Held on 22 February 2024 at Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre, NVPC’s first-ever City of Good Summit brought together more than 500 leaders and representatives from diverse sectors, including individuals, businesses, non-profits, and public sector representatives. Throughout the Summit, participants engaged in enlightening presentations, dynamic panel discussions, and valuable networking opportunities.
The Summit served as a catalyst for redefining philanthropy and charting a course toward a more responsive, innovative, and inclusive future of giving in Singapore.
In a rapidly changing era, our evolving perspective on society is propelled by economic, geopolitical, and environmental challenges. This prompts a growing sense of collective responsibility, urging diverse sectors to unite for a shared future. The heightened awareness of our interconnectedness underscores the critical importance of cross-sector collaboration.
There’s a rising momentum to rethink societal contributions, aiming to uplift and empower all. This journey towards inclusivity ensures no one is left behind, with every contribution shaping a better world. Designed for leaders and innovators, the Summit fostered innovation and fresh perspectives, aligning with the Forward SG vision.
Read on to discover more and dive deep into the speakers, presentations, and discussions that unfolded!
The Summit kicked off with NVPC Chairman Seah Chin-Siong delivering the opening address, and underscoring NVPC’s mission to inculcate giving into Singapore’s DNA.
He articulated NVPC’s commitment to fostering a City of Good, a dynamic endeavour aimed at realising a nationwide ethos of generosity. Highlighting giving as a transformative journey, he emphasised its reciprocal benefits, enriching both recipients and givers while inspiring onlookers, enhancing their well-being.
Recognising the Summit as a pivotal nexus, he emphasised its role as a platform for collaboration, offering opportunities for individuals, businesses, and governmental entities to unite, innovate, and address community challenges. Through collective action, leveraging intangible assets such as one’s time, talent, and passion, tangible and positive outcomes can be realised for the betterment of society.
Minister Edwin Tong, who serves as the Minister for Culture, Community & Youth and Second Minister for Law, spoke next, emphasising the significance of individual contributions in fostering a culture of giving. He highlighted the importance of leveraging collective strengths across various sectors to generate positive impact, thereby fuelling the momentum of the SG Cares movement.
Minister Tong also addressed the evolving philanthropic inclinations of Singaporeans, notably with the introduction of the Overseas Humanitarian Assistance Tax Deduction Scheme (OHAS) unveiled in Budget 2024. This scheme allows Singaporeans to claim full tax deduction, up to 100 percent, for donations supporting overseas humanitarian relief efforts.
Our distinguished Keynote Speaker, Scott Harrison, Founder and CEO of Charity:Water, delivered a moving and inspiring narrative detailing his personal journey, motivations, and vision behind the nonprofit organisation he established in 2006.
With over 700 million individuals worldwide lacking access to clean water and 2 billion depending on fragile water systems, the ramifications on living and personal health are profound.
While the global water crisis is daunting, he emphasised that it is a surmountable challenge. Through advancements in technology for water purification and sustainable water production, the provision of clean water to underserved and disadvantaged populations is not only achievable but vital.
Scott shared compelling anecdotes of Charity: Water’s impactful projects, the dedicated individuals driving change, and the countless lives transformed and saved through their efforts.
NVPC CEO Tony Soh spoke next, addressing the transformative potential of philanthropy, emphasising its capacity to instigate positive change at individual, organisational, and societal levels. He advocated for a reimagining of philanthropy as a pervasive and ingrained practice, identifying five key avenues for engagement: Time, Talent, Treasure, Ties and Testimony.
The concept of philanthropy is evolving beyond mere financial contributions, activities, and programs. NVPC’s vision of a City of Good transcends traditional notions of charity, emphasising that philanthropy and giving should become ingrained social norms, integrated into daily life and accessible for all to participate in.
Our second Keynote Speaker, Rebecca Marmot, Chief Sustainability Officer at Unilever, took the stage next, sharing insights on Unilever’s sustainability journey. She shed light on how an increasing number of individuals are seeking sustainable lifestyle and product options, necessitating businesses to embrace smarter frameworks for innovation and new operational approaches.
For instance, Unilever has put sustainability at the heart of its business model, and this has also proven to be a key performance driver for the company – it delivers growth, generates cost savings, reduces risk, and helps the organisation attract and retain talent.
Rebecca also highlighted the collaboration between Unilever and NVPC for the Purpose for Growth program, which mentored Small & Medium Enterprises (SMEs) to become agents of positive change for both people and the planet – all while growing their own businesses.
The Summit’s morning session concluded with a panel discussion featuring Suhaimi Zainul-Abidin, CEO of Quantedge Capital and NVPC Board Member, Shee Tse Koon, DBS Group Executive & Group Head of Consumer Banking Group and Wealth Management, and Teoh Zsin Woon, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Permanent Secretary (Development), Public Division.
CEO of Make-a-Wish Foundation Hazlina Abdul Halim facilitated as the session moderator.
The panel shed insights into how for instance, the private sector brings a fair amount of purpose and sophistication to the culture of giving. While philanthropy may be a broad definition, for eg, to improve the well-being of others, for the public sector it goes beyond just policies, towards the goal of creating community and building capability.
Measuring impact is vital too, but it is something that the different parties within a collaboration need to discuss together, especially on outcomes for a long-term impact.
The panel emphasised on charities’ need for guided upskilling which can be achieved through corporate skills-based volunteerism. For companies, it is important to optimise resources to enhance community impact and company efficiency. The public sector can play a role too, through 3 areas in advocacy, collaboration, and capacity building.
To check out more content from the City of Good Summit 2024, head over to our City of Good Summit 2024 Videos playlist on our You-Tube channel!
