• Key stakeholders across the non-profit, corporate and public sectors gather to align and exchange views on how to build a better shared future through the work of volunteerism and philanthropy.
• The summit also celebrates the completion of the Project V pilot on corporate volunteering, as part of the State of Play 2024.
Singapore, 22 February 2024 – In an effort to mobilise key partners in the giving landscape in Singapore to step up collaborative giving and build a better shared future together, the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) held its inaugural City of Good (CTOG) Summit today at Suntec City Convention & Exhibition Centre. Focusing on NVPC’s City of Good vision, the summit aims to be a key convening platform in Singapore’s giving landscape. It aims to do so by catalysing the 3Ps (people, public and private) sectors to co-create long-term innovative solutions for the needs of the community, through collaborations and partnerships forged through the event.
With Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth & Second Minister for Law, as the guest of honour, the CTOG Summit drew more than 500 distinguished guests. This year’s theme, ‘Philanthropy Reimagined: Charting the Future of Giving in Singapore,’ seeks to explore fresh perspectives on philanthropy to include different acts of giving by different parts of society.
Mr Tony Soh, CEO of NVPC, set the stage for the day’s event by challenging the attendees to reimagine the concept of philanthropy, as part of the journey in redefining the giving landscape. He further elaborated on NVPC’s strategy to partner the 3P sectors in four key strategic areas: Company of Good, Digital Giving, Non-Profit Leadership and Collaborative Impact.
Said Mr Soh, “Through this inaugural summit, NVPC, in closer collaboration with our stakeholders, is stepping up by broadening and aligning giving efforts at the national level. Through perspectives and insights shared today, we hope this will be the first step in reimagining the role and contribution of philanthropy in Singapore, in which Everyone gives their Time, Talent, Treasure, Ties and Testimony (5Ts) Everyday and Everywhere (3Es). By bringing together the people, private, and public sectors, we will collaborate to create a more caring, inclusive and compassionate Singapore that embodies our City of Good vision, in support of the Forward SG movement.”
The summit’s theme is further reflected in the programme lineup, featuring a diverse range of perspectives from local and abroad.
Mr Scott Harrison, Founder and CEO of Charity: Water, delivered a keynote on the story behind the international charity, demonstrating how one can utilise ties and testimony to advocate for positive impact across continents.
His presentation was followed by a keynote speech by Ms Rebecca Marmot, Chief Sustainability Officer of Unilever, who explained how corporate purpose enables a business to be transformed on a fundamental level – not only for the betterment of society and the environment, but also to achieve profit through purpose. The MNC also recently partnered with NVPC on the ‘Purpose for Growth’ programme, in which 16 local SMEs were mentored by Unilever leaders to kickstart their sustainability journey.
The first panel of the day explored the nexus of doing good between different stakeholders in society. Featuring panellists who are seasoned professionals across the people, public and private sectors, such as Mr Suhaimi Zainul-Abidin (CEO, Quantedge Capital and NVPC Board Member), Ms Teoh Zsin Woon (Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Permanent Secretary (Development), Public Service Division) and Mr Shee Tse Koon (Group Executive and Group Head of Consumer Banking Group and Wealth Management, DBS), and moderated by Ms Hazlina Abdul Halim (CEO, Make-A-Wish Foundation). The panel explored how individuals and organisations in their respective positions are able to give back to the community.
The second panel explored the potential and impact of giving beyond monetary means from a local lens. Featuring panellists who are active and renowned givers in Singapore, such as Ms Dipa Swaminathan (Founder, ItsRainingRaincoats), Mr Malcolm Chen (Founder, Ageless Bicyclist) and Ms Nabillah Jalal (Co-Founder, ArtSee), the panellists shared their inspiring experiences in Singapore on how they are helping those in need through different areas of focus.
The CTOG Summit then wrapped up with sharings by Ms Sara Lomelin (Founding CEO, Philanthropy Together-Giving Circles) and Mr Neil Heslop (CEO, Charities Aid Foundation). They brought their unique experiences in galvanising philanthropy from beyond Singapore. Ms Lomelin elaborated about starting Giving Circles in the United States while Mr Heslop talked about his role in galvanising communities across different countries globally to promote giving.
Through the enriching and diverse perspectives that were carefully curated for the full-day summit, NVPC hopes to start a shift in mindset in the philanthropy space, to encourage an increased participation from different stakeholders to give collaboratively, in order to build a better shared future for all.
Conclusion of Project V Pilot: Recognising the impact of corporate volunteerism
Demonstrating an example of collaborative giving, Ms Sun Xueling, Minister of State for Ministry of Home Affairs & Ministry of Social and Family Development, officially announced the conclusion of the Project V corporate volunteering pilot during State of Play 2024, held in tandem with the CTOG Summit. The pilot initiative builds on the summit’s theme to broaden the definition of philanthropy, conducted in collaboration between NVPC, the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) and the SG Cares Office in the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY).
Launched on March 2023, the pilot project aims to encourage corporate employees to commit to sustained and regular volunteering to serve individuals & families in need. Key enabling factors for successful volunteer partnerships include having dedicated volunteer managers, appointment of Corporate Social Responsibility representatives or committees, robust volunteer management practices, and strong leadership support. These will facilitate high participation among staff and collaboration between the corporates and social service agencies.
Professional services organisation, EY, which provided pro-bono facilitation and insights for Project V, identified 16 key success factors that affect the success, scalability and sustainability of corporate volunteerism projects. The full report of the study will be later shared with the public by Q2, 2024.
Said Ms Tan Li San, Chief Executive, National Council of Social Service, “Project V has highlighted the value of corporate volunteerism, in bringing the talents and assets of corporates to enable social service agencies to better serve communities in need. This is only possible with strong volunteer management practices as social service agencies need to design volunteer roles to be meaningful and to sustain their engagement with volunteers. Throughout 2024 which MSF has designated the Year of Celebrating Volunteers, we want to celebrate volunteering and the impact that volunteers make on the lives of others.”
Ms Jill Wong, Senior Director, Resilience and Engagement Division, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, said, “The Project V pilot was an effort to build sustained partnerships between corporates and social service agencies. We will build on the experience and lessons learned from this pilot to support more corporates and their employees through engaging in sustained and regular volunteering. All of us play a part in making Singapore a better place. Helping those in need is one way and we hope to make volunteering opportunities more accessible and meaningful for all, including working adults, through initiatives like Project V.”
Said Mr Liew Nam Soon, EY Asean Regional Managing Partner and Singapore and Brunei Managing Partner at Ernst & Young Solutions LLP, “This project has been an incredible opportunity to delve deep into the mechanics of successful corporate volunteerism. We are excited to share these findings later this year, and hope these will guide and inspire other organisations to kickstart or accelerate their volunteerism efforts. This study underscores EY’s commitment to fostering a culture of corporate responsibility and brings our purpose of building a better working world to life.
The celebration of Project V’s pilot completion and the unveiling of its preliminary report findings by EY will took place during the State of Play 2024.
The State of Play offered a dynamic platform to connect social service agencies to corporate organisations to foster meaningful and impactful partnerships. More than 10 social service agencies (SSA) participated in the event, with the aim of connecting the SSAs to potential corporate partnership projects and fostering networking opportunities.
