Opinion

Leaving a Legacy for Future Generations

Opinion

Home Resources Opinion Leaving a Legacy for Future Generations

Opinion

Leaving a Legacy for Future Generations

John Doe

Legacy giving is a powerful way to inspire and enable future generations to create a better Singapore. By including a donation to charity in your financial and estate plans, you can ensure that the causes and communities you cherish continue to thrive. A recent survey showed that more than 60% of respondents would leave a legacy gift to help others in the community, but only 20% of respondents knew how to make a legacy gift. We hope this article helps demystify legacy giving.

What can you give?

As part of planning a legacy gift, you could choose to give:

Cash via a will
Non-cash assets such as marketable securities (publicly traded shares, bonds and unit trusts) via a will
Portion of CPF monies via CPF nomination
Portion of the insurance payout via insurance policy nomination

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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.

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Who can you give to?

Whether you have a diverse range of charitable interests or a particular cause in mind, you can leave your legacy gift to The Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS). CFS’s grantmaking expertise and exemplary governance standards ensure that your legacy gift will be in safe hands, enabling you to make a difference just as you have planned. Alternatively, you could also leave your legacy to a specific charity of your choice.

How do you plan an estate gift to CFS?

To leave a legacy gift from your estate to CFS, you could specify the gift in your will, or nominate CFS as a beneficiary of your CPF monies or insurance policy. Dr Ang Beng Ti and Dr Audrey Looi plan to leave their legacy gift to CFS in their wills, in order to set up an endowment fund that will support the charity iC2 PrepHouse well beyond their lifetimes. You can read their inspiring story on our website or watch their story on YouTube.

What is a memorial fund?

A memorial fund is a fund that is named after a loved one to commemorate them and continue supporting causes close to their heart. Dr Lim Boon Tiong’s daughters understood how passionate their father was about urological cancer research, palliative care and eldercare, so they established a donor-advised fund in his name with CFS using a bequest from his will. Read about how CFS helped the sisters to carry on their father’s legacy.

Is it possible to start making an impact now and still leave a legacy gift later?

Yes. CFS makes it easy for you to give both now and later. You can establish a donor-advised fund to start your philanthropic journey now. Once your fund is started, it is simple to make supplementary gifts over time directly or through a will or nomination. David Lim is an example of a passionate philanthropist who plans to do just that.

Legacy giving is a way for everyone to leave a Greater Gift that will benefit generations to come. Learn more about legacy giving and read more stories about people who have chosen to make a Greater Gift at https://legacygiving.sg/

Related Topics For You: DONOR STORIES, DONOR-ADVISED FUND, OPINION

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Events

[Webinar] Facilitating Philanthropy: Taxation, Structures and Legacy Giving

John Doe

We would like to give a big thank you to the Law Society of Singapore and the Singapore Management University’s Centre for Commercial Law in Asia for inviting our CEO, Ms Catherine Loh, to be a part of the panel for the Facilitating Philanthropy: Taxation, Structures and Legacy Giving webinar.

Lunar New Year 2018 – Celebrating a decade of growing giving to impact

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Stories Of Impact

Shining a light on early childhood literacy

John Doe

Our donors have long been a pillar of support for the charity SHINE Children and Youth Services, especially their Reading Odyssey. This programme builds reading skills and confidence in disadvantaged children. CFS is commemorating 15 years of giving and this story is one of a three-part series that highlights the strong relationships CFS has fostered with charities over the years.

While most children in Singapore are able to read when they start primary school, some have very limited literacy skills. This could be due to challenging personal circumstances or undiagnosed learning difficulties in their earlier years. The problem is that this limitation immediately sets them back from their peers academically.

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Bright moon illuminating serene city park.

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Reading Odyssey to the rescue

SHINE Children and Youth Services bridges this gap through a volunteer-supported reading programme called Reading Odyssey. The programme struck a chord with us at the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) and with several of our donors keen to support educational causes. It goes beyond nurturing skills like word recognition. It also builds confidence and hope for these children, who tend to suffer from low self-esteem.

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

“Through CFS’s strategic efforts in garnering support from funders, the programme was able to partner with more community groups and agencies to expand its reach from four to seven communities in 2018,” notes Geraldine Low, Director of SHINE’s Educational Psychology Service.

By 2022, this empowering initiative had grown to cover 13 communities, benefitting over 800 primary school students. It amassed a formidable pool of over 800 volunteers, who patiently guide the children with their reading, widen their exposure to genres and topics, and spur them to become lifelong learners. Reading Odyssey also draws on learning support experts to provide specialised guidance to children who may have conditions like dyslexia.

A partnership that works

It can be a challenge to seek support for children in the community with learning or reading difficulties that are ‘hidden’ and whose needs are easily misunderstood. We appreciate CFS who has been open and committed to journey alongside the team to seek clarity on needs and programme intervention, provide feedback, and actively position the programme to relevant funders.

Geraldine Low, Director of Educational Psychology service, SHINE

CFS’s partnership with SHINE dates back to 2010, during our formative years as the nation’s first community foundation. The charity, founded in 1976, provides an array of services including educational psychology, school-based social work, therapy and mental health. To date, a total of 105 contributions amounting to over $5.5 million have been made by generous CFS donors.

“The donations from CFS have provided a stable and reliable source of funding. This has allowed SHINE to continue operating and delivering vital services to children and youth without interruption,” says Geraldine, adding that the money has also helped SHINE develop new initiatives and explore innovative approaches to their programmes.

A common vision

The powerful work done by SHINE falls under one of our five focal areas for grant making: Accessing Quality Education. We believe holistic, quality education can help break the poverty cycle for low-income families and improve social mobility. We partner with a wide range of charities and educational institutions to help every child receive a good, well-rounded education.

For donors who want to make a difference in early childhood education, we introduce them to programmes like Reading Odyssey, which advances child literacy as well as social inclusivity in Singapore.

“By pooling knowledge and experiences, initiatives that are evidence-based, culturally sensitive and tailored to the unique needs of the beneficiaries can be designed and implemented,” says Geraldine.

That is why SHINE hopes to continue working closely with CFS and to explore long-term funding strategies with CFS, so it can make even more of a lasting impact.

We are proud of our long-term relationship with SHINE and are committed to working with like-minded charities to create a greater impact on the lives of children in underserved communities under the CFS cause Accessing Quality Education.

CFS is celebrating our anniversary throughout 2023—15 years of empowering donors to make a meaningful impact. Since our inception in 2008, we have received over S$292 million in donations in Singapore and disbursed over S$157 million in grants to over 400 charity partners.

To discover how you can make a difference, please visit www.cf.org.sg/contact-us/get-in-touch/

Related Topics For You: DONOR STORIES, DONOR-ADVISED FUND, OPINION

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Opinion

Four ways to give back through the arts

John Doe

To put things into perspective: giving to the arts means more than just supporting a company’s artistic endeavours – support for the arts helps build a more inclusive society and brings benefits to the community in many ways.

Many of Singapore’s artists, art companies and institutions are passionate about social causes, and make it part of their mission to give back through the work they do. These efforts often go beyond cultivating art appreciation, to include efforts to reach out to the less privileged, nurture the young and bring the joy of the arts to a wider audience.

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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

To help navigate the dynamic field of the arts, we have identified key areas in which the arts is making strides within the local community:

Arts education
An arts education is considered vital in helping children develop creativity and imagination – key skills to thrive in the future economy. These efforts can be bolstered by supporting spaces for early arts exposure, such as the Keppel Centre for Art Education at the National Gallery Singapore, or access to dedicated arts training and programmes as exemplified by The Rice Company, Art Outreach Singapore and Playeum.

Alongside their artistic season, many local arts companies have also developed outreach programmes for children and youths, including Singapore Repertory Theatre, The Necessary Stage, Odyssey Dance Theatre, The Fingers Players, The Theatre Practice, TheatreWorks and Temenggong Artists-In-Residence.

Active aging
Empowering our seniors to lead meaningful, active lives is a priority for Singapore, and the arts can play a significant role. Events such as the National Arts Council’s Silver Arts Festival have demonstrated how the arts offer seniors a safe space to try new activities, and also a platform to engage their minds through enjoying a performance or work of art, as exemplified by Beautiful Mind Charity which runs free concerts at various elderly homes. The Singapore Chinese Orchestra plays to patients and healthcare workers in hospitals and care centres through its ‘Caring Series’ to provide the healing touch through music.

Others like contemporary dance outfit The Arts Fission Company have channelled art towards practical benefits. The company runs Everyday Waltzes for Active Aging, a programme which utilises movement to help the elderly maintain strong core muscles and reduce their risk of falling.

Mental health
In some instances, the arts contributes to the mental health of different segments of our society by helping to recognise and bring deep issues to light. Take for instance theatre company Drama Box, which develops theatrical work mirroring our social fabric. The company has worked with many marginalised and underserved groups, including migrant workers, out-of-school youths and the elderly, and continues to use theatre to explore important social issues from mental health, dying, resilience and identity.

Special needs
The arts celebrates the value of every human being, making it a natural fit when it comes to engaging individuals with special needs and disabilities. Superhero Me, a ground-up inclusive arts movement turned charity, has been championing the power of art to bring joy and empowerment to children from needy families and those with special needs.

Arts companies can also use their expertise to give back. Contemporary dance company RAW Moves runs A Little RAW, an inclusive children’s dance company bringing dance to children with special needs, while Beautiful Mind Charity has been offering free professional music education to children with disabilities since 2014.

Photo: National Arts Council

Related Topics For You: DONOR STORIES, DONOR-ADVISED FUND, OPINION

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Stories Of Impact

Giving back through art

John Doe

When Lebanese painter Marie-jose Jed was looking to adopt a charity for her art exhibition, a chance conversation with a friend turned into an opportunity to collaborate with the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS).

Having lived in Singapore since 2008, Marie-jose believes in giving back to the place she now calls home. “Singapore has given me so much. The least I can do is to give back in any way I can,” she said.

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Celebrating the journey home through music

Imbued with a strong sense of social consciousness, the self-taught artist has also volunteered with the Red Cross in Lebanon, participated in charity auctions and collaborated with Deutsche Bank for their Dream Beyond charity programme in Singapore.

In seeking out a potential charity to collaborate with, CFS attracted her due to its understanding of community needs. “I love the fact that CFS is so diverse – that CFS doesn’t work with just one kind of charity but covers many needs,” said Marie-jose.

Reflecting her travels, memories and passion for the region, in late 2019, Marie-jose exhibited a collection of paintings, Symbols of Asia, featuring numerous iconic symbols found across Asia at the Fullerton Hotel, Singapore.

While discussing possible beneficiaries for her exhibition proceeds, CFS’s Outing for Seniors Community Impact Fund emerged as an appropriate fit – marrying Marie-jose’s artistic background and benefiting local communities through art.

10% of exhibition proceeds will go towards the Outing for Seniors Fund. The fund enables seniors and their caregivers to visit places around Singapore, including museums and other places of beauty such as Gardens by the Bay.

On giving back as a way of life, Marie-jose said, “I live life with a tiny objective. Every year, I look back and ask myself what I have done to make a difference to the lives of others. If every person lived with tiny habit, I believe the world will be a better place.”

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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