salt_2007_01_02 by SALT NVPC

No. 19 Jan-Feb 2007

For Volunteers, Donors and Nonprofits

Hands On, Hands Off?

Exclusive SALT interview with the new Commissioner of Charities and the new head of the Charity Council

The Numbers Game KPMG engages the community

The Art of Leadership How to lead a volunteer organisation

Bling It On

Tai-tais do their bit for charity

contents

SALT No. 19 Jan-Feb 2006

ON THE COVER The big buzz in charity circles is just what the new Commissioner of Charities and head of the Charity Council have up their sleeves. In an exclusive interview, Andrew Duffy quizzes Mr Low Puk Yeong and Mrs Fang Ai Lian about their plans for the sector. Page 22.

DEPARTMENTS 2

LETTER FROM SALT & SALT TIPS

MAILBAG

Cover photography by Benjamin Yu of Studio One Photography.

NEWS BRIEFS A wrap-up of events, programmes and activities in the People Sector. PEOPLE MOVEMENTS Appointments and new postings in the People Sector.

11 VOLUNTEER PROFILE Full time motherhood and busy volunteer, Mae Anderson redefines what it means to be a super-mum.

The Quiet Philanthropist Michelle Bong asks whether individual philanthropists in Singapore are doing enough to complement the activities of the family foundations.

Strike the Pose!

The society ladies who organise fundraising events make it all look glamorous and frivolous but as Sakinah Manaff discovers, plenty of hard work and sweat goes on behind the scenes.

12 PEOPLE SECTOR PEOPLE How Danny Tan, the creative director of Odyssey Dance Theatre, believes that dancing can actually enrich lives.

13 WALK THE TALK

14 THE NATIONAL VOLUNTEERISM AND PHILANTHROPY AWARDS 2006 GALA DINNER The lights. The songs. The music. The incredibly talented performers. The timely recognition of deserving volunteers and philanthropic organisations. As our photo-spread shows, it was an incredible night!

KPMG’s long history of community partnerships proves that there is much more to life than just counting numbers.

21 NEW SALT The central message of WE Foundation’s Centre for Addiction, Recovery and Education to recovering addicts is that they are not alone.

24 SALT THOUGHTS When it comes to charity fundraising, when is enough, enough? Willie Cheng weighs in.

29 SALT AND PEPPER Knowing how and when to influence people is an important leadership skill. Curt Grayson gives some pointers for leaders in volunteer organisations.

30 SALT KIT Jack Sim recalls his darkest days and remembers how volunteering helped him see the light.

31 CALENDAR

34 SCENE AND SEEN 36 A DASH OF SALT

Jan-Feb 2007 S A LT •

L E T T E R

F R O M

S A L T

SALT is a nonprofit magazine with a managed circulation for members of nonprofit organisations, grantmakers and companies in Singapore. Those interested in receiving a copy, please email salt@nvpc.org.sg. We regret that the print run prevents fulfilling all requests. International readers please email subscriber requests and mailing details. There will be an annual postage and handling charge for all international subscribers.

MANAGING EDITOR Tan Chee Koon

DEPUTY EDITOR Daven Wu

CONTRIBUTORS Michelle Bong Andrew Duffy Sakinah Manaff Tan Hwee Hwee

PUBLISHING CONSULTANT AND MEDIA REPRESENTATIVE Epigram SALT is published bi-monthly by the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre 7 Maxwell Road #05-01 Annex B, MND Complex Singapore 069111 Tel: 6550 9595 Fax: 6221 0625 Website: www.nvpc.org.sg Email: salt@nvpc.org.sg Copyright is held by the publisher. All rights reserved. Production in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The views and opinions expressed or implied in SALT are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Printed by Fabulous Printers MICA (P) 003/11/2006 ISSN No. 17933-4478 To advertise, please call Cynthia Tay at tel: 6292 4456 Email: cynthia@epigram.com.sg

hat’s me and my very sporting directors vainly attempting a tropical-style Bollywood dance item at our recent year-end staff function. And the reason we were prepared to make perfect fools of ourselves was because of a fundraising element that we had weaved into our celebrations this year. The NVPC troopers bid to have management do things out of our comfort zone to raise bowls of rice for SECDC beneficiaries in their brilliant Cranes to Grains project sponsored by Song He. It was a win-win process for all, not to mention the beneficiaries and sponsors – the fundraising team dreaming up wicked things to subject management to, my little staff force of 30 who, with co-workers, friends and family members, folded in excess of 2000 cranes and who certainly derived great pleasure from seeing us sweat for their labour that night, not to mention the “dancers” ourselves, judging by the smiles on our faces. There is great virtue and merit in incorporating a fundraising element in many of our pursuits, whether in or outside the workplace. Examples abound – of wealthy individuals who raise funds in their home parties; socialites that have taken on charities to support their gala nights; sportsmen, whether swimmers, runners, golfers and bikers who weave in a fund-raising element in their sporting events; and ordinary people, like you and me, who leverage on opportunities like the recent StanChart Marathon to raise funds for their chosen causes. It is a growing trend, and something that NVPC encourages and advocates. But even as more and more of such informal lifestyle volunteering to raise funds takes place, all the more the charity sector has to be totally accountable, totally responsible and totally transparent towards its donors, to build trust in the community, so that such individual acts of giving can be nurtured. And so this issue, we turn the spotlight on the most significant development the charity sector in Singapore has seen in a long time – the appointment of a full-time Commissioner of Charities, Mr Low Puk Yeong, whose whole focus is on strengthening and growing the charity sector. We hear what he and the newly-appointed Chairman of the Charity Council, Mrs Fang Ai Lian have to say of their priorities as they take office. The message is clear: “We are here to help the sector grow.” Between a growing interest in giving, and a strengthening of the regulatory framework to improve governance and management practices, things are looking up for the charity sector – even if it means hard work along the way. Here’s to a glorious future, starting with 2007.

Tan Chee Koon Chief Executive Officer National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre Errata: On page 8 of our Nov-Dec 2006 issue (‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’), the date should have read “3 November”, and not “8 November”. In the same issue on page 13 (‘Doing Good Well’), the picture caption incorrectly identifies the Chairperson of the Gala Charity Dinner Mrs Jo-Ann See as Mrs Koh. We apologise for the errors.

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MAILBAG World Peace

have been reading SALT for a long time now as magazines of this nature are a rarity. It’s always heartening to read about the humanity and kindness that surround us, albeit this is a harsh world that we live in. Be it Corporate Social Responsibility by larger corporation, a tencent donation or even volunteering of any nature – these are acts of altruism that should be spread amongst us. SALT aims to do just that, and I hope to see more of these heart-warming stories in the future. Great work! Chan Yen Ting, Client Services Director, Batey Consulting

Empowering through knowledge

s a development director in an exciting new graduate medical school, I particularly enjoyed reading the Jul-Aug 2006 issue featuring stories on fundraising and tertiary institutions. An investment in education is extremely meaningful. By encouraging donors to make positive contributions to develop our next generation, we promote a better future for everyone, thus strengthening our society. I commend SALT for providing an important platform to connect volunteers, donors, non-profit organisations and the community in Singapore. SALT is very well-published – it offers great articles that are informative, useful and relevant. As our country develops into an economic hub, there will be important social needs that cannot be ignored. SALT helps bridge this gap by empowering people with knowledge and increasing the awareness of these issues among our community. With better understanding of our roles and contributions, we can spearhead change in the social landscape and nurture a generation of socially responsible citizens. Keep up the good work. I look forward to the next issue.

Yvonne Ho, Assistant Director, Development, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore

Making Business Sense

illie Cheng’s article “The Business of Business” (Sep-Oct issue) was classic Willie, well written and insightful. I see many parallels between the issue of CSR and that of corporate governance. Both camps recognise the significant threat that unbridled, irresponsible and unconstrained corporate power provides. Robert AG Monks notes that “The modern Global Corporation...can be a force for weal or woe.” I fully agree with Willie that organisations should not view CSR and governance as an altruistic or cost consideration, and recognise that it can also make “business sense”. Nonetheless, if all else fails, then stakeholders must know that they can, and should, demand such behaviour from them. From my experience, this may entail a cost and some may be deterred from doing so simply because of their belief that others will “free-ride” on their efforts to improve the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) environment. I urge that they move beyond such a mentality as it has been proven elsewhere that it does pay to contribute to improving the ESG environment, despite free-riders. Tan Lye Huat, CEO, HIM Governance Pte Ltd DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE? We welcome your letters, news of upcoming events and pictures. Please send them to SALT, 7 Maxwell Road, #05-01 Annex B, MND Complex, Singapore 069111; or email salt@nvpc.org.sg. Please include your name, address and daytime phone number. Letters and articles may be edited for space and clarity.

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T I P S Veteran fundraiser ROSEMARY CHNG spills the beans on how to throw a delicious fundraising campaign.

“I

love food, what about you?” How does that sound for a fundraising campaign for charity? It at least caught your attention, right? Sometimes the most successful campaigns are not really about ‘out of this world’ or ‘never tried before’ ideas. Rather, they’re about issues that matter most to our heart and, sometimes, our stomachs! I’ve always found food to be a great way to wrap up a message, especially if that message has been seasoned and prepared in a way that is simple enough for the public to savour. Once you’ve identified what food you want to sell, think about how you’re going to sell the food and your message. Remember the last time you were on a busy food street or favourite food court, filled with numerous stalls selling all kinds of delicious and yummy-smelling food and you were trying to decide what to have for dinner? What were the factors that enticed you to a particular stall? Was it the pricing, presentation, smiling faces and warm welcome, or just your favourite food? Most importantly, after making your decision to eat at a particular stall, did you remember your actual experience? Did you enjoy your meal, was the food good, was the service stellar, did you get value for money, and how did you rate the experience? Did you decide if you would ever go back? In much the same way, Singaporean charities need to jostle for space and to make their organisation stand out from the others to attract the attention of the choosy donor. The ones that ultimately succeed are the ones that are quick to respond to new challenges, package themselves in the most distinctive and special way, thus setting themselves apart from the others with their own unique and reliable brand. Especially if you are the fundraising chef, do remember to add a strong dose of fun or humour: people like to dine in happy circumstances! Once you get the hang of the rationale behind this experiential-relational philosophy, you and your fundraising campaign are on your way to meeting your fundraising target. Happy eating and fundraising! ✩

N E W S B

A WRAP-UP OF HAPPENINGS AROUND SINGAPORE

We Are Family!

Jalan Kukoh residents and SGH staff with some of the hampers and wish list items sponsored by the staff for the elderly beneficiaries at the SGH Community Day 2006.

ver 250 staff and their families from the Singapore General Hospital volunteered in the first SGH Community Day held in York Hill on 18 November 2006. Bannered “Helping Hands @ York Hill”, the day saw staff reaching out to more than 200 needy elderly residents living in one-room flats. The event was held as part of the hospital’s 185th anniversary celebrations and Seniors Citizens Week. In all, the SGH staff raised more than $20,000. Residents also received a $20 angbao, a hamper of food items, non-slip mats and balms.

WE ARE THE WORLD

Jerry Yan at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport before departing for Mongolia on 24 October 2006.

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erry Yan, a member of Taiwan’s pop group “F4” and lead actor in “Meteor Garden”, has been appointed World Vision’s first Asia Regional Child Sponsorship Ambassador. His appointment was endorsed by World Vision offices in Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Thailand. For his first trip in his new role last year, Jerry visited World Vision-supported projects and communities in Mongolia. Of the experience, he said, “I believe by personally meeting the children and experiencing how their life is like, I will gain myself and learn to value what I possess”. For more details on Jerry’s Mongolia trip, log onto www.worldvision.org.sg or www.starjerry.com

HEART FELT

ocial enterprise took on a whole new meaning on 22 November 2006 when The Caring Hearts Society of the Singapore Armed Forces Officers’ Wives Club (SAF OWC) announced that, with effect on 1 January, it would hand over the running of its charity shops, TreasureMINDS and ThriftyIDEAS, to the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled in Singapore (MINDS). The move was part of its original mission to empower MINDS to eventually take over the charity shops, though both will be run independently. An official handing-over ceremony was held on 25 November 2006.

Take a bow! Ladies who have volunteered for the past 15 years at the charity shops.

UNITED WE STAND

wong Wai Shiu Hospital (KWSH) celebrated its 96th anniversary on 2 December with the announcement that Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng had been appointed its patron. The appointment followed an earlier announcement of a collaborative effort between KWSH and National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS) to provide affordable and quality inpatient rehabilitation to cancer patients in which NCCS refers its patients to KWSH for short-term rehabilitation services at an affordable ward charge of $40 per day. In preparation for the programme, KWSH renovated one of its wards and dedicated it to provide cancer rehabilitation services. The ward was officially opened by its new patron on 2 December 2006.

The newly dedicated ward at Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital will provide in-patient rehab facilities to cancer patients.

he Disabled People’s Association (DPA) organised a workshop on 27 October 2006 to help its members learn to use eBay – a global online marketplace where practically anything can be traded. The objective was to provide an opportunity for members to learn to buy and sell using the Internet, and perhaps, make an income. The workshop was conducted by volunteers from the local eBay user community, active eBay users keen to share their knowledge in online selling with the disabled. Eventually, DPA plans to provide participants with refurbished computers to aid their interaction with the world through eBay.

