City of Good Forum 2026

Mr Seah Chin Siong, Chairman, NVPC

Mr Tony Soