Luke’s ElderCare and Nee Soon Grassroot Organisation with one simple belief – that taking charge of one’s health is easier with the support of the community.

The Community Foundation of Singapore wins Charity Transparency Award for the Fourth Time

Group of elderly sitting around a round table

Family of Wisdom – Caring for persons with dementia and their caregivers

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

Changi Foundation – Helping youths to realise their dreams

The day’s programme began with an hour-long exercise session led by Madam Aneesa, 49, a resident who volunteered to learn and teach the Wednesday morning resistance band class. By mid-morning, the centre was a hive of activity as an army of ladies cooked up a storm in the kitchen, while at the other end of the room, residents recorded their blood pressure readings and compared their daily step count with pedometers. The centre was bright and airy, with doors on opposite sides of the void deck kept wide open. Residents came in and out, on their way to various parts of the neighbourhood.

Mr Woo Yew Kah, Centre Manager and its only paid staff, explained that residents are in charge of what happens and how the centre is run. “They have the key and they open and close the centre every day. Only when they quarrel, then I have to mediate,” he explains with a laugh.

Colabs participants were impressed with the high level of trust between management and community, which they felt played a key role in empowering the residents and sustaining the programmes over the long-run. Some also observed that the centre’s wellness goals are not overtly prescribed but rather seamlessly integrated into day-to-day activities, which made leading a healthy lifestyle more natural and enjoyable.

The learning journey presented new insights on how shifts in perspectives by funders and policy-makers can create a conducive environment for community-driven efforts. Leveraging the strength of individuals, such ground-up initiatives would then able to meet the needs of seniors more effectively.

Colabs is a philanthropic initiative by the Community Foundation of Singapore and the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre. It drives collaboration by bringing together the public, private and social sectors to tackle complex social issues. It enables philanthropists, businesses, non-profits and sector experts to collectively build insights and co-create solutions for lasting change.

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

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

Related Topics For You: CHARITY STORIES, DONOR STORIES, DONOR-ADVISED FUND, LEGACY GIVING, NEWS

admin bluecube

News

The Straits Times: She helps pupils with special needs cope in school

John Doe

by Nur Syahiidah Zainal, 3 October 2016

Just as school starts to wind down in the last quarter, Madam Tutek Alauyah Amir’s work picks up speed.

Her mind skips ahead to new pupils entering Tampines Primary School next year – specifically the ones with special needs like dyslexia, autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder – that she is gearing up to help.

Lighting the Way Together: CFS Celebrates Mid-Autumn Festival with the Association for Persons with Special Needs

Children dressed in bright costumes holding props while performing on stage

UBS Diversity in Abilities Concert – Celebrating the talents of children with special needs

Bright moon illuminating serene city park.

The Funding Network (TFN)

For her dedication, the 56-year- old, an allied educator for learning and behavioural support at the school, won the Leading Foundation Teacher Award (LFTA) last year. The LFTA, started in 2014, specifically recognises early childhood and special needs education teachers who have made a difference to their pupils. Read more.

Related Topics For You: CHARITY STORIES, DONOR STORIES, DONOR-ADVISED FUND, LEGACY GIVING, NEWS

admin bluecube

News

The Community Foundation of Singapore: Philanthropy, legacy giving; doing good and how to get involved

John Doe

Through legacy giving, making a profound lasting change to people’s lives might be easier than you think

Dr Lim Boon Tiong had a long and distinguished career as a doctor, and it shaped his interest in helping the elderly and those suffering from urological conditions. So devoted was he to his causes that he set aside S$24m along with a list of charities he wanted to help. And when Dr Lim passed on, his daughters Sylvia and Ivy Lim had to execute his will.

CFS Chairperson receives National Award for COVID-19 – The Public Service Medal

Healthcare professionals in scrubs engaged in a variety of tasks.

Sayang Sayang Fund – Let’s do more together!

A group pf individuals from CFS posing together

Singapore Tatler: Community Foundation of Singapore Celebrates 10th Anniversary

“Initially, we had many questions when we saw our father’s will. The Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) has put everything into a nutshell for us, so we are well-informed to make the right decisions,” said Ivy.

In 2018, the sisters set up the Dr Lim Boon Tiong Foundation, a donor-advised fund with CFS. It supports projects such as the Dr Joseph Lim Boon Tiong Urology Cancer Research Initiative at the National University of Singapore (NUH), which funds experimental research to help improve patient healthcare standards and treatment in urological cancer. Other beneficiaries of the initiative include Catholic Welfare Services (CWS), which runs three nursing homes, and Assisi Hospice, which provides inpatient and palliative care.

The gift to set up the donor advised fund is an example of legacy giving, a concept that is slowly gaining traction around the world. In 2018, charities in the United States received almost US$40 billion (S$54.7 billion) in legacy gifts. Likewise, in Singapore, CFS has managed S$67 million worth of legacy gifts to date. Planned giving is not limited to a simple donation of cash. It is a process where donors can make a more informed choice with their contributions, which can take many shapes or forms, including insurance payouts, CPF monies, marketable securities or real estate. One does not have to be a billionaire to make a lasting difference to the causes you hold dear to your heart.

As we grow more astute financially, we become more attuned to the importance of estate planning. The Wills Registry in Singapore registered 3,911 wills last year compared to 3,535 five years ago. Or perhaps, the prospect of an uncertain future and its consequences heightens our collective awareness of this need: earlier in the year before COVID-19 forced the country into shutdown, there was a marked increase in wills registered.

As part of a drive to raise awareness for legacy giving, CFS actively reaches out to professional advisors in the hope that they can appreciate the value of planned gifts and relay this passion to their clients. Advisors will also be better equipped to help clients who are already looking to give – options can be in the form of a donor-advised fund or a direct donation to support the needs of the community. Your advisors’ services will be critical, especially for pledges of complex assets.

To make the process more meaningful, it is good practice to speak directly with charities about the ways legacy gifts can support their work. Likewise, CFS is not the only option you have when considering which approach to take, and you should do your due diligence to find out what works best for you.

But if you decide to work with CFS, you are good hands indeed: founded in 2008 to encourage and enable philanthropy in Singapore and has to date, CFS has raised over S$185 million in donations. It currently manages over 150 charitable funds and works with more than 400 charity partners. CFS does not lean towards a particular cause, so they enable grantmaking across a wide range of organisations from those helping children, seniors or marginalised individuals to education, arts and even animal welfare.

As they are always working to identify gaps and opportunities within the community, the organisation is well-placed to help donors find suitable matches for their interests and maximise the use of their donations. CFS looks to do more with your giving; fostering a culture of effective giving and raising effectiveness through rigorous evaluation of the programmes. Planning your legacy gift now also ensures that your causes can receive donations in whatever manner you see fit, be it in the form of a perpetual endowment, or expendable gifts (i.e. a donated sum that can be spent down). Both are equally valuable.

If this is something that resonates strongly with you, perhaps now is the time to take the first step. Make a legacy gift for the greater good, and see how you can change lives with an act of kindness.

Source: Robb Report Singapore

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

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

Related Topics For You: CHARITY STORIES, DONOR STORIES, DONOR-ADVISED FUND, LEGACY GIVING, NEWS

admin bluecube

News

Sayang Sayang Fund continues to appeal for donations

John Doe

In less than one week, the Fund received $450,000 in donations and pledges of about $900,000
The Fund aims to raise $3 million by end of April

Last Tuesday (7 April 2020), the Sayang Sayang Fund relaunched fund raising efforts to raise another $3 million to meet evolving and urgent needs of the community to complement the work of local public health, non-profit and government entities with emergency support during the ‘circuit breaker’. This is in addition to the $1.1 million raised since its launch in February.

Ensuring A Brighter Future for Vulnerable Families and Children

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

Chief Executive Officer of the Community Foundation of Singapore, Ms Catherine Loh gave an update to the fund raising efforts, “In less than one week, thanks to donors from all walks of life, we have received $450,000 in donations. Of this, more than $100,000 was raised through online platforms like Giving.sg. In addition, CFS has received pledges of about $900,000. It is heart-warming that during this difficult time, Singaporeans continue to be generous and stand united to help those who are needy amongst us.”

Joining in to publicise the efforts of fund-raising were artistes like Taufik Batisah, Rui En, Joanna Dong, Irene Ang, Jeremy Monteiro, Gentle Bones, Simone Heng and Jack and Rai – who posted on their own social media platforms to encourage their followers to make donations.

Update on Recess@Home

One of the initiatives announced last Tuesday was Recess@Home, which aimed to provide immediate support for children from disadvantaged homes to have access to daily meals when they are learning at home during the national circuit breaker period.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) announced today that primary school students on the MOE Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) will receive a total of $60 each, while secondary school students on MOE FAS will receive a total of $120 each.

The Sayang Sayang Fund is happy to update that it will be partnering the Ministry of Education (MOE) and channel $500,000 to provide an additional support of $20 to primary school students. The School Smartcard can be used to purchase food and essential groceries at some hawker centres, food courts, minimarts, convenience stores and supermarkets.

Apart from the partnership with MOE, the Fund’s Recess@Home will continue to provide additional support to other needy students including those with special needs and in tertiary institutions.

New initiative: SeniorsOK@Home

The Sayang Sayang Fund has also confirmed a new initiative, SeniorsOK@Home, which it will embark on in partnership with the Agency for Integrated Care and healthcare-based charities. This initiative provides support for immediate and urgent aid to seniors stranded at home and in need of food, necessities and medical supplies. It also supports digital solutions, such as video conferencing, to continue delivering essential services for seniors at home and online recreational activities to minimise social isolation. In addition, it will fund precautionary measures such as disinfection and sanitisation of premises to maintain quality of care for charities who are providing essential community services to seniors during the circuit breaker period.

About Sayang Sayang Fund

The additional $3 million the Fund hopes to raise will support local charities and non-profits whose programmes and proposals meet three key objectives:

Support community-based emergency response funds that provide immediate and short-term support and relief for individuals and families from marginalised communities adversely affected by the COVID-19 situation.
Provide innovation solutions and research that address current and emerging needs and strategically fill gaps to combat the COVID-19 situation.
Build capabilities that transform operational and/or business continuity processes. This includes measures enabling charitable organisations to pivot service delivery and business models. The ultimate goal is to ensure that recipients continue to access essential support and assistance amid disruptions to programmes and activities.

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

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