SPH – The Sunday Times

Bay Watch T

eBay community volunteers adopted a buddy system to provide step-by-step guidance.

BEAR WITH IT

hrough teddy bears and Post-it Pads, four student volunteers turned $3,000 into $100,000 for ST School Pocket Money Fund. The achievement, sponsored by the Citibank-YMCA Youth For Causes and Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports-National Youth Council Young Change Makers programmes, was spearheaded by Hwa Chong Institution students Yuen Pak Man and Tan Jin Rong and first-year undergrads Edwin Tan and Thng Shu Hui. With seed funding of $3,000, the quartet bought mini teddy bears and Post-it pads and sold them at MRT stations and shopping malls. Each time they finished their batch of goods, they would go back and buy more with the money they made. The group realised $100,000 was an achievable target after they managed to collect $40,000 in just three weeks. The amount not only made them top money-raisers among the 100 participating groups (each of whom was given $3000 seed money), but they also beat the previous year’s record of $31,500. The winning group recruited 2,500 student volunteers from 30 different schools to help with the street sales, using the winner of Campus Superstar Ng Chee Yang to help rally student volunteers. The group also organised a letter-writing competition for primary and secondary school students where students are asked to write a letter to a beneficiary of the Pocket Money Fund. They charged an entry fee of $1 and raised $9,000. A deserving round of applause goes out to their initiative.

GIVE BLOOD. GIVE LIFE.

Blood donors giving the “gift of life” at Raffles Place MRT Station.

n 12 October 2006, scores of working adults made a special point of stopping over at Raffles Place MRT Station. The occasion was to donate their blood. Jointly organised by SMRT Corporation Ltd and Singapore Red Cross, the blood donation drive was held at the concourse level of the station. With enthusiastic support from both commuters and the office crowd, a total of 222 units of blood were collected. SMRT holds regular public blood donation drives as part of its continuous support for the Red Cross.

PEOPLE MOVEMENTS In October 2006, Erica Wee took on the role of Executive Director at I Love Children. Prior to ILC, Erica spent over 10 years in various roles in sales and marketing, and events management. A mother to two active young boys (aged 8 and 3 years), she is passionate about all issues relating to children and parenthood. Tel: 62214418; Email: erica.wee @ilovechildren.org On 15 July 2006, Selina Gan, previously with AWARE, joined Women’s Initiative for Ageing Successfully (WINGS) as its centre manager. Selina had previously managed the AWARE Centre, and was the centre manager for The Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations. WINGS is a non-profit centre and is a joint project by SCWO and the Tsao Foundation. It was officially launched on 10 June 2006 to address the needs and grow the potential of women in their 40’s and beyond. Tel: 62501012; Email: selina@wings.sg Cheng Shing Meng joined the Asian Medical Foundation (AMF) as senior manager in November 2006. Ms Cheng was previously Assistant Director of Community Partnerships at the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre. AMF is a Singapore-based charity set up in 2003 whose main objective is to look after the medical and healthcare needs of the poor and the underprivileged, especially those requiring urgent medical treatment. Tel: 63112103; Email: meng@asianmedicalfoundation.org Devi joined the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) as Assistant Director of Community Partnerships on 1 December 2006. She works with various organisations including nonprofit organisations, corporate bodies and government bodies to promote volunteerism and philanthropy at the national level. One of her key roles will be to develop and promote senior volunteerism. Before joining NVPC, she was with the Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA) as a senior manager with its Family Services & Volunteer Affairs division, where she had helped to set up SINDA’s Volunteer Management System and the Information & Referral Unit. Tel: 65509580; Email: devi@nvpc.org.sg

Jan-Feb 2007 S A LT •

AIDHA REACHES OUT

THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES

Model Citizens: The Senior Citizen Award winners posing proudly after the ceremony.

he three outstanding seniors from the three categories – Grandparent of the Year, Active Senior of the Year and Working Senior of the Year – of the Senior Citizens’ Awards 2006 were honoured at an awards ceremony on 19 November 2006. The winners had been selected through 1,336 nominations and 100,000 public votes cast in October and November. Working Senior of the Year was a new category. The winner Mdm Low Chui Peh, 75 (centre) who works with the Phoenix Hotel said, “I am very happy to win the award and I certainly intend to keep on working for as long as I can. My work brings me a sense of satisfaction, joy and independence.” Ms Jenny Tan, 61 (left) the winner of the Active Senior of Year, has been a pillar of strength for NTUC Community Development Club, Lions Club and the Assisi Home and Hospice. Of the award, she said,“I am very grateful that I have the opportunity to contribute to the community. Volunteering has given me such a deep sense of fulfilment and satisfaction.” Grandparent of the Year went to badminton enthusiast Mr Sng Tiang Kee, 71 (right). The grandfather of four swims and engages in sporting activities with his grandchildren. A firm believer that it is the grandparents’ duty to nurture their grandchildren, he added, “I do leave the disciplining duties to their parents, but I constantly advise my grandchildren to always do good and be filial.” The Senior Citizens’ Awards is supported by the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports.

n November 2006, aidha, a Singapore-based not-for-profit organisation, announced the signing of new agreements with two international partners to expand services to women migrant workers. aidha provides foreign domestic workers with financial education and microfinance opportunities through training and support services. A memorandum of understanding has been signed with CARD MFI, a Philippines-based microfinance institution and a + b = 3 Ltd., a Hong Kong-based financial education firm which will replicate aidha’s curriculum and model. These partnerships will ensure future delivery of advisory and microfinance services to Filipina workers in Singapore and Hong Kong. A specially-created greeting card is available for purchase by employers of domestic helpers. This $50 gift will act as a scholarship for the helper to enrol in an aidha course, with proceeds going toward aidha’s work. Call 67325434, email info@aidha.org or visit www.aidha.org. for more information.

BEACH PARTY

ast 3 November, the beaches at East Coast Park were filled with much cheer and laughter as close to 1000 elderly beneficiaries, children, student and adult volunteers gathered with staff from The Salvation Army for the Intergenerational Beach Party 2006. Gracing the event was Guest-of-Honour, Mr Shanaka Goonewardena, Director of Deustche Bank and various guests from the participating, supporting agencies and sponsors such as South East Community Development Council and the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre. This is the fourth consecutive year that The Salvation Army Bedok Centre, chaired by Mrs Veronica Ong, has led the intergenerational event. Volunteers like Aromaart School for Aromatherapy and Bodyworks, Deutsche Bank and Happy Arts Performing Group provided massages, logistical support and entertainment.

Student volunteers from Fengshan Primary treating all to an Indian cultural dance.

COMMUNITY SPIRIT

o commemorate the second anniversary of the McDonald’s Youth Inspiration Series, Mr Sin Boon Ann, MP for Tampines GRC and GPC Chairman for MCYS, addressed a group of students on “Community Engagement – Why you matter” on 30 November 2006. In his address, Mr. Sin emphasised the importance of being involved in community activities, especially among the youths.

United we stand: Mr Sin Boon Ann with youths at the second anniversary of McDonald’s Youth Inspiration Series.

• S A LT Jan-Feb 2007

A Global

University of Excellence Applications are invited for appointment to the following positions:

Development Office Campaign Manager The Cornell-Nanyang Institute of Hospitality Management (CNI) is an alliance between Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU) Nanyang Business School. This alliance brings together the world’s leading hotel management school and one of Asia’s elite business schools. The Institute is poised to become Asia’s premier source of hospitality education and research. Visit www.cni.ntu.edu.sg/index.shtml for more information.

Manager/Senior Manager (Major Gifts) The Job: You will work with Development Office staff, faculty, and Deans to identify, cultivate, solicit and maintain relations with a portfolio of contacts (current donors and prospective donors) - with the view to matching their giving interests with the University’s funding priorities and needs.

The Job: You will manage a fund-raising campaign to raise endowment and programme support for CNI, work with Development Office of NTU and CNI staff/ faculty to identify, cultivate, solicit and maintain relations with a portfolio of contacts (current donors and prospective donors) to match their giving interests with the CNI’s funding priorities and needs. You must be able to communicate and negotiate with people of high net worth and able to travel to Cornell School of Hotel Management for training or campaign-related work. Requirements: • A University Degree preferred • Demonstrated successful fund-raising experience, including personal and corporate gift solicitation, or demonstrated sales experience • Donor relations and stewardship experience, or customer relationship and direct retail experience is a plus • Mature and creative • Good interpersonal and communication skills

Requirements: • A University Degree preferred • Demonstrated successful fundraising experience, including personal and corporate gift solicitation • Donor relations and stewardship experience • Creative, good interpersonal and communication skills Suitably qualified candidates are invited to apply using the prescribed Personal Particulars Form obtainable from www.ntu.edu.sg/hr/forms/ AdminForm.doc. Electronic submission of applications is encouraged and can be forwarded to: adm@ntu.edu.sg Note: Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

All in the Family

Mae Anderson redefines the concept of a super-mum, combining full time motherhood with a frantic volunteering schedule. TAN HWEE HWEE tries to keep up.

“A

ll work, no pay!” That’s the cheerful motto that volunteer Mae Anderson lives by. And she loves it. Mae started off doing volunteer work because she found the transition from being a career woman as a real estate agent to a stay-at-home mum – she has two daughters, Sarah, 10 years old, and Sophie, 6 – to be difficult. “I always say that, for me, volunteerism is not altruistic,” says Mae who is now a highly active volunteer whose schedule is as busy as her lawyer husband’s. “For me, volunteering fulfills various needs. One is the need to stay plugged in and abreast of what’s going on. As a stayat-home mum, I miss being in a work environment, where you set goals, have deadlines. Volunteerism for me has that feel-good factor. It’s fun and gives me a sense of accomplishment and it’s addictive.” Mae began volunteering about five years ago when she called Food from the Heart to find out how she could help. She met up with founders Christine and Henry Laimer and suggested they collect toys and books for children as well. The

“ Volunteerism for me has that feel-good factor. It’s fun and gives me a sense of accomplishment and it’s addictive.” Laimers thought this was a good idea, so Christine put 17 collection boxes for toys and books at various law firms which were eventually donated to needy children. “I was really touched by the children’s

a Marina Mandarin dinner. Mae also recruited volunteers from corporations such as Morgan Stanley. “The bankers come in during the work week to give presentations to the children.” Mae is also a volunteer with VIVA Foundation for Children with Cancer, an initiative that brings in help from St Jude’s – an American hospital which has the highest cure rate for children with cancer, with 90% of their patients recovering after treatment there. “I believe in supporting VIVA because no child should have to die in the prime of their lives,” Mae says. She helped to plan VIVA’s Biopolis launch last May, and chaired a charity and fashion Volunteerism puts a big smile show in August. reaction. It made me on Mae Anderson’s face. As if that’s not enough, she blubbery!” she recalls. helped run a fundraiser to benefit VIVA She also remembers organising the first at the Singapore American School. At the charity ball for Food from the Heart. moment, her efforts are devoted towards “It was the first charity ball that I had planning a five-day seminar that VIVA will organised. I was scared out of my wits host in March – the St Jude Asia Forum but, thankfully, it went well,” said Mae. will bring 150 of the world’s leading Today, Mae is heavily involved in pediatric cancer researchers and doctors volunteering, including being the Secretary to Singapore. of the Executive Board of the Parents Mae gets her family actively involved Teachers Association of the Singapore in her volunteer activities. Her husband, American School. Joe, acts as a legal counsel for VIVA. Dear to her heart is Art Outreach One of her daughters recently sold baked – an organisation that sends volunteers goods and raised $160 for the Children’s into schools to give art appreciation lessons Cancer Foundation. “It might have been – of which she is Chairman and speara small amount but doing the fundraising heads its fundraising activities. To date, gave my daughter a good feeling,” Mae she has organised three charity auctions says with a smile. and dinners, the most recent one featuring It’s clear that the feel-good factor in artwork from the North-East MRT line this family does not reside in Mae alone. ✩ that were auctioned off to the public at

Jan-Feb 2007 S A LT •

Dance of Life

Danny Tan, the creative director of Odyssey Dance Theatre, tells TAN HWEE HWEE why he believes that dance can extend beyond emotional aesthetics to actually enrich lives.

rom his youthful demeanour, it’s hard to tell that Danny Tan has been dancing for twenty years. In the seven years since he founded Odyssey Dance Theatre in 1999, the 34 year-old artistic director has achieved so much that he was awarded the Young Artist Award by the National Arts Council in 2004. Odyssey Dance Theatre is a highly active contemporary dance company made up of three divisions: Odyssey Theatre International, Arts4Youths and Young Artists Project Performers. The company has performed in major venues like Victoria Theatre, the Esplanade and Singapore Indoor Stadium. It also organises the biennial dance festival Xposition ‘O’ Contemporary Dance Fiesta, a 10-day series of professional performances, master classes and workshops by Odyssey and international dance bodies from Japan, Finland and South Korea. “We hope that through our work we can inspire people, involve people, engage people and bond people,” says Tan.

