Resources

A woman in a scrub suit stands confidently in front of a hospital, ready to provide medical care.

A call to continue rallying together

Thank you to everyone who have generously supported the community-driven Sayang Sayang Fund. We have far surpassed our initial target of $500,000! This was made possible with help from many private individual and corporate donors who donated to the fund directly or set up their own fund-raising pages.Transport vouchers have already gone out to healthcare professionals in hospitals and polyclinics. We will soon be supporting other community healthcare staff and charities serving those who have been impacted by precautionary measures due to COVID-19, such as vulnerable seniors and low-income families.

An Asian family enjoying quality time together, sitting on the lush green grass in a serene park setting.

The Community Foundation of Singapore to lead legacy giving initiative

The Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) will be leading the legacy giving initiative and partnering with key stakeholders to grow the giving culture in Singapore.As Singapore’s only community foundation, CFS is fortunate to build on over 11 years of experience, to bring donors, charities and other stakeholders together. Donors have already trusted CFS with over $160 million in donations. More than one-third of these are legacy gifts, which are used to support causes across different sectors, including health, education, research, arts, social and welfare services.

Healthcare professionals in scrubs engaged in a variety of tasks.

Sayang Sayang Fund – Let’s do more together!

The Sayang Sayang Fund has reached our initial target of $500,000!A big thank you to our generous donors, who helped us reach this amount in less than seven days.

The Community Foundation of Singapore launches new Sayang Sayang Fund

The Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) has established Sayang Sayang Fund to provide support for frontline healthcare workers as well as vulnerable communities impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.“Many people have approached us asking how they can help. They want to recognise and show appreciation to the healthcare staff who work tirelessly during this period of the novel coronavirus outbreak. As the only community foundation in Singapore, we are best placed to connect donors and community partners, and come together to support the needs of the communities,” said Catherine Loh, CEO of CFS.

Four women standing together in a room with a table, engaged in a conversation and displaying a sense of camaraderie.

Impact lives through savvy giving

Make savvy giving a legacy in your life: that was the clarion call to around 100 donors, charities and partners at the Community Foundation of Singapore’s (CFS) Lunar New Year lunch held in February.“Being savvy in giving is about going beyond the usual traditions of supporting general fundraising campaigns, to deliberately taking charge of generosity,” shared Christine Ong, Chairman of CFS in her opening speech, “It’s about planning and thinking deeply about how to create a powerful effective result, to improve things and impact lives.”

A man sleeping on a bench in a subway station.

How to tackle homelessness in Singapore? Try some empathy for a start

By Joyce TeoEarly last year, when a call for volunteers came for the first nationwide street count of the homeless in Singapore, I was probably one of the fastest to sign up.

A man and woman proudly display an award at a charity transparency and governance event, symbolizing their recognition for outstanding achievements.

Governance is a continuous journey for charities

By Trillion SoEARLIER 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.

CFS posing with their awards at the Charity Transparency and Governance Awards 2019

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

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 AwardCFS 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.

An Asian woman (Catherine) gracefully seated on a vibrant red and black couch, exuding elegance and poise.

Three donor trends shaping giving in 2020 and beyond

Widening social inequality, an ageing population, and climate change – these are the issues that frame our world, as Singapore celebrates its bicentennial year in 2019. Yet alongside these social challenges, we’re also reminded of our long history of philanthropy in tackling local community needs. Take for instance, the recent 200 Years of Philanthropy in Singapore at the Temasek Shophouse, where it was heartening to see philanthropy being celebrated as a vital thread in Singapore’s success story.But how will local donors continue to contribute to Singapore’s future? With the number of high-net-worth individuals here expected to grow by 22% to 250,000 by 2023, philanthropy is at an inflection point. We’ve already seeing broader shifts in our donor landscape: donors are getting younger; more Singaporeans are becoming socially aware, and technology is empowering new modes of giving.

A snapshot of the innovative charities index, showcasing the dafs, a new concept in the philanthropic world.

The Business Times: DAFs still quite new concept: charities index

SINGAPORE was among the top 10 most generous countries in 2018 – according to CAF World Giving Index published by Charities Aid Foundation, a British charity – with 58 per cent willing to donate money to a charitable cause.However, according to calculations by the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS), a non-profit organisation that encourages and enables philanthropy in Singapore, just 1.1 per cent of total giving in Singapore in 2017 was to donor advised funds (DAFs), as it is still a relatively new concept.