PARTNERSHIP STORIES

Homeless during the pandemic: how our Sayang Sayang Fund responded with agility

When Singapore locked down during the pandemic, homelessness became a visible, urgent issue. Cross-border commuters and people that had lost their housing due to irregular income or family conflict joined the rough sleepers who scrape by on the margins of our society.But with any crisis, there is an opportunity to make things better. In this instance, the authorities and social service organisations moved quickly, joining forces to provide temporary shelters. “The rapid expansion of overnight shelter capacity – from around 60 places at the start of 2020 to a peak of 920 during the circuit breaker – was a considerable feat and evidence of what can be achieved with bureaucratic will and an active civil society,” notes a new study called Seeking shelter: Homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore.

Fewer homeless people sleeping on S’pore streets last year; city area has highest number

The number of homeless people in Singapore fell slightly last year, at a time when homelessness was on the rise in many countries amid the Covid-19 pandemic.But the issue of homelessness also became less visible, as more people who would have slept on the streets went to stay at temporary shelters.

a person pushing a person in a wheelchair

Bank of Singapore partners Community Foundation of Singapore to provide clients with philanthropy services

Bank of Singapore, the private banking subsidiary of OCBC Bank, has partnered with non-profit organisation Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) to provide its clients with philanthropic services.With this partnership, CFS will work with the bank’s clients to translate their interests, values and goals into philanthropic strategies that meet giving goals of the clients and match the needs of the local community. To develop these strategic giving plans, CFS will use insights from its Charities and Grants team and consult its philanthropy advisors.

cfs and bank of singapore memorandum signing ceremony

CFS signs Memorandum of Understanding with the Bank of Singapore

The Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) is pleased to share that we have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Bank of Singapore. Through this collaboration, Bank of Singapore clients can partner with CFS, where we will provide them with the expertise and insight into Singapore’s charitable landscape to support their clients’ philanthropic goals and make an impact in local communities. The MOU aims to inspire philanthropic giving to help address the social and environmental challenges in Singapore.The photo was taken at the MOU signing ceremony between Bahren Shaari, CEO of Bank of Singapore and Catherine Loh, CEO of The Community Foundation of Singapore. The ceremony was witnessed by Theresa Cheong, Head of Partnerships of The Community Foundation of Singapore and Zubin Dabu, Market Head & Chair of Bank of Singapore ESG Forum. Fund raising appeals will not be conducted by Bank of Singapore for CFS.

Join CFS as we do our part for SG Giving Week 2021

The Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) is pleased to be a part of SG Cares Giving Week 2021, co-driven by NVPC, NCSS and Singapore Cares.Discover how giving can give you purpose, hope and life. Start by giving your Time, Talent, Treasure, Voice to support the causes you are passionate about, in all ways, big and small.

a group of people wearing face masks walking in on the streets

CFS is 3rd largest philanthropic foundation in Singapore

They were immigrants who became titans of industry and philanthropists in their own right. Now the legacies endowed by and named for some of Singapore’s richest tycoons – the Lee, Lien and Shaw foundations – continue to be some of the biggest givers to charity here.All three were among Singapore’s 10 largest philanthropic foundations, according to a report released last month.

Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) Family Office Circle Webinar: Philanthropy in Singapore and the Region

The Community Foundation of Singapore’s (CFS) CEO, Ms. Catherine Loh, was invited to speak at a virtual closed-door Family Office Circle event titled Philanthropy in Singapore and the Region on the 22nd of July, organised by the MAS-EDB Family Office Development Team[1] in partnership with the Asia Philanthropy Circle (APC) and CFS.The event was attended by 55 international and local participants, involving single family offices and family foundations who had either set up or are setting up a presence in Singapore.

Collaborative Giving to build Community Mental Health Champions

The Community Mental Health Champions Initiative, a collaborative project by the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) and Empact and supported by our corporate partner. It aims to recruit, train and retain 1,000 community mental health champions. Through this initiative, we will build a pool of mental health champions. These champions will actively support the sandwiched generation with a listening ear and signposting to professional services when needed – helping more people prevent or access support for mental health issues.The Community Mental Health Champions Initiative is carried out in two phases – Design Phase and Implementation Phase. During the design phase, eleven organisations will come together for a series of workshops to share their knowledge and build a collaborative understanding on issues regarding mental health and how to equip these champions. These eleven organisations are Be Kind SG, Bettr Lives, Caregivers Alliance, Community of Peer Support Specialists, Growthbeans, Loving Heart, O’Joy, Psychological Initiative, SG Assist, Singapore Anglican Community Services, Singapore University of Social Sciences.

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.

Family relaxing on couch, on a magazine. (Singapore Tatler Upfront)

Singapore Tatler: Kith and Kin

The family behind Naumi Hotels and Rang Mahal Restaurants, Surya, Ritu and Gaurang Jhunjhnuwala, shares how its late patriarch Shyam Sundar Jhunjhnuwala’s spirit of entrepreneurship and giving lives on through the generations with the S S Jhunjhuwala Charity Fund established with the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS). With philanthropic advice from CFS, the family continues its patriarch’s legacies and focuses on education, welfare initiatives, as well as health-related issues for underprivileged women and children in Singapore. Read more.Courtesy of Singapore Tatler, February 2019