“ I always use the word ‘company’ because I don’t see this as an individual endeavour.” Odyssey also runs the Arts4Youth programme which teaches dance in Singaporean schools. So far, Arts4Youth has run programmes for more than 20 schools. Its pilot project with Northland Secondary School saw them working for four years with 1500 students. Arts4Youth has also performed for non-profit organisations like the Singapore Children’s Society, old folks’ homes and the President’s Challenge. The company’s third division, the Young Artist Project Performers, is a group

• S A LT Jan-Feb 2007

ation Singapore to a retreat at Changi Village. “We helped the parents bond with the children,” Tan says. “Our exercises showed the parents how to take care of the children, how to work with the children based on the understanding of the exercises.” With so many programmes keeping him busy 24/7, what drives Tan to work so hard? “It’s the good people around me,” he says simply. “I always use the word ‘company’ because I don’t see this as an individual endeavour. As an individual, you only fulfill individual needs and expectations, but today, as a company, we are fulfilling many wants, many needs. I dare to dream. In the past nine years, our Danny Tan shows of talented Singaporean dancers all the right moves. works have been performed in all major venues in Singapore including who regularly perform in the the Esplanade and the Singapore Indoor community and outreach programmes. Stadium. I have already produced three For Tan, dance is much more than types of festivals, facilitated thousands of just a visual and emotional response to activities for schools. That’s what makes movement. As part of its community a dance company. As an individual I have outreach efforts, Odyssey works with limited capability to push certain boundorganisations – such as Action for Aids, Children’s Cancer Foundation and Singa- aries and beliefs, but as a company we are able to have more cohesive strategic pore Children’s Society – to help bring planning and to drive things in a more dance into lives. Recently, the company impactful and effective way.” teamed up with IT company Landpro to This is not to say that there haven’t run a dance programme of the elderly been obstacles and challenges, not least residents of Bethany Methodist Nursing of which is the challenge of creating a Home. Tan remembers how unique fertile environment in which the dancing the experience was. “Usually dance community and its ideals can take root. companies go to homes just to entertain Tan believes that people must “underthe elderly but we did more than that. stand that we need to allow time to let We coached them, we fed them, we taught things happen. It has taken me twenty them movement therapy to create special years to be in this position, so how long movements to warm up their bodies will it take for us to develop a cohort of because the elderly are not so mobile.” teachers, students, dancers and audience The company has also brought that can appreciate good art?” ✩ members of the Down Syndrome Associ-

The Sum of all Efforts International accounting and consulting firm KPMG proves that when it comes to helping those in need, every effort counts. MICHELLE BONG finds out more.

ith several awards – including the 2003 President’s Social Service Award (Corporate Category) – already under its belt in recognition of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts, KPMG is as well known for its long history of community involvement as it is for its accountancy services. A signatory of the United Nations Global Compact, a principles-based initiative that aims to create a more sustainable and inclusive economy, KPMG is part of a global network spanning 144 countries which continually demonstrates a commitment to being a proactive corporate citizen.

“ KPMG, a multiple recipient of the National Arts Council Supporter of the Arts award, also sees the value of outreach through theatre, dance and the like.” The firm is committed to adopting environmentally-friendly practices such as using recycled paper where possible, powering the office with energy-saving light bulbs and carrying out work tasks with environmentally friendly products such as printers and computers which minimise the wastage of energy. And in line with the belief that CSR unites an organisation, strengthens its reputation and creates vital links with the communities in which it operates, a new initiative called KPMG Community Matters – to streamline and better coordinate all community and volunteer activities in the firm – was formed in 2001. Past projects include the Singapore

than 1,600 KPMG staff an opportunity to spend a full work day with the beneficiaries of the VWOs the firm supports. Last August, staff enjoyed a day out at the Singapore Zoological Gardens with close to 600 beneficiaries from its adopted charities. Past Community Day activities Group effort: KPMG’s managing partner Red Cross’ fundraising Danny Teo (third from left) with partners have also included residenCheang (to his left) and Caroline tial repairs, painting and and clothing collection Frances Lee (extreme right), and VWO members at the KPMG Community Day 2006 held cleaning work, computer programmes, blood at the Singapore Zoological Gardens. repairs and network set-up, donation exercises, bone and games and excursions. marrow donor testing, fundraising on The KPMG Community Day Fund Red Nose Day and support of the Breast is an annual collection of the monetary Cancer Foundation’s activities. contributions made by staff members. KPMG employees also actively In 2006, each VWO was presented with participate in other corporate-led charity a cheque of S$16,888, being apportioned activities such as the annual SGX Bull proceeds from internal fundraising by Run (which benefits youth and children the Fund. KPMG staff and the firm also from 13 welfare organisations including contributed to other community and the Autism Association of Singapore, humanitarian causes for beneficiaries The Straits Times School Pocket Money both locally and abroad. Fund), the JP Morgan Chase Corporate KPMG, a multiple recipient of the Challenge, and the Singapore Disability National Arts Council Supporter of the Sports Council. Arts award, also sees the value of outreach In addition, KPMG also helps support seven different VWOs. Says Caroline Lee, through theatre, dance and the like. “We encourage the enrichment of lives partner in charge of Community Matters, through the support for the arts,” says Lee. “The Asian Women’s Welfare Association, “Last October, KPMG sponsored da:ns Grace Orchard School, Movement for festival 2006 at Esplanade – Theatres the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore, on the Bay, an inaugural dance festival Pertapis, Singapore Cheshire Home, that was well-received. We continue TOUCH Community Services and Viriya to encourage our staff to play a more Community Services have all been active role in community service, and to recipients of funds collected through the contribute to the less fortunate in our KPMG Community Day Fund efforts.” community. In this new year, we want She adds that Community Day is a to engage in community efforts on a highlight of the firm’s Community Matters continual basis so that Community Day calendar. Started in 1999, Community can happen throughout the year.” ✩ Day is a firm-wide activity that gives more

Jan-Feb 2007 S A LT •

The Quiet Philanthropist Famous family foundations have been lending a philanthropic hand for decades now. But where are the new philanthropists? asks MICHELLE BONG.

Illustrated by Quek Hong Shin.

he Lees. The Shaws. The Khoos. The Liens. The Tans. For decades now, these families have been operating foundations linked to all manner of philanthropic work. They are the somewhat faceless forces behind fundraising events, scholarship endowment funds, arts-related activities, environmental awareness projects and so on. Set up by notable sons of Singapore, these foundations are now run by second and third generation philanthropists following in the footsteps of their elders. Their good work is public knowledge, and they have certainly made their presence felt in the people sector. But this same presence highlights a noticeable paucity of new living philanthropists who are doing their bit. Over in the United States, this is clearly not the case. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, businessman Warren Buffett and media mogul Oprah Winfrey are just three examples of individuals who believe in giving back to the community in the form of massive monetary donations through self-established foundations. Instead of leaving the bulk of their massive wealth to future generations, they are putting their money to work now – and enjoying the satisfaction of seeing the difference it brings about. Gates and his wife set up the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the world’s largest philanthropic organisation, in 2000 to help reduce inequities in over 100 countries around the world. The foundation

• S A LT Jan-Feb 2007

is internationally famous for its focus on world health, its relentless fight against HIV/AIDS and efforts to improve libraries and high schools in the United States. In 2005 alone, it reportedly made grant payments worth US$1.36 billion. Investor-philanthropist Buffett, who amassed a vast fortune worth some US$44 billion, raised more than a few eyebrows last June when he committed 85 per cent of his wealth (approximately US$30.7 billion) to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. He also pledged smaller sums of money to foundations headed by his three children, and even allowed himself to be “sold” for US$620,100 at an online eBay auction as a lucky bidder’s lunch date. Meanwhile, talk show host Winfrey’s Oprah Winfrey Foundation is her vehicle to empower women, children, and families by furthering education and welfare for low-opportunity communities around the world. To date, hundreds of grants have been awarded to organizations that carry out Winfrey’s vision while millions have been raised through Oprah’s Angel Network, set up in 1997 to inspire people to make a difference in the lives of others.

Is There No One? Which begs the question: do Singaporean versions of Gates or Winfrey exist? Such a comparison may seem unfair, but then again, Singapore is certainly no Johnny Come Lately when it comes to producing high net worth individuals who are more than capable of flying the donor flag – with or without a foundation to their name. According to the 2006 World Wealth Report by Merrill Lynch-Capgemeni,

Singapore was one of the best performing markets in terms of the creation of high net worth individuals despite being a smaller, less developed financial market. Singapore is home to some 55,000 US-dollar millionaires, and is the world’s fastest growing market for people who need wealth management services. Experts agree that there are individual philanthropists out there doing their bit; however, most request for anonymity, wanting neither press coverage nor acknowledgement for their work. Education leads the list of social causes supported. Professor Saw Swee Hock, a Professorial Fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies and an alumnus of the National University of Singapore (NUS) gifted several million dollars to his alma mater over a number of years. The gifts have funded, among other things, student bursaries, medals, professorships and the Saw Centre for Financial Studies at the NUS Business School. Similarly, another NUS alumnus, ophthalmologist Professor Arthur Lim, has raised millions in the name of education through dinner events and private fundraising auctions of his paintings. He also chaired the NUS Endowment Fund for over a decade and is a well-known advocate of the importance of educating future generations. The Singapore Management University (SMU) website lists businessmen Tommie Goh and Dato’ Low Tuck Kwong and various professors and associate professors as individual donors who personally contributed sums of money between S$10,000 and S$9,999,999. Robert Schlesinger, director of SMU’s Office of Advancement and Alumni, says he wouldn’t know what to do without these benefactors – be they individual or corporate-givers. “I sit on scholarship committees, and I know of students whose parents don’t even earn S$500 a month. Financial aid makes a real difference in their lives, and bursaries are our biggest focus. “You hardly hear about such donations because most individuals request for anonymity, which we have to respect. But it doesn’t mean [such] giving doesn’t happen. We have received many nice gifts in 2006, the most recent being a million dollar donation by businessman Wong Kwok Leong – which received a little press mention because he was alright with the donation being made public knowledge. The money will go towards the Wong Kwok Leong Endowment Scholarship to be awarded to up to three undergraduates in 2007/2008 academic year.” Local technopreneur and Creative Technology CEO Sim Wong Hoo, newly hailed by some as Singapore’s Bill Gates, is another example of an erstwhile quiet philanthropist. He has faithfully made quiet Jan-Feb 2007 S A LT •

“Today, we are starting to see a new type of philanthropists. They want to partner with other organizations or corporations to identify what it takes to make their projects enjoy —Terry Farris the greatest impact.”

contributions over the years to various initiatives; these include the delivery of S$2 million worth of monthly household essentials such as rice and sugar to needy families for an entire year, and half-a-million dollars in a matching grant to The School Pocket Money Fund organised by the Straits Times. He also co-funded the Theatre Training & Research Programme, a division of local arts company Practice Performing Arts Centre. “If you just donate to each charity, that will be an easy job. But I am not one who would do an easy job – charity is good, but a good cause is better,” he told the Straits Times. Most recently, he made the news with two sizeable donations in the form of Creative Technology shares; the first was $20 million to charity followed by another $10 million to the Sim-Tan Siok Kee Foundation, named in honour of his mother who passed away on Boxing Day last year. To date, the total number of cash, shares and dividends donations he has made is said to amount to some $49 million. With this new foundation, the quiet philanthropist has gone public.

On The Right Track Terry Farris, head of Philanthropy Services (Asia Pacific) at wealth management company United Bank of Switzerland says the tide is turning and the next five years will herald a rise in the number of local social capitalists and entrepreneurs like Sim. “Today, we are starting to see a new type of philanthropists. Generally aged between 40 and 55, they are looking at how they can make the greatest impact with the least amount of funds. They want to partner with other organizations or corporations to identify what it takes to make their projects enjoy the greatest impact,” he says. “These people come forward because they have reached that phase in their lives where they have received their education, they’ve made a good living, and they are now finding a new purpose. Farris adds that “at the same time, older, established foundations are bringing in people who understand the sector. The second and third generations of these foundations also want to be more professional; they want accountability, focus, transparency, and be able to measure the impact of their actions and decisions and, more importantly, to leverage the giving.” A larger transformation also exists in that full-

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time staff are hired to facilitate personal giving by others. For instance, SMU’s Office of Advancement and Alumni was formed to develop relationships between the school and the community and invite individuals and alumni alike to stake a vested interest in the development of SMU into a world-class teaching and research institution. Similarly, the NUS’s Development Office works to inspire gifts that will take the university to the next level, and give their donors a remarkable philanthropic experience while allowing them to make a difference by giving.

From the Ground Up Now that the proverbial ball has started rolling, further measures can be put in place to nurture more individual giving. Private banks, for one, can help the acceleration process along. Maretta Emery, Head of Philanthropy Services, Asia at Fortis Private Banking says those looking to start their own foundations will do well to work with a trusted professional who can advise on the legalities and legwork of setting up a foundation. UBS also offers high net worth individuals an opportunity to network or leverage a mutual vision. Farris notes that the bank is able to bring together such like-minded individuals “to address issues and make a difference collectively. Such individuals can then partner with organisations like NVPC and the National Council for Social Services to do the kind of work they want. Think of it as a small cell group that can collectively address the greatest needs of the community.” Farris adds that the Singapore government too is doing its own part. “They are already looking at how they can change laws to increase and induce greater giving. I have seen great interest on the part of the government to support the people sector – it’s a common dream that can be shared. The challenge is also getting NPOs to focus on being active and taking the time to cultivate their relationships with their stakeholders. Not many NPOs understand how social investors work, and need to understand and leverage on that.”

PUTTING THEIR TRUST IN THE FUTURE

The following family foundations have left a priceless legacy for Singaporeans of today, and tomorrow.

LEE FOUNDATION Community foundations, an increasingly active arm of philanthropy overseas, can also play a part. Emery notes that “these independent organisations, founded on trust, can help donors achieve their charitable goals and invest financial capital in their communities – by bringing together people who care about their communities.” Foundations such are these are, in the main, volunteer-driven and Emery explains their aim is to “strengthen their communities by facilitating philanthropy, by partnering with donors to build permanent endowments and other funds that support community projects, and by providing leadership on issues of broad community concern. Social scientists call these vital connections ‘social capital’ and have found that they are linked to many measures of community and individual well-being. Community foundations have a leadership role in building social capital – the glue that holds communities.”

Creating Opportunities In the effort to find ways for all financially-able individuals to embark on their journey of philanthropy, Singapore will do well to look to its own people first. Although there are many billionaire expatriates who call Singapore home, Farris concedes that, for them, their priority is to their family and home community overseas. However, there has been a grassroot interest from key individuals and families living and working in Singapore to identify global and regional philanthropic groups and associations to speak in Singapore. Says Farris, “I also believe that we will see international and regional philanthropic associations bringing in their expertise. For instance, global organisation Association of Fundraising Professionals has set up a chapter here in Singapore to help raise fundraising standards and to educate its members on ethical fundraising which also gives them the global connect to learn from others abroad and to network around the world.” Now is the time for individual philanthropists in Singapore and the region to work together to donate generously to worthy causes, and be inspired by their American counterparts whose gestures prove that when it comes to giving, it’s never too soon. This new breed of donors can take a leaf from Singapore’s key families who have already staked their claim in the arena of generous giving, and by latter day philanthropists like Sim Wong Hoo. ✩

The late Lee Kong Chian believed that as a man builds his own wealth, he must always give back to society and help his fellowman to prosper; and the key to such long-term prosperity is education. And so, the philanthropist and businessman created a foundation in 1952 for the advancement of education, medicine and cultural activities. Since 1952, the Lee Foundation has donated millions of dollars to various causes, seventy-five percent of them being education. Besides its scholarships and Centennial Professorships at NUS, significant gifts included $50 million to an entire business school at SMU and $60 million to the NLB to fund the Lee Kong Chian Reference Library. The President’s Challenge, Singapore Lyric Opera and the Singapore Dance Theatre are amongst the many other causes it funds.

SHAW FOUNDATION Based on the strong belief that wealth contributed by society should be generously returned, the Shaw Foundation was set up in 1957. With education as its primary focus, the Foundation has also distributed millions to welfare, medicine, arts and heritage. Its beneficiaries have included the National Arts Council, NUS, National Parks, Singapore General Hospital and the Singapore Police Force, in addition to the elderly needy in its annual hongbao event personally led by Mr Shaw Vee Meng. Most recently, it made a S$1.5million contribution towards the rebuilding of the iconic Shaw Foundation Symphony stage at the Singapore Botanical Gardens. The Foundation also gives widely to schools for building facilities like auditoriums and libraries.

TAN CHIN TUAN FOUNDATION Tan Dr Sri Tan Sri Tuan has been credited as the man who built the Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation (OCBC) into one of the world’s soundest banks. He was also a legendary philanthropist who founded the Tan Chin Tuan Foundation in 1976 to support educational, medical and voluntary organisations committed to the good of human and social well-being. The foundation has helped more than 2,300 beneficiaries so far. Beneficiaries include the National University of Singapore (NUS), the National Cancer Centre, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies and the Needham Library in Cambridge. To give better focus to its giving, the foundation made news recently by hiring a full-time chief executive.

KHOO FOUNDATION Throughout his successful career on the global business scene, Tan Sri Khoo Teck Puat maintained a commitment to giving back to Singapore through numerous donations, mostly quietly. In 1981, he set up the Khoo Foundation with a S$20 million grant. According to the Business Times, some $2 billion has now been placed in the foundation named after the late tycoon who having built his fortune in banking, hotels and real estate died in February 2004, aged 87. Recently, the Foundation donated to Peking University a sports complex that will be used for the Beijing Olympics and S$5 million to the Kidney Dialysis Foundation to start a new dialysis centre in Ghim Moh.

LIEN FOUNDATION Founded in 1980 by eminent business leader, banker and hotelier Dr Lien Ying Chow, the foundation focuses on education, eldercare and the environment. Most recently, it spearheaded the launch of the Lien Foundation – Nanyang Technological University Environmental Endeavour, an initiative that aims to help global communities embrace technologies that promote hygiene and sanitation. There is also the Singapore Management University’s Lien Foundation Centre for Social Innovation which plans to raise the professionalism and capacity of the non-profit sector in Singapore. The Lien Foundation is a leader in the professionalizing of grantmaking practices, including its appointment of a full time programme director in 2004. Jan-Feb 2007 S A LT •

Raising money for charity is serious business but leave it to society ladies in Singapore to put the fun back into fundraising. swirls through charity balls and fundraisers, and meets the social butterflies who are making a difference, and realises that behind the glitter is a lot of hard, unheralded work.

Sakinah Manaff

t’s almost the same scene every time: a beautifully done-up ballroom in a prestigious hotel; the champagne is flowing freely; the men are in lounge suits, and the women in floor-length designer gowns with their Choos, Chanels and Manolos. There’s a lot of mingling, networking and clinking of glasses. The guest-of-honour, usually a government minister arrives, followed by a few speeches. Then there’s the sumptuous three- or four- course dinner, finished off with an evening performance by a choir recital or three-piece band. Occasionally, there’s an auction of assorted art works, vintage wines or fashion items. But if you’re lucky, you get a fun theme with a wild dress code, an all-night-long ontap vodka bar and a dance floor to groove on into the wee hours of the morning. Welcome to the world of charity balls in Singapore, where having fun helps raise funds. Not a month goes by these days without at least one big charity do. There’s the Mercedes Ball, the SRT Ball, the George Washington Ball, the Snow Benefit, the Kids Horizon Appeal Gala, the SSO Benefit Dinner, the MILK Fund Charity... the list goes on. In fact, most gala dinners have a fundraising element. And those who sit on their organizing committees are high-profile women – such

• S A LT Jan-Feb 2007

as designer Odile Benjamin and Dr Caroline Heah – with serious social clout and a priceless Rolodex of deep-pocket donors.

Is Charity

Say Cheese! (l-r) Olga Iserlis with Dick Lee and Linda Soo Tan at the SRT fundraising ball 2005.

the New Black?

Society women raising funds may have come into prominence in recent times in Singapore, but charity and philanthropy have been long established traditions in some of the ‘old money’ families here. While it’s difficult these days to tell if more society women from old money families are active fundraisers than the recently wealthy, it’s clear that in some quarters, charity and fundraising is the new black. Maybe we can blame the phenomenon on rock stars like Bono and Elton John who make fundraising and charity sexy and glamorous – Bono with his campaign

to end world poverty and John with his White Tie and Tiara Ball in London for his Aids foundation. Of course, it does not go unnoticed that the local charity gala dinners get reams of column inches in society magazines. Socialite Olga Iserlis agrees that there are some socialites who get involved because they think it’s glamorous. “But, of course, it’s not all glamour,” she points out. “There’s a lot of work and sometimes you have to get your hands dirty.” And she would know. In the past few years, Iserlis has organised three of the biggest annual gala dinners in the social calendar – the Passion, the Mercedes and the SRT balls. “People only see me looking glamorous at these parties but they don’t know that the night before, I’m in my t-shirt and jeans, overseeing the set-up with my contractor,” she laughs. Russian-born and New York-bred, Iserlis is an anomaly amongst most socialites here. She works and runs her own business providing expertise for parties and gala events. Her fund-raising projects are mostly pro bono and has her overseeing everything, from coming up with a theme and selling tables to deciding the menu and designing the ballroom. “I do it because I love it and because I believe in the causes,” she says of her support for

disadvantaged families and kids, though she confesses to having a soft spot for the arts and culture. Certainly, in the midst of all the pomp and pageantry of charity balls, it’s all too easy to forget the recipient charities. “Sometimes the money raised seems so little,” says an observer who did not want to be named. “Makes you wonder how much actually goes to the charity and how much to the party set-up itself.” (On this point, it’s worth noting that, organisers of charity fundraisers are required by law to keep their costs to 30 percent of their total proceeds.)

The Many Faces

of Fundraising

“Fundraising has many conduits – philanthropy, corporate adoptions and sponsorships, cajoling the humble dollar from the man in the street, and of course, glamorous money from the glamorous set,” says Celeste Basapa, another socialite who is a regular fixture on the fundraising scene. “The latter is a substantial number who don’t mind parting with their money for a good cause while having a good time. And I say ‘Why not?’ My motto is: ‘Fundraising is akin to gold prospecting. Wherever you find that nugget, it is as good as any.’” Good intentions aside, a casual observer may ask: How hard is it for socialites to get their friends to part with their money, especially if they know that there’s a chance to get dolled up and have champagne on a Saturday night? It’s not like they need to be arm-twisted. Why don’t they do more? Basapa says, “Honestly, whether our socialites turn up in droves togged in designer labels at The Ritz-Carlton for a charity ball or ply Orchard Road selling coupons for the Red Cross bazaar, like what some of us recently did, or serve food in senior citizens’ homes, they are already doing a helluva lot!” Those looking for a roadmap to the fundraising scene can be inspired by the various groups of socialites and professional women who are already getting in on the act. There are those who are happy to use their influence to get corporate sponsors to adopt a charity. There are those who feel comfortable working within

In addition to fundraising, the SAFOWC ladies organise educational study tours for its volunteers. Here, Mrs Judie Ng picks vegetables at Bollywood Veggies for the ladies’ lunch.

“ sometimes the money raised seems so little.

Makes you wonder how much actually goes to the charity and how

much to the party set-up itself.” — Anonymous

an organizing committee of a fundraiser, or just sending their chauffeurs around to make the food runs. And then, there are those who don’t mind getting their hands dirty to do the grunt work to raise funds – baking and selling cookies, collecting old clothes and furniture for sale. But in the end, pragmatism rules for many, taking the view that as long as socialites and their coterie are willing to donate their money or time, they should always be encouraged and welcome.

An apple a day: Rosemary Chng with Khaw Boon Wan, the Minister of Health who bought the first apple made by Mrs Anne Soo in support of the Firstlight - Apples Against Cancer, a cancer research fundraising drive.

Getting Down

and Dirty

Not all socialites necessarily want any publicity for doing charity work or raising funds. A great example comes from the ladies of the Singapore Armed Forces

Officers Wives’ Club (SAF OWC), a motley group made up of homemakers, entrepreneurs, professionals and even a former botanist. When I first speak with Rosemary Chng, the Club’s education secretary, she’s quick to clarify that the wives are not socialites. “We are very fortunate that we don’t have to work, although some of us choose to, but you won’t see us in the pages of a society magazine,” she laughs. “A lot of the work we do won’t make headlines but we’ve been quite successful.” I was about to find out just how successful as Chng had invited me to the SAF OWC clubhouse one Saturday morning for an event to celebrate the success of the two social enterprises they initiated for MINDS. I showed up expecting to see middle-aged army wives decked out in their Liz Claibornes. Instead, I got the whole spectrum from lovely auntie-types to yummy mummies in spiffy designer jeans and a dash of bling. The purpose of the ceremony I was attending was to commemorate the handing over of the MINDS thrift shops to the charity itself, and of course, to recognise the sum (over $1 million) raised by the OWC for MINDS. For the past 15 years, the shops had been run by the wives who volunteer their time. Duties can range from manning the shops and collecting used clothes and items to the less salubrious sorting and cleaning them out. So the wives get down and get dirty? “Of course! We don’t have a problem with rolling up our sleeves and doing the job,” says Judie Ng, president of the SAF OWC. “It’s also interesting to see how people relate to us. Once I had to pick up some old clothes from a flat. The bags were too Jan-Feb 2007 S A LT •

heavy for me so I asked the homeowner for some help. He didn’t seem too happy but reluctantly helped me carry them to my car. He thought I was a karung-guni woman because I was in my dirty jeans and t-shirt but when he saw my BMW, his reaction to me immediately changed and he was nicer.” I found it hard to imagine Ng disheveled, as she was smartly turned out in a stylish black shift dress with lots of lovely diamond rings on her well-manicured fingers. She could have fit in nicely at a fundraising cocktail and I told her so. She smiled. “Because of the kind of work our husbands do, we are used to these things. Mingling with and entertaining guests are part of our duties as spouses but when it comes to charity, we prefer a more hands-on approach and doing something practical for the charities.” Such a roll-up-the-sleeves approach has not been confined to the thrift stores. The wives have been galvanised into baking cookies and frying ikan bilis at Ng’s house. There have been charity sales of specially-designed military souvenirs

“ [Socialites] are Amongst the best people to engage

to help raise large sums of money at a go. But it

would help if someone helps them to coordinate and organise the events so that they can focus on what they do best. ”

— Rosemary Chng at SAF Open Houses, where the wives have been deployed to man stalls in the scorching heat. But Ng is quick to point out that all the hands-on charity work does not mean that they don’t like to shop and pamper themselves. “Every year or so, we organise a trip to Thailand or somewhere for all the wives – no kids and husbands allowed. Then, we’ll shop, eat and have spa treatments. I guess that’s the tai-tai part; we’re tai-tais but with an option,” Ng laughs.

All hands on deck – Celeste Basapa (centre) with Ivy Singh-Lim (right) and Mrs S R Nathan (left) at a recent charity fundraiser for the French Embassy for the Red Cross Society Bazaar.

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Some, like Rosemary Chng, choose to go beyond the OWC charity projects. Her CV would put any fundraiser – or volunteer, for that matter – in the shade. Chng runs at least one fundraising project annually. Over the years, she has helped raise several millions through the many projects she has headed or been part of. She’s also earned her stripes by spending a year in Botswana as a volunteer teacher. “I believe that each of us have our place and way to help where we can,” she says modestly. She’s also no stranger to the glamorous side of fundraising, having successfully organised the Vision of Hope charity dinner. When I ask her if she thought socialites could do more for charity, given their affluence, influence and connections, she says with candour, “They are amongst the best people to engage to help raise large sums of money at a go. But it would help if someone helps them to coordinate and organise the events so that they can focus on what they do best...to attract attention to a worthy cause.” It’s easy to say that socialites, highprofile and affluent women, should do this or do that or just do more to raise funds for charity, but the bottom line is this: when it comes to the needy and less fortunate members of the community, there is rarely a right or wrong way to extend a helping hand. When it comes to charity, there are many ways to contribute, and however small it may be, the effort and time put in shouldn’t be criticised or denigrated but, instead, encouraged. Despite its detractors, today’s society women are getting involved in charity and fundraising like never before. And in ways that are surprising and unexpected. An insider reported that a group of well-heeled women had already signed up with Habitat for Humanity to build homes for the underprivileged in Third World countries. Ten years ago, you’d never have heard of such a thing. Even at charity balls, society women are not content to just show up. If the likes of Iserlis and Basapa are anything to go by, more and more of them are wanting to get behind the scenes and do the grunt work, if necessary. Which can all mean one thing: more money in the till for charities. ✩

Open House The WE Foundation’s Centre for Addiction, Recovery and Education, or C.A.R.E, helps recovering addicts realise that they are not alone. TAN HWEE HWEE drops in for an inspiring visit.

he English poet John Donne famously wrote “No man is an Island, entire of itself” to convey the message that all of us are part of a larger whole. In a similar way, the WE Foundation – which devotes itself to helping recovering addicts – decided upon its name on the basis that “We” represents community. “We” suggests that an individual addict cannot recover on his own, however, a group of recovering persons can recover together. For that reason, “We” is also the first word in all its 12-step recovery programmes. The WE Foundation’s C.A.R.E. (Centre for Addiction, Recovery and Education) programme was only started in May 2005, but already, it has seen encouraging success. Executive Director Harry M Fullett remembers one addict (or ‘drop-in’, as patients are called) was a former gang member who had been helped by the centre. His former gang mates was so impressed by his recovery, “they said, ‘You look so good, what have you done, can you help me out?’ so the former gang member became a spokesperson for the WE Foundation to his former gang mates.”

“ Our volunteers who stay clean and sober have been our greatest testimonials.” Another recovering alcoholic quit his high-flying job to volunteer for the Foundation. C.A.R.E. is unique in that it is open seven days a week for its users “Our uniqueness is that we’re here all day long throughout the week and we can provide immediate intervention,” says Fullett. “We don’t charge anybody for our services.”

mation about addictions. We have programmes where we teach them about various forms of addictions and teach them how to do general counseling as well as some intervention work. Our volunteers who stay clean and sober have been our greatest testimonials as we have a lot of interest from the media to interview Drop-ins at the WE Foundation Centre these people and talk about In fact, C.A.R.E engage in some expressive therapy. their recovery.” offers extensive aftercare The advantage of having people in services for people who have undergone recovery work as volunteers in the centre detoxification and rehabilitation is that they, in turn, become mentors to programmes. In addition, the Foundation’s other recovering drop-ins. “If you have board members and C.A.R.E volunteers somebody who is six months in recovery meet regularly over lunch, an example and you have someone who comes off the of how a non-profit can engage different street who is just struggling with getting volunteers within a organisation. C.A.R.E is also unique in that it covers through one day at a time, they can see and identify with this mentor who has had a wide range of addictions including gambling, drugs and eating disorders. Says some success through work at the Centre,” explains Fullett. Fullett, “One of the programmes that we Certainly, there are many challenges started, which is tremendously unique, is what we call ‘All Addictions Anonymous’ in running a centre like C.A.R.E. “Addictions are still quite misunderstood in which people with all different types in Singapore,” says Fullett. “There’s a of addictions are welcome to join in. We moral issue in that there’s still some kind have people with gambling, alcohol, drug of guilt associated with it and it’s all got to addictions and they sit around and use do with guilt and shame. Like people will the twelve-step recovery programme. In say, ‘You’ve got great parents. How come addition, they go to ‘Singleness of Purpose’ you can’t stay sober? You’ve got a great programmes which are like Alcoholics wife and your kids are beautiful. How Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous.” come you can’t stay clean? But when you C.A.R.E. is run mainly by volunteers realise that addiction is a disease, not a – there are only two full-time staff and 40 moral issue, when you get to the medical registered volunteers. “The volunteers do core of the issue that the addict is not administrative work for us,” says Fullett. responsible for the addiction but he is “They answer the phones, they work on our website, they clean the place up, they responsible for the recovery, that’s when we can step in and help them recover.” ✩ train other volunteers to get more infor-

Jan-Feb 2007 S A LT •

SALTS HAK ERS&M OVERS

United We Stand

Since their appointments, everyone wants to know what the charities sector can expect from the new Commissioner of Charities and the new Chairman of the Charity Council. ANDREW DUFFY sits down for an exclusive and very candid interview with Mr Low Puk Yeong and Mrs Fang Ai Lian.

he police are famous for their “good cop, bad cop” routine. Working in pairs, one befriends the miscreant while the other threatens him until he confesses. Only in movies, of course. But with the arrival of both a new Commissioner of Charities (COC) and a new head of the Charity Council (CC) on the scene, the question might be asked: Who’s the good cop, and who is the bad one? The answer is that they both veer towards the nice role. “I see my role as helping the charity sector grow,” says Low Puk Yeong, the newly appointed Commissioner of Charities. “We want to regulate with a light touch, and we want to move towards self-regulation.” He is emphatic that “the Commissioner of Charities is not a policeman,” but accepts that if there were complaints about the management of a charity or its donations, “we would go in and investigate,” either with the Charities Unit’s own officers or outsource the work to an accountancy firm. Accountancy looms large on the other side, as Ernst and Young chairman Fang Ai Lian is the Chairman of the newly constituted Charity Council. She sees her role as advisory to the COC, which means, as she puts it smilingly, “clearly the Commissioner of Charities is the regulator, so he’s the policeman!” But both are keen to reassure the charity sector that the policeman role – such as it is – is solely intended to restore trust and help grow the sector. “We’re not here to go after charities. We’re here to help them grow by improving

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“ We’re not here to go after charities. We’re here to help them grow by improving governance. And we hope that public confidence can be restored.”

Mr Low Puk Yeong

governance,” says Mr Low during our interview at the Charities Unit’s new office in MCYS’s Thomson Road headquarters. “And we hope that public confidence can be restored.” His immediate aims are to amend the Charities Act to tighten up the regulatory procedure, and improve governance. For her part, Mrs Fang anticipates that the CC’s role will be to “help the COC in terms of suggesting what regulations should be in place, and to help them review cases as they come to light.” Mr Low agrees that the COC will

consult with the CC in any cases which might have a major impact, and will take their advice. Quite apart from any sector crisis, one priority is to come up with a Code of Governance which should be launched in the first quarter of 2007. Following the Inter-Ministry Committee recommendations, Mr Low and Mrs Fang stress that the new Code, as well as proposed amendments to the Charities Act, shouldn’t be seen as punitive. If the measures rebuild public trust, they are in charities’ own best interests. The two sides are working hand-in-hand to come up with ideas for the code, and they will be inviting public feedback (“We get a lot of diverse input!” smiles Mrs Fang) to take it through the due process. Mr Low points out that the code is voluntary, adding that it has been adapted from best practices in other countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom. “There are several bits and pieces all around,” says Mrs Fang. “We are rationalising them, collapsing them and designing them into a code for the whole charity sector.” That doesn’t mean a one-size-fits-all approach, simply because one size patently doesn’t fit the wide array of charities in Singapore. Mr Low is looking at a “risk-based regulatory framework,” so if a charity is big and has a great impact on society (such as NKF), and if there have been perennial complaints, then “we put them on a watch list. We don’t want to have an over-regulated regime. We hope

“ But both are keen to reassure the charity sector that the policeman role – such as it is – is solely intended to restore trust and help grow the sector.” On this, Mr Low robustly defends the changes he hopes to make. “I’m at an age when I don’t worry about playing safe,” he says. For his 30 years in the

“ If the charities are small, they don’t need fancy systems. But when they are large, the level of public accountability also becomes larger.”

Mrs Fang Ai Lian

civil service, he says “my role has been to rock the boat and make changes.” Mrs Fang looks at it optimistically. “Governance must be viewed in a positive way,” she says. “It’s being done to make the charity sector more vibrant.” Even so, there have been concerns that the new regulations could be something of the Sarbannes-Oxley Act for the charity sector, following the new act in the United States that tightens up governance and auditing of companies – at great expense to them. But Mrs Fang says that’s not the case here. In the first place, the new guidelines can be tailored for each charity, so they do not become too burdensome. And secondly, wheels had been set in motion a year before the NKF case grabbed the headlines. The aim of the new Code of Governance, Mrs Fang says, is to promote self-

regulation, rather than lay down the law. No two charities are the same, but the principles of good governance are. Hence, they need to find their own rules, and for good governance to trickle down from the top. “If you have a good board, everything else will flow – the strategic management, the financial management – everything.” Another benefit of stiffening the rules surrounding charities is that it should help them attract more high calibre people to their boards. “They all have a reputation to protect,” says Mrs Fang. “And they need to know that it won’t be tainted in any manner.” A bigger stick is being put in place, but what about a bigger carrot? Will we see better salaries being paid to top charity workers, to lure more top management away from the private sector? “We’re already moving in that direction, towards more commercial levels,” says Mrs Fang, adding that it is, naturally, for the board of each charity to decide the level of pay. The CC wouldn’t presume to offer any guidelines. Another step is to help with training, especially for CEOs and CFOs of charities and IPCs, so that they have a deeper understanding of good governance. “The starting point is that there are many good people who want to do good, but can run into trouble without wanting to; so our job is to help them improve their own capabilities,” Mrs Fang says. The new CC head also anticipates that donors will start to expect and accept greater levels of regulation; and hence will be more accepting that a larger slice of their donation will be channelled into the cost of compliance. They will be happy, too, to pay the slightly higher price for the reassurance of good governance that would come with it. “It’s a desired state of affairs to promote good governance and self regulation, and not to develop rules that will stifle charities. We want to help grow this important sector, make it vibrant.” ✩

Jan-Feb 2007 S A LT •

Photographs by Benjamin Yu of Studio One Photography

to see a better self-regulated sector.” He adds that he doesn’t “find any joy in pursuing enquiry after enquiry”. Mrs Fang, who also heads the Breast Cancer Foundation and the Home Nursing Foundation, is keen above all to promote a diverse range of charities. “It doesn’t matter if they are big or small,” she says. “Our mission is to help people realise their passion for community work. If the charities are small, they don’t need fancy systems. But when they are large, the level of public accountability also becomes larger.” Conversely, smaller charities are handicapped by simply not knowing best practice. “We want to help the smaller ones who find it difficult to institute sound financial controls,” says Mrs Fang. “That’s where we can help by developing standard systems which they can use, or show them how they can outsource accounting, for example.” Before the Code of Governance is ready, a new charity portal will be up and running, and will soon be a place where donors can look at a charity’s credentials to help them decide where to give. A popular perception is that all this flurry of activity is a response to the National Kidney Foundation scandal, and there are those who wonder if an increase in regulation isn’t a high price to pay for the 2,000-odd charities who weren’t involved in the NKF, SAVH and Youth Challenge headlines.

The Problem of Plenty

Many charities struggle to fundraise. The few that are very successful face a different set of problems – among them, reserves, setting fund targets, returning excess money and donors’ intent. WILLIE CHENG weighs in.

he Courage Fund was set up in April 2003 during the SARS crisis. It had no initial fundraising target. As an avalanche of money poured in, the feeling among many was that the money being raised was more than would be needed to help those affected by SARS. There were calls to stop fundraising and one donor publicly asked for his money back. The $32m fundraising record set by the Courage Fund was easily overtaken by the Tidal Waves Asia Fund established by the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) in January 2005 in response to the tsunami crisis. As a metaphorical tidal wave of donations swept in, there was disquiet among other volunteer groups and charities that were also responding to the crisis. These groups felt somewhat deprived of the almost unidirectional flow of funds to the SRC. In response, the SRC made the money available to other Singapore organisations helping out with the tsunami reconstruction efforts. One of the triggers of the National Kidney Foundation saga was the disclosure of its large amount of reserves. Each of these events highlights what you could call the problem of plenty for charities. It may be a happy problem for

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the charity, but a controversial matter for donors and other charities. There are several related questions which the charity sector has been grappling with: What is an adequate level of reserves? Should every fund communicate a financial target? Should charities return excess money to donors? Or can (or should) they channel the money to other charitable purposes?

“ Without large reserves to fall back on, charities are more likely to stay relevant to the needs of the community.” Level of Reserves Saving money for a rainy day is an old fashioned value, especially in Singapore. It’s how we are brought up. In a similar way, some levels of reserves by nonprofit organisations are accepted, if not encouraged. Reserves allow a charity to absorb setbacks and perhaps take advantage of opportunities as they arise. Yet too high a level of reserves is frowned upon by some donors and other

charities. The thinking is that excessive reserves deprive other deserving charities of needed funds. A recent study by the Charity Commission for England and Wales showed that while the average reserves level of UK charities hovers at about 12 months, 75% of the total reserves are accounted for by 7% of the UK charities. Rather than question the absolute level of reserves, the right approach is to ask how long the reserves will last a specific charity. In this respect, the industry agrees on a common yardstick of a “reserves ratio”, or the number of years of the charity’s operations that the reserves can cover. However, for the moment, there is no common agreement on the components of the reserve ratio (see box), or even what is an appropriate level of reserve. The Charity Commission for England and Wales chooses not to recommend a specific reserves level. Instead, it suggests that charities formally adopt and disclose a reserves policy. Consequently, UK charities with a reserves policy rose from 27% in 2002 to 40% in 2006. Charity Watch, the online service of the American Institute of Philanthropy that evaluates and rates U.S.-based charities on a scale of “A” to “F”, considers that up

to three years of reserves is reasonable. Charities with more than five years of reserves are considered to be “the least needy” and are awarded an “F” Grade (the lowest grade possible) regardless of other measurements. The National Council of Social Services recommends that reserves be limited to no more than five years of a welfare organisation’s annual net operating expenditure. Among Singapore’s IPCs (Institutions of Public Character) with undesignated reserves of S$10m or more, nearly half of them would be above the 5 year band (see table on page 26). A more extreme take on the level of reserves starts at zero. On this point, we can look at those faith-based organisations that take vows of poverty. The concept of reserves does not exist for Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. The sisters live a life that is the poorest of the poor, with each nun possessing no more than three sets of clothes which are often mended until the material is too bare to patch anymore. The Order is completely dependent on divine providence as they serve the most severe poverty stricken and needy cases. Without going to the extreme of Mother Teresa’s example of a hand-tomouth existence, I see merit in requiring end-beneficiary charities to continually fund raise only for their current (versus far future) needs. Without large reserves to fall back on, charities are more likely to stay relevant to the needs of the community. As donors give money for the benefit of specific beneficiaries, they are able to require ongoing accountability of the charity. In this way, the ST Pocket Money Fund and the Community Chest have a philosophy of collecting only just enough money needed for the current year’s planned allocations. Fund Targets It is considered best practice within the industry for a fundraiser to identify and communicate its fund raising target. That’s well and good if the outcome and costs are ascertainable, such as for a

MEASURING RESERVES The reserves ratio measures the length of time a charity can sustain itself without any further fundraising. It is computed as follows:

RESERVES = RATIO

RESERVES ANNUAL NET OPERATING EXPENSES

However, there are some differences of opinion on how the components should be computed. For instance, The Charity Commission for England and Wales observes that some charities “inappropriately use accounting conventions...to distort the presentation of their reserves level”. The main motivation is concern that the perception of high reserves levels might scare away funders.

RESERVES Reserves are investment assets that belong to a charity and which can be expended at the trustees’ discretion in furtherance of the charity’s objectives. These are usually captured in the balance sheet under names such as General Fund, Endowments and so on. Many charities conservatively define reserves to exclude funds which are not “free”, i.e. have been committed or designated for a particular purpose. Critics charge that such exclusions are used by some charities to distort perception of the actual amount of reserves that they have. The real test, they say, is whether there are real external restrictions by donors versus internal designations of fund use. A more encompassing approach is to include all such assets, whether designated or not, and a charity could then, as part of its disclosure, be specific about the kind of commitments that had, in fact, been made on the designated funds. The rule that American Institute of Philanthropy’s Charity Watch follows is that an investment asset is part of the reserves as long as the charity “could choose to spend if it wanted to do so”. In Singapore, IRAS defines reserves to include only undesignated funds, whereas NCSS excludes only building funds.

ANNUAL NET OPERATING EXPENSES This is simply the net cost of operating an organisation. Which elements of income (to net out) and expenditure (to include) in determining this depends on whether you adopt a liberal approach (results in higher ratio) or a conservative approach (results in a lower ratio):

LIBERAL CONSERVATIVE APPROACH APPROACH

Income Sources (To Net Out?) Donations – one off Donations from sustained giving programs X Government grants X Income from provision of services X Investment income from reserves assets X Expenditure Items (To Include?) Direct Charitable Expenses X Fund Raising Expenses Administrative Expenses X

X X

X X X

The test should be the general certainty that income or expenditure elements would continue into future years. The rationale for the harder line taken in a liberal approach are: Donations From Sustained Giving Programmes: More sophisticated nonprofits usually build loyalty donor programmes where donors give regularly almost without being asked to again. Examples are Community Chest’s SHARE Programme and NKF’s Lifedrops. Such donations are unlikely to go away unless there is a major crisis of confidence, so arguably, they should be included in reducing the annual net operating expenses. Grants and Services Income: Since government grants and services income should logically continue even if there are no donations, these could be factored to reduce the annual net operating expenses. Investment Income from Reserves Assets: Since the reserves investment assets do generate income (although it will be declining as the capital is eroded), logically they constitute a source of income to reduce the annual net operating expenses as well. Fundraising Expenses: It could be argued that to determine how long a charity could last without further fundraising, then the cost of further fundraising should, therefore, not be included.

SINGAPORE CHARITY RESERVES The table on the following page shows the absolute reserves against the reserve ratios of Singapore IPCs with full reserves greater than $10m. The basis for computations is provided in the legend to the table.

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building fund or a fund for an established charity’s operating needs. That may not always be the case. The Courage Fund, for instance, was set up at the onset of the SARS crisis. It was not clear then what the extent of the crisis would be and hence identifying a target level was near impossible. But in some cases, the approach of some charities is that there is never enough of the good one could do with more money. Take the case of the Universities Endowment Fund (UEF) which was established in 1991 to provide for the joint needs of the National University of Singapore (NUS) and Nanyang Technological University (NTU). The UEF was set up with what was described as a very ambitious target of $1b. By 1996, the fund stood at $620m. It was then dissolved and split into two separate funds for the two universities. Since then, both universities have collected more than the original target. Currently, NUS reserves (inclusive of the endowment

“ In some cases, the philosophy is that there is never enough of the good one could do with more money.” funds) stand at over $2.8 b and NTU at over $1b. Nevertheless, fundraising on the university scene continues unabated. Both NUS and NTU have not stated how far they intend to go in its fundraising drives. Chew Kheng Chuan, Director of Development at NUS has said that the university is “vision driven”. They take their cue from leading universities which have accumulated staggering endowments such as Harvard University (US$29 billion), Yale University (US$18 billion) and Stanford University (US$15 billion) – and are all still counting. Excess Donations The discipline of stopping donations when you have collected enough is a commendable one. My wife was recently

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IPCs WITH LARGE RESERVES ORGANISATION

FULL UNDESIGNATED NET OPERATING RESERVES RESERVES* RESERVES EXPENSES RATIO 1 2 3 (S$M) (S$M) (S$M) (CONSERVATIVE)4

National University of Singapore

2,828

608

104.3

5.8

Nanyang Technological University

1,047

135

130.1

1.0

Singapore Management University

569

219

(17.2)5

N/A5

National Kidney Foundation

263

197

54.0

3.6

National Council of Social Service

219

49.7

0.7

Singapore Anti-Tuberculosis Association

3.7

5.5

Chinese Development Assistance Council

10.1

1.0

Kwong Wai Shiu Hospital and Nursing Home

8.1

3.5

Singapore Chinese Orchestra

0.8

12.3

Singapore Symphony Orchestra

0.5

20.5

Yayasan Mendaki

11.5

0.5

Ren Ci Hospital & Medicare Centre

5.2

5.5

Singapore International Foundation

0.5

0.9

Lions Home for the Elders

0.8

4.5

Singapore Indian Development Association

5.8

0.6

Catholic Welfare Services

3.9

2.8

Singapore Children’s Society

4.8

4.1

St. Luke’s Hospital

0.8

8.1

Ju Eng Welfare Association

(0.9)5

N/A5

The Esplanade – Theatres on the Bay

0.6

30.9

Singapore Cancer Society

5.6

2.2

Bright Vision Hospital

10.6

1.3

Movement for the Intellectually Disabled

1.1

2.9

Kidney Dialysis Foundation

2.4

3.8

Source: Table compiled by Lien Foundation Centre for Social Innovation, based on most recent (2005 or 2006) published data available. All amounts are rounded. Notes: 1. Full Reserves = All amounts classified in balance sheet as Accumulated Surplus, General, Restricted, Endowment, Building and Other Funds. 2. Undesignated Reserves = Full Reserves less Restricted Funds, Endowment, Building, and other Designated Funds. 3. Net Operating Expenditure = Gross Operating Expenses less Grants/Sponsorships, and less Service Fees/Income. 4. Reserves Ratio (Conservative) = Undesignated Reserves divided by Annual Net Operating Expenses. 5. When annual net operating expenditure is negative, it means that the gross operating expenses is more than covered by grants, sponsorship and service income before donations. Hence the reserves ratio is also negative. As it is not meaningful, it is indicated as “N/A”.

asked to help a Catholic shelter for abused spouses and families to raise some money for a much needed van. By the time she did a private collection, the nuns had already received sufficient money from other donors to pay for the van. Pressed to take and use the money for other needs of the organisation, the sisters declined on the basis that they did not wish to receive funds for unspecified needs. A month and the half after the Courage Fund was set up and public donations of nearly $10m had flowed in, its trustees announced that the fund should be adequate and they would be “taking a pause” from initiating new fund raising projects. In the same way that corporations are asked to return excess capital to their shareholders, should charities return excess money to their donors? Returning excess money can be tricky. The Courage Fund did oblige three donors who asked for their money back – about $1,000 in total. But these refunds happened before the money was committed and spent. Even if it now wishes to do so, it would not be able to identify and communicate to the 22,000 donors who have contributed to the Fund. Another suggestion would be to channel excess donations to other charities – but this may not be keeping in faith with the donors’ intentions. Donor Intent An inviolable principle that has developed in the charity sector is that when a donor gives with a specific intent, that intent must be respected in perpetuity. Defending donor’s intent has spawned a history of family disputes and litigation. A landmark case is that of the Buck Trust. Beryl Buck, a nurse, who died in 1975, specified that the funds in the Buck Trust were to be used “exclusively ... in providing care for the needy in Marin Country, California, and for other nonprofit, charitable, religious or educational purposes in Marin County, California”. It is fair to say that Mrs Buck did not anticipate that her gift would grow from the original amount of less than US$10m

to US$280 million by 1980. The San Francisco Foundation, which administered the trust, sought to apply the money to charitable purposes in the entire Bay area surrounding San Francisco where the need was arguably greater than in wealthy Marin County. Representatives from Marin County fought the move in court. The court ruled that Mrs Buck’s intention to use the money for the benefit only of Marin County was clear and turned over the administration of the Buck Trust funds from the San Francisco Foundation

“When a donor gives with a specific intent, that intent must be respected in perpetuity.” to a newly created Marin Community Foundation. Today the foundation has more than US$1 billion in assets. The Asian tsunami crisis presented similar donor intent dilemmas for many charities. During the initial weeks following the disaster, there was a frenzied donation of clothes, food and other items by Singaporeans. These were piled up high at various collection centres. The bottleneck was in the air, sea transport and land transport needed to get them into the hands of those who needed the donations most. After more than a month sitting at the collection centres, there were discussions in NGO circles as to whether some of the goods, especially the food perishables, would be best diverted towards local charities. The goods were clearly donated for the tsunami victims and using them for other purposes, no matter how noble, did not sit right with many. Identifying the donors and getting their consent to do otherwise was not practical. In the event, the goods were finally shipped although they sat for another long spell at the Indonesian ports. Three months after the Asian tsunami, another earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Nias. The resulting tsunami from the first earthquake killed

122 people and rendered hundreds homeless. The second earthquake killed 800 with 2,000 casualties. In this case, many NGOs had raised a tremendous amount of money for the tsunami and at that time, a significant part of it was uncommitted and hence available to apply to the second Nias earthquake. At the time, the Archdiocese Crisis Coordination Team, a Catholic charity that I was involved in, discussed the matter. We had collected $1.5m from parishioners for the tsunami. Nias clearly had an immediate need and coincidentally had a predominant Christian population. After some debate, we concluded that we had to honor the basis on which the funds were raised as parishioners had clearly donated for the tsunami. Any support we provided would have had to be for the original disaster and a separate fundraising would be needed if we wished to give any money for the second Nias earthquake. Given these examples, you can see that it’s important for a charity to be broad when defining its fund objectives and to proactively identify what it would do with its excess funds. In public fund raising, there really is no getting back to specific donors to ask for a change in their intentions. A good example of this approach is the Courage Fund. While the general perception is that the money was collected only for SARS, the fact is that the objectives of the Fund include benefiting healthcare workers, and benefiting the wider Singapore community affected by widespread infectious diseases. Thus, while the SARS Crisis is over (for the time being) and only half the money has been committed, there are other broader objectives that the remaining funds can be applied to. More charities – big or small – need to think about the issue of reserves. They especially need to be more proactive in developing a reserves policy, and fund raising targets and objectives – and communicating these issues to donors. In this way, the problem of plenty may stop being a ‘problem’ as such and become, instead, a boon. ✩

Jan-Feb 2007 S A LT •

How Should Leaders Influence?

CURT GRAYSON explains how leaders convince others to their point of view. Such an approach acquires special importance in the context of volunteer organisations which may not have ‘normal’ hierarchical structures.

Salt and pepper shakers from a private collection.

oday’s organisations have flexible and interactive structures that rely far less on hierarchy than ever before. In other words, your position in an organisation and the power it gives you are sometimes not enough to motivate others to do what you ask of them. Influence has been acknowledged for years as one aspect of leadership, but increasingly the ability to influence others is viewed as essential for success. This is especially true in volunteer organisations where people come together out of a desire to serve the community and the nominated leaders of these organisations often do not have formal authority over their members. Developing influencing skills allows things to get done and desirable outcomes achieved. Influence skills can strategically be used to communicate a vision; align the efforts of others in the organisation and build commitment from people at all levels. The first step to understanding influence and honing one’s influencing skills is to identify and understand your stakeholders. Each stakeholder has special concerns and issues, their own agenda, perspectives and priorities. Various groups and individuals will require different approaches for influencing. How much interpersonal power you have with those you are attempting to influence is an important determinant of how successful you will be at influencing. Two types of interpersonal power are personal power and positional power. Personal power refers to the level of trust, respect and relational commitment you

have with another person. This develops over time and with experience. Positional power refers to the organisational power given through title or specific responsibility. Both types of power can affect your ability to influence. However, in organisations with fluid structures and collaborative processes, personal power holds greater sway.

“To maximise your personal influence, you need to understand your own style of influencing and what tactics you currently use.” The question then arises, “How do you influence others?” You are actually influencing others all the time, but many people don’t know how they do it. Many leaders have the idea that influencing is a complex, often subtle, process of persuasion that either works or doesn’t. In reality, influencing tactics fall into one of three categories: logical, emotional or cooperative. The most effective influencers know how to utilise all three approaches. We call this influencing with head, heart and hands. Logical appeals (head) tap into people’s rational and intellectual positions. You present an argument for the best choice of action based on organisational and/ or personal benefits. Tactics include objectively and logically explaining your

reasons in a clear and compelling way; and demonstrating clearly and logically why your idea is the best possible option, showing that you have carefully considered other possibilities. Emotional appeals (heart) connect your message or goal to an important emotional motivator. An idea that promotes a person’s feelings of well-being, service or sense of belonging has a good chance of gaining support. Cooperative appeals (hands) build a connection between you, the person you are trying to influence and others to get support for your proposal. Working together to accomplish a mutually important goal extends a hand to others in the organisation and is an extremely effective way of influencing. Building those connections include involving others in the process of deciding how to carry out your goals; reducing difficulty by removing barriers to success, and thoughtfully responding to concerns and suggestions. To maximise your personal influence, you need to understand your own style of influencing and what tactics you currently use. If you rely exclusively on logical appeals you may be missing the chance to engage people through their emotions, values and relationships. If you overemphasise emotional or cooperative appeals, you may be leaving out the data and rationale that shore up your plan. ✩ Curt Grayson is co-author of Influence: Gaining Commitment, Getting Results. He is a faculty member at the Center for Creative Leadership, an educational institution with an office in Singapore. For more information, call + 65 6854 6000, e-mail cclasia@leaders.ccl.org or visit ww.ccl.org/asia.

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Getting the Best Out of a Crisis For many, a crisis is a time to throw in the towel. For others like JACK SIM, it’s an opportunity to find yourself.

omeone once said, “Often, a crisis happens not because the problem is too big. It happens because we feel too small.” The year 2000 was the heart of a recession. Like most others, my building material business was not doing well. Worse, my French partners decided to sell out their shares. However, I wanted the company to stay afloat, so I bought them for about $6.5m and became heavily indebted to the bank. Staff morale was low – as was mine. I felt like a failure. Financially and mentally, I was exhausted. I knew that I needed to find a way out of the situation before it became too late. The only hint that I was still a useful human being was my work with the Restroom Association which was going very well. I much preferred going to the happy association rather than my sad office. My philosophy is that if I am sad, I don’t want to spread the sadness to the staff.

Photo courtesy of Singapore Press Holdings

“What we hold on to may, in fact, be our burden. Find good people, trust them and let go.“ The work the association was doing made me feel so good that, in 2001, I did what many thought was absolutely ridiculous: I started the World Toilet Organisation (WTO), a global platform that covered toilet and sanitation issues. Having no money, I operated my company, the association and the WTO single-handedly. Needless to say, this took up plenty of my time. My company staff were shocked and told me I was crazy to do more volunteer work when my company was in trouble

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and needed me most. The truth was I needed to feel useful again. At the office, I felt a little helpless, but, miraculously, volunteering at WTO and the association made me see I could make a difference in society. And on a global scale. My self-esteem went up. My mind started to feel young again. Slowly, I came out of my depression. I stopped being a negative and confused person. The body became healthier, happier and energized. I found I could think clearly with each success I made hosting the World Toilet Summit series, convincing governments to take toilets and sanitation seriously, getting acknowledgement from the global media, and having others saying, “It’s good that Jack started talking about toilets. Someone ought to have done this long ago.” I returned to my office with a positive mind and reorganised it. I recovered debts, reduced inventories, removed staff who were destroying value, and even increased pay for good staff. I returned account-

ability to each business unit and installed cluster leaders to self-manage their work. While the volume of business did not improve, wastage was reduced which resulted in cost-savings and profits. As the company stabilised in 2004, I did the next ridiculous thing: I appointed a general manager to take over my role and I resigned from my own company to do full-time volunteer work at WTO for no-pay. In 2005, I started World Toilet College. I also handed over the presidency of the Restroom Association to Ms Tan Puay Hoon so that I could concentrate on the global work of improving toilet conditions and sanitation. “How could a boss resign from his own company?” my peers asked and I answered, “Life is short, we need to do what we feel is important and what will make us happy.” I tell this story to impart a few lessons. To do what we do well, we need energy. Energy comes from high self-esteem. Do all you can to lift your self-esteem without tipping over to arrogance. Importantly, volunteering is one way to find yourself; in a sense, doing more is not necessarily taxing, if you enjoy it. What we hold on to may, in fact, be our burden. Find good people, trust them and let go. With the new freedom, you may discover your larger potential. It is also normal to grow old. But it is no good growing tired. Do things that agree with your spirit, find out what you enjoy doing and, trust me, you’ll feel young again. And if you are still clueless, just volunteer at the WTO! You’ll meet very happy people there. ✩ Jack Sim is the founder of the World Toilet Organisation, World Toilet Congress and the Restroom Association of Singapore. He was also Singapore’s inaugural Schwab Social Entrepreneur of the Year in 2005.

CALENDAR D A T E S

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DO YOU HAVE AN EVENT YOU WOULD LIKE TO PUBLICISE? We welcome your news of upcoming events and pictures. Please send them to SALT, 7 Maxwell Road, #05-01 Annex B MND Complex, Singapore 069111; or email salt@nvpc.org.sg. Please include your name, the name of your organisation, address and telephone number. SALT reserves the right to edit submissions for space and clarity.

N O T E

Pass-It-On (www.passiton.org.sg) Pass-It-On is an online portal which matches unwanted but useful household items to less privileged families. The matching is made by the organisation’s social assistance officers as well as social workers in various Voluntary Welfare Organisations such as Family Service Centres and Senior Citizen Centres. With the launch of Comcare, registered grassroots leaders will also be able to use Pass-It-On to obtain household items which may be needed for the less privileged families they identify. This service is open to all residents in Singapore. Interested VWOs should register on-line or call 63709813.

5 February Shine in Your Golden Years Venue: Dramaplus Arts Ltd, 33 Kerbau Road For anyone who’s ever wanted to try stagecraft, The Glowers will be conducting Drama 101 workshops for all seniors aged 50 and above. The workshops – covering theatre games, basic acting, movements and improvisation – will be conducted by veteran actors and drama instructors Catherine Sng and Tony Quek. No previous acting experience is required. The goal of The Glowers is to provide senior citizens with opportunities to dramatise their life experience with a view to personal and social enrichment and to entertain and educate Singaporeans of all ages about ageing. They are supported by the Ministry of Community Development Youth and Sports under its GO! (Golden Opportunities) Fund. The workshops will culminate in a performance on April 2007. Call 62990013 or email dramaplus @pacific.net.sg for more details.

8 February – 11 February City Carnival Venue: Singapore Management University Campus Time: 10am – 7pm This year’s City Carnival will be a mega bazaar of more than 300 vendors

selling products made by non-profit organisations. A fun packed fusion of several themes – such as Chinese New Year Sales, International Food Fair, Chocolates Galore, Trendy Fashion, Wellness and Toys – the initiative is a community-based project that aims to provide an opportunity for the student vendors and selected less privileged residents from Central Singapore and organisations from the social community to embark on retail entrepreneurship and network with the commercial vendors. For more information, or to volunteer, log on to www.citycarnival.com.sg

11 February Temasek Junior College’s 30th Anniversary fundraiser Venue: South East CDC Time: 8am onwards Join Temasek Junior College in its 30th anniversary celebrations. The college has chosen to align its celebrations with its community involvement initiatives. Kicking things off, the entire college will be mobilised to collect old clothes and newspapers to raise funds for charitable organisations. The event will commence on the morning of 11 February and cover about 600 blocks of flats in the SE CDC district. The college will be working in collaboration with Altvater Jakob Pte Ltd, Lions’ Club and alumni members. For more information, or to volunteer, log on to www.tjc.edu.sg

11 February ECO Clubs @ Community Centres Venue: Siglap Community Centre Together with the Siglap Community Centre and artistes, the Environmental Challenge Organisation (ECO) will launch ECO Youth Clubs. The objective is to integrate, in an innovative way, the environment and the arts to create interesting art pieces and clothing from recycled materials. The launch of the first club will coincide with Temasek Junior College’s 30th Anniversary celebrations. For more information, log on to www.eco-singapore.org or email enquiry@eco-singapore.org

15 February 3rd International Childhood Cancer Day (ICCD) The Children’s Cancer Foundation (CCF) is holding its third International Childhood Cancer Day on 15 February 2007, in collaboration with the International Confederation of Childhood Cancer Parent Organisation. The ICCD aims to educate the public about childhood cancer, raise donations through fundraising events and promote the work of CCF. To commemorate the event, NETS (Singapore) has designed a special CashCard for anyone making a minimum donation of $7 to CCF. CCF hopes to raise $20,000 for its public education outreach programmes. Whilst the card has no stored value, card holders are entitled to free drinks and monthly movie benefits. (More details at myc.com.sg). Additionally, for every Combi CashCard retail transaction or eNETS transaction made from now till the end of 2007, NETS will donate one cent to CCF, with the aim of raising $250,000 for the beneficiaries. For more details, contact tiffany.how@ccf.org.sg, call CCF on 68352665 or visit www.ccf.org.sg.

12 – 13 March International Conference on Character Development Through Service and Experiential Learning Venue: National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, 1 Nanyang Walk The National Institute of Education (NIE), which is the sole teacher provider in Singapore, implemented a mandatory Group Endeavours in Service Learning programme for all new students in 2005. It is one of the few institutions in the Southeast Asian region where service learning is a campus-wide activity. This conference seeks to share the experiences of service and other forms of experiential learning that students in higher institutions are exposed to. The NIE invites participants from the community to share their knowledge and research findings in this immensely important aspect of students’ learning. For more information, visit www. iccdtsel.nie.edu.sg; call 67903269 or email slcon@nie.edu.sg.

20 April – 20 June Passage of Hope 2007 – The Plant for the Planet Venue: Singapore Management University, Campus Green Passage of Hope is an annual event which highlights regional environmental issues through the universal language of art. Its goal is to educate and motivate the public to take action in local and global conservation efforts. Organised by the Eco 4 the World Foundation, Passage of Hope 2007 will participate in UNEP’s Billion Tree Campaign by planting 100,000 trees in Singapore. International artist and sculptor, Philippe Pastor’s “The Burnt Tree Exhibition” consists of 40 burnt trees and aims to sensitise the public to the damages in nature and to address the need to preserve our natural resources. Community participation, especially in the tree planting exercise, is encouraged. More details are at www. eco4theworld.org or 64230114.

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SCENE&SEEN

Christmas Cheer Boys’ Brigade Sharity’s Christmas programme, 24 November – 20 December 2006

Friends for Life

National University Hospital (NUH) Volunteers Appreciation, 8 December 2006, NUH Auditorium

Guest-of-Honour Mrs Tan Chee Koon (2nd from right) and Devi participating in the games segment of the evening while Chua Song Khim (CEO, NUH) and Eva Chow (Chief Medical Social Worker, NUH) look on.

Volunteers were lauded at the NUH’s Volunteers Appreciation 2006 event. Guest-of-Honour and CEO of NVPC, Mrs Tan Chee Koon, struck a chord with many when she noted how important and special volunteers are. The evening paid tribute to the dedicated volunteers of NUH Friends, a volunteer programme that is now in its tenth year. The short but touching ceremony was highlighted by a special video montage in which staff and patients expressed their appreciation. The evening was book-ended by an exciting games segment and a touching rendition of ‘Point of Light’ by five ‘angels’ from the Medical Social Work Department while their colleagues distributed roses to the volunteers off-stage.

Showing just how easy it can be to bring joy to someone’s Christmas, Mr Teo Chee Hean, Minister for Defence, trawled the shopping aisles for the perfect gift for five-year old LL Teo. The retail spree commemorated the launch of 2006’s Boys’ Brigade Sharity Gift Box which aimed to collect 400,000 food and household items, as well as fulfil 8,040 specific wishes for children, youths, elderly, and families in need.

Star performance: Minister Teo puts up the star on the Sharity Wish Tree.

VegeMight

Solid Rock

Reunited for Charity, Milk and Energy re-unite for concert celebrating KDF’s 10th anniversary.

KDF Rocks for Charity, 4 November 2006, Fort Canning Green

The Kidney Dialysis Foundation (KDF) held its first charity concert, ‘Together We Rock for Charity’, in aid of its kidney patients. Rock group Energy, reunited for the evening with ex-leader Milk, lent their star appeal. The concert kicked off a series of fund-raising activities to mark KDF’s tenth anniversary and raised close to $300,000 from sponsors and ticket sales.

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Metta Charity Banquet, 4 November 2006, Swissôtel The Stamford

Guest-of-Honour Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, Minister of State, Ministry of Community Development, Youth & Sports, receiving a batik painting drawn by Metta School student, Nur Atikah Bte Zaini. On the left is Metta’s President, Venerable Shi Fa Zhao.

The complementary nature of voluntary and civic groups prompts the Metta Welfare Association to partner various grassroots organisations in holding its annual charity banquet. Last year, Metta Welfare Association teamed up with Kebun Baru Community Club to hold a vegetarian banquet. 900 guests joined in to celebrate “Together Towards A Better Future”, an evening of ethnic performing arts dedicated to the lives of the needy. Over $270,000 was raised for Metta’s operational funds and KBCC’s upgrading funds.

Diamonds are Forever

Bulgari Charity Auction-MILK Dinner 2006, 4 December 2006, Shangri-la Hotel

More than 350 guests enjoyed an evening of splendour and glamour at the Bulgari Charity Auction-MILK Dinner 2006. Graced by President and Mrs S R Nathan, the evening was peppered with delightful entertainment and a lively auction which saw the guests engaged in a friendly competition for the luxury brand’s jewellery and watches. The gala dinner was a part of Bulgari’s first charity auction in Asia (a day auction was held the day before). Net proceeds from the auction and sales of the $25,000 tables went towards helping the disadvantaged and underprivileged children of MILK. The charity aims to raise $6 million in the coming year for more than 10,000 children.

Guest-of-Honor President and Mrs S R Nathan sparkle with guests.

V for Victory HP V-Challenge for PC2006, 3 November 2006

Over 1,000 Hewlett-Packard employees fulfilled the wishes of 20 Singaporean charities as part of HP’s V-Challenge in support of the President’s Reaching Out: Tan Yen Yen, managing director Challenge 2006. Dubbed ‘HP Volunteer Day’, more than of HP Singapore with students of Canossian School at the Singapore Science Centre 2,000 people from the selected charity organisations – including autistic students from Pathlight School and elderly residents from Moral Seniors Activity Centre Toa Payoh – were treated to specially planned programmes. A hundred hearing-impaired children from Canossian School were treated to an excursion to the Singapore Science Centre, while a group with intellectual and physical disabilities from the Christian Outreach to the Handicapped visited Suntec City and took a DUCKtour.

Left: The diplomatic community joins with Dr Vivian Balakrisnan in Lighting Up the Arts. Below: Art Outreach Chairman Mae Anderson with Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.

Oh, Lighten Up!

Connecting the Dots International Volunteer Manager Appreciation Day (IVMAD), 1 November 2006

It’s sad but true that volunteer managers are often overworked and under-appreciated. They work hard to integrate volunteers into the core work of an organisation, and still have to put up with rather demanding requests and expectations from both volunteers and organisation. For all their pain and hard work, volunteer managers received some much deserved recognition on 1 November 2006 with the inaugural International Volunteer Manager Appreciation Day organised by MOVE. A special celebratory dinner was also held at Singapore Polytechnic Graduate Guild House. Volunteer managers were also encouraged to take the opportunity to support – and connect with – each other.

“Lighting Up The Arts”, 29 November 2006, Marina Mandarin

“Marina Mandarin Lighting Up The Arts”, a charity art auction and gala dinner held in aid of Art Outreach, raised more than $100,000 for the support of arts education in local schools. Guest-of-Honour, Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister of Ministry for Community Development, Youth and Sports, was joined by the ambassadors and country representatives from Austria, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines and South Africa. The glittering evening included a spectacular lightup of the hotel’s Christmas tree, the soaring voices of the Raffles Concert Singers from Raffles Junior College and the toasting of Piper-Heidseck Champagne. Guests were also treated to an evening of aesthetic appreciation with interactive entertainment by “Talking Portraits” – featuring actresses from Singapore Repertory Theatre’s The Young Company, dressed as subjects of famous women in iconic artworks.

Volunteer programme managers at the 1st International Volunteer Manager Appreciation Day Celebration Dinner organised by MOVE on 1 November 2006.

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Niam Chiang Meng, Tan Chee Koon, Mrs Yu-Foo Yee Shoon, Abdullah Tarmugi.

THE NATIONAL VOLUNTEERISM AND PHILANTHROPY AWARDS 2006 GALA DINNER

t was an evening of celebrations and well deserved recognition as over 300 guests gathered for a gala dinner at the Marina Mandarin on 21 November to celebrate the 2006 National Volunteerism and Philanthropy (NVPC) Awards. For the third year, the awards honoured those who set excellence benchmarks in encouraging the spirit of giving in Singapore, whether it be in the form of time, talent or treasure. The winners of this year’s awards are:

NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION AWARD Society of the Physically Disabled

INNOVATIVE FUNDRAISING INITIATIVE AWARD Hair for Hope (Children’s Cancer Foundation)

CORPORATE CITIZEN AWARD City Developments Limited (CDL)

SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARD Gerard Ee There was no recipient for the fifth, New Non-profit Initiative Award category.

Edward Job, Joseph Cheong, Edward Wan, Dr Chiang Hai Ding, V Thirupathy.

“I think they are a very deserving group of people,” said Jamil Amin from the Autism Association of the award winners. “There are a lot of people doing good work out there, and sometimes it takes them a long time before they are recognised, so it’s good that this year’s winners are finally recognised for their efforts.” Jack Sim of the World Toilet Organisation also praised the calibre of this year’s winners and singled out Gerard Ee for particular praise.“He has devoted his entire life to social work and he deserves every award that is relevant to this work. It’s also very appropriate that CDL has won because they have been active in the forefront in supporting all kinds of community work.” The guest-of-honour was Mr Abdullah Tarmugi, Speaker of Parliament. NVPC’s Chairman, Rear-Admiral (Ret) Kwek Siew Jin, in delivering his welcome address, noted that Mr Abdullah was one of the earliest supporters of NVPC when the organisation was first established as the National Volunteer Centre in 1999 since it was during his tenure as the Minister for MCYS’ predecessor Ministry that the Centre got started. In particular, Rr-Adm Kwek implored the audience not to allow the scandals that hit Liak Teng Lit, Alex Chan, Lee Keen Whye.

Rear Admiral (Ret). Kwek Siew Jin, Abdullah Tarmugi, Lim Chee Onn, Dr Ow Chee Chung.

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Willie Cheng, Niam Chiang Meng, Gerard Ee.

Rear Admiral (Ret). Kwek Siew Jin, Abdullah Tarmugi, Henk R de Glint, Gerard Ee.

(6th from left) Gerard Ee and some family members.

Abdullah Tarmugi, Zaqy Mohamad, Henk R de Glint, Lim Chee Onn, Kwek Siew Jin.

the non-profit sector in the past year distract them from the great amount of good work that has been done by the sector. “The charity sector has taken a lot of hard knocks in recent times. It is time we stop the self-flagellation and agonizing over shortcomings. Having learnt valuable lessons from the episode, let us declare, indeed believe, that the NPO sector is strong as ever, going forward into the new giving environment.” In much the same spirit, guest-of-honour, Abdullah Tarmugi, urged the non-profit agencies to collaborate more. “Much as in society, we expect the strong to help the weak, in the nonprofit sector, it would be desirable for the stronger ones amongst you to bring along your counterparts...The humanitarian relief and other agencies out of Singapore like Mercy Relief and the Singapore Red Cross that were involved in tsunami and other disaster relief work in the region, for example, collaborate under the Team Singapore banner, letting each agency lead where each has the strongest local connections.” Mr Kwek Leng Joo, managing director of CDL, had this to say, “The CSR movement is gaining momentum in Singapore,

Rear Admiral (Ret). Kwek Siew Jin, Abdullah Tarmugi, Christina Koh, Raphael Lim.

Abdullah Tarmugi, Kwek Leng Joo.

but there is still room for more local corporations to embark on their own CSR journey, engage its staff and stakeholders, to contribute back to our community. We have found this to be a meaningful journey and one that we will certainly continue for many years to come.” Regarding the NVPC awards, Dr Ow Chee Chung, Executive Director of the Society for the Physically Disabled, felt that “in the process of rewarding and paying tribute to individuals and organisations that help make Singapore a more caring and compassionate society, the NVPC Awards also underscore the critical role of volunteerism and philanthropy. The award may be a physical trophy but it is the substance that signifies the many helping hands and gives essence to the meaning of volunteerism and philanthropy.“ Partners of the NVPC awards on the night included Harvard Singapore Foundation, DHL and Fortis Private Banking. ✩

Su Yeang, Mrs Ivy Singh-Lim, Eunice Tay. Jan-Feb 2007 S A LT •

“I’m now a busybody who wants to make a difference. I have realised that in giving, we receive so much more – the satisfaction is something that money can’t buy.”

“There is the persistent perception on the ground that more can and should be done to level up the less fortunate among us.” Dr Amy Khor, Hong Kah GRC

Gerard Ee

“We want to build up a network of advocates and activists to spread our message that disabled people are a part of us, not apart from us.”

“ Linking VWOs together in a local network is good. We can hop onto the wagon of others and there is no need to duplicate services.” Wicare chairman, Joyce Lye, TODAY

“It’s not a sacrifice, it’s a privilege for me to go to these places. I feel happier and freer in spirit.” 19 year old Tan Wai Jia on her orphanage work in Nepal. Proceeds from her book, Kitesong, go to helping Sophia’s Home Orphanage in Nepal.

“I used to complain about life, but compared to the suffering and courage of these children and families, my problems seem so small.” Celebrity Jerry Yen on helping poor children in Mongolia with World Vision.

Dr Ow Chee Chung, Society of the Physically Disabled

“The kite was our symbol of freeing the pain and suffering of children with cancer.” Mei Yen, leader of a group of youths who organised kite-flying fund-raising events at East Coast Park.

“This clean-up will raise public awareness, it gives us a taste of what volunteering is like, and gets us interested. Kayaking is more fun than just picking up litter.” Tan Wan Wei, 17, from Meridian Junior College on youths kayaking along Pasir Ris beach and into the mangrove areas along Sungei Api Ap, picking up litter.

“A single sad case might prompt kind Singaporeans to donate $500,000, as in the MRT death-fall man. But wouldn’t it be better if such huge sums of money were channeled into a fund that could assist many more needy people? Singaporeans do have a heart. So call it the Heart Fund, if you will. Let’s tell the desperate in Singapore that they are not alone. Help will always be around the corner.” Clarence Chang, The New Paper

“The perception exists that Singapore is a society that is bifurcated between elites and the commoners, the scholars and the Normal stream... and the rich and the poor.” Sin Boon Ann, Tampines GRC

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