The National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) held the second City of Good Summit 2025 on 27 March 2025. Bringing together over 1,000 leaders and changemakers from the people, private, and public sectors, the event was a platform to strengthen partnerships, catalyse connections, and inspire action. In support of SG60, this year’s Summit placed a greater emphasis on collaboration by calling for diverse segments of society to come together to build a more caring, inclusive, and compassionate Singapore.
Mr Seah Chin Siong, NVPC Chairman, shared in his welcome address, “Just as no one can build a thriving society alone, it is through collective action—where each of us contributes in our own way—that we create something greater than ourselves. This is precisely why the City of Good Summit is aptly named. The vision of ‘A City of Good’ can only be realised if we come together and synergise our efforts. The Summit is a unique platform as it provides an opportunity to rally partners from the people, private and public sectors to leverage one another’s unique strengths for collective impact.”
Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law, was the Guest-of-Honour for the Summit and spoke about strengthening Singapore through volunteerism and philanthropy in our next phase of development.
He said, “It is an opportunity for us as we commemorate SG60 to think about what we want for our Singapore in the future. What kind of Singapore do we want to build, and how do we do it collectively? We believe that true progress cannot just be measured in economic terms or technological advancements.
“It is in the strength of our social fabric, our own individual resilience, our own collaborative partnerships that makes Singapore special, and create an inclusive society where no one is left behind. And to make sure we don’t just say that we want to build a society where no one can be left behind, what if we define ourselves, not by how successful we are, but we define ourselves by how much the last person in our society has progressed? If we take on that lens for SG60, we look at that for the City of Good and as our objectives, I think we can go far.”
In his keynote address, Mr Piyush Gupta, CEO of DBS Group shared insights about purpose-driven leadership and the fine art of balancing the dual purpose of advancing core organisational needs while contributing to a society.
He said, “How should companies have relevance for the long term and fulfil their social role? Many companies believe the idea of doing good and being a company for good is having a good CSR practice on the side, or giving donations, or doing some philanthropy. Certainly, all these are worthwhile pursuits and should be done.
“But in reality, if you want to be a company for good, you have to embed the fundamentals of purpose into the fabric of the business. Purpose needs to be reflected in the core of the business you do, and the day-to-day actions you perform. It cannot be something done independently and on the side. This question of purpose is central to the very existence of all firms – why are you relevant to the world, to society? What real need are you serving? A critical question for firms to ask is – if you did not exist as an entity today, who and what will suffer? As a corporate, you must be clear about the real value that you bring to society.”
Looking Ahead: NVPC’s Vision for 2025
Mr Tony Soh, CEO of NVPC, shared,“This year, our Summit theme is “Nurturing the Heart of Singapore Together”. The Heart of Singapore represents the spirit of our people, that brought us from mudflats to metropolis. The grit, resilience and spirit of collective responsibility also helped us overcome the COVID-19 pandemic, the crisis of a generation, and enabled us to emerge stronger as a nation. Therefore, a critical aspect of this next phase of nation building is strengthening our Spirit, the Heart of Singapore.”
He also outlined the key strategic plans and initiatives of NVPC for 2025 as the national agency with the mission of growing a culture of giving in Singapore. He presented the organisation’s strategic roadmap, emphasising a renewed focus on:
- Company of Good: Strengthening corporate giving and purpose-driven business practices.
- Digital Giving: Expanding accessibility and innovation in online philanthropy, through giving.sg.
- Non-Profit Leadership: Building capabilities and sustainability within the non-profit sector.
- Nurturing the Next Generation of Givers: Shaping hearts and minds at an earlier age, and developing a strong and sustained pipeline of givers who will contribute to society in different ways
The full-day event also featured other segments:
- Fundraising Forum: The inaugural forum gathered more than 300 fundraisers, funders, and foundations gathered to exchange insights, address fundraising challenges, and collaborate for greater impact.
- State of Play (SOP) 2025: Returning for its third edition, the trade fair-style exhibition attracted 60 community partners. SOP continues to bridge the gap between corporates and non-profits, fostering meaningful partnerships that drive social impact.
- BAGUS Together Groundup Evening: Themed around partnerships, this was a platform for groundup leaders and changemakers to appreciate current partners and explore potential collaborations.
