CHILDREN Archives

The breakfast huddle with Catherine Loh: A group of individuals gathered around a table, engaged in a morning discussion.

Start a donor-advised fund: plan your giving flexibly and sustainably

CEO Catherine Loh goes on Money FM 89.3 to speak about the donor-advised funds.Elliott Danker: Funds such as DAFs are especially needed during the current COVID-19 pandemic because that’s where you have more people in need. Many charities have shared that donations have been falling.

"Explore The Straits Times charity news page, highlighting philanthropic efforts and inspiring stories."

Charitable funds boost donations in a tough year for giving

SINGAPORE – More wealthy people are setting up charitable funds that give at least six-figure sums to their chosen causes.There were 143 donor-advised funds set up with the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS), disbursing $20.2 million to charitable causes in the non-profit organisation’s financial year that ended in March.

Many pedestrians walking on a bustling city street, surrounded by tall buildings and bustling activity.

S’poreans donated $90m in first five months of 2020, equal to whole of last year’s donations

SINGAPORE – Singaporeans have stepped up to help those in need and those most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.From January to May this year, $90 million was donated to the Community Chest, the Community Foundation of Singapore’s Sayang Sayang Fund which was set up in February, and through online donation platform Giving.sg.

CEO Catherine Loh goes on MONEY FM 89.3 to speak about the Sayang Sayang Fund with Michelle Martin

Michelle: Let’s start with CFS and the work that it does. How does it support charities and why did the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) start the Sayang Sayang Fund?Catherine: The Community Foundation of Singapore is also a charity. We were founded in 2008, and our main objective is to inspire philanthropy in Singapore. We do that by helping donors achieve a greater impact with their giving in communities through charitable funds. Donors can establish their own funds or if they wish, they could support one of the Community Impact Funds that we’ve started up.

A man in a wheelchair kindly holds a ball for an elderly woman, showcasing compassion and support.

Sayang Sayang Fund continues to appeal for donations

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

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

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

A four-week ‘circuit breaker’ is the latest challenge to hit Singapore, as a pre-emptive strategy to curb the spread of COVID-19. As students transition to over three weeks of learning at home, about 7,000 children will miss access to food they would normally get in school, compounding difficulties in continuing their education at home.As mentioned in Parliament by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Mr Heng Swee Keat on 7 April 2020, CFS today bolstered efforts to generate support for the Sayang Sayang Fund (SSF). Donations to this fund will complement the work of local public health, non-profit and government entities with emergency support.

Young learners sitting on the classroom floor, participating in educational exercises.

Let us continue to sayang our community

We have been overwhelmed by the generous show of support for our community-driven Sayang Sayang Fund; from private individual and corporate donors who donated to the fund directly or set up their own fund-raising pages, we have far surpassed our initial target.We have given out transportation vouchers to hospitals and polyclinics and are now looking to support vulnerable communities especially impacted by COVID-19’s precautionary measures.

A woman and two girls, wearing joyful expressions, pose happily in front of the camera.

Celebrating women who give in different ways

It is seldom that we honour the accomplishments of women who give their all without asking anything in return, whose humanitarianism managed to achieve great success against all odds.International Women’s Day is one such day of reflection and remembrance of the efforts of women all around the world, both past and present. It looks back on the struggles of women from the past like Rosa Parks, the ‘first lady of civil rights’, who strove for an equal and fairer society to empower the women of the future.

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.

A diverse group of individuals gathered around tables in a well-lit room, engaged in conversation and collaboration.

Partnership with the Asia Philanthropy Circle: The pitch for social inclusivity

By Genevieve Ding of APCOn 10 January 2019, the Asia Philanthropy Circle (APC) convened a Singapore roundtable on the topic of ‘Inequality’. This time, to spur dialogue to action, APC, in partnership with the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS), selected three intervention initiatives which aim to promote social inclusivity in Singapore, and organised a pitch session to invite member partnership and funding of these projects.

CHILDREN