[SINGAPORE] What do ride-hailing company Grab, construction firm Scatech Engineering and property developer Wee Hur have in common?The families behind these companies have turned to donor-advised funds (DAFs), set up through government-affiliated non-profit Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS), to engage in structured legacy giving for generations to come.
Imagine you have led Singapore’s first expedition to the highest peak on the planet. You return home to nationwide acclaim and media attention. Everyone lauds your hard-won accomplishment and, not surprisingly, you feel invincible.But fate, as it turns out, has a capricious face. Imagine within weeks of your triumph, you succumb to a rare nerve disorder, which sends you to hospital for six months and leads to partial paralysis in both legs. How does one navigate such circumstances?
日前我受新加坡社区基金会邀请，出席一场主题为“基业长青——传承遗产，守护世代”（Built to Last——Sustaining Legacy and Stewardship Across Generations）的财富传承英语讲座。讲座汇聚企业家、法律及金融界代表，探讨的重点不是财富如何分配，而是制度如何完善、责任如何延续。这个题目让我印象深刻且深有感触。在中文语境中，我们谈“传承”，往往首先想到的是财富、产业或地位的延续；而在英文中，“Stewardship”一词，原意是“受托管理”，应用到财富传承中，它所传达的精神，是财富的持有人并非永久的拥有者，而是被赋予管理与延续责任的人。财富与资源的真正价值，更在于被妥善管理并代代传递。
全国筹款平台“强大社会集体项目”推出一年多以来，新加坡社区基金会与公益金已通过53个捐赠者筹得超过800万元，为低收入弱势家庭提供支援。文化、社区及青年部代部长兼教育部高级政务部长梁振伟星期三（7月9日）在三巴旺伟林小学召开记者会宣布上述成果，同时表扬11名个人和机构捐赠者，包括纳丹教育提升基金、胜科工业的Energy for Good Fund，以及新中1990年建交后的首个新移民社团天府会。
SINGAPORE – A new initiative to raise funds to support lower-income families and boost social mobility has collected over $8 million in donations in its first year.The Collective for a Stronger Society brings together government agencies, community partners and donors to support lower-income families and complement the Government’s efforts in this area.
As the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) approaches 17 years of enabling meaningful giving and enters a new chapter, we have unveiled our refreshed brand identity and a renewed Vision and Mission – marking a significant milestone in our journey to build a more generous, connected, and resilient Singapore.“Singapore’s philanthropic landscape has evolved significantly in the last decade, so it’s timely for CFS to take stock and reflect on how far it has come and where it wants to go. In a process that took a year, CFS’s leadership team worked with its Board and staff to reexamine and validate why giving is an important societal virtue, and how growing the giving pie translates to stronger, happier communities.” said Mr Paul Tan, CEO of CFS.
The Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) enters a new era with the appointment of Mr Paul Tan as Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 April 2025. This marks a significant leadership transition for Singapore’s most established community foundation, as outgoing CEO Ms Catherine Loh steps down after 13 years of dedicated stewardship.Paul joined CFS in August 2024 as Chief of Staff for Strategic Planning and Finance, bringing with him years of public sector and media industry experience, including leadership roles at the Singapore Tourism Board and National Arts Council. He holds a PhD from Nanyang Technological University and has served on various government and philanthropic committees. Prior to joining CFS full-time, Paul also served on its Programmes and Grants sub-committee.
This article was contributed by Paul Tan, CEO of the Community Foundation of Singapore, and published by The Straits Times.A group of white-haired men and women, including one in a wheelchair, have clustered in a room and are focusing on plastic balls flying in the air. Inside each ball is actually a drone operated by a senior and the participants are trying to outmanoeuvre each other and get their drones into the circular goal. Although this is just a training session, there are broad smiles when someone scores and the occasional shout of “Goal!”
On 7 February 2025, the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) welcomed over 200 donors, charity partners, and friends to our Annual Chinese New Year Appreciation Luncheon at Paradox Singapore Merchant Court Hotel.As we celebrated the festive season, we also reflected on the impact we’ve made together – thanks to the generosity and commitment of our community.
A foundation named after Singapore-born coal tycoon Low Tuck Kwong is the top private giver in a list of Singapore’s 10 biggest philanthropic organisations in terms of donations given.The Low Tuck Kwong Foundation, set up in December 2022, gave $127.6 million in 2023 to educational and healthcare causes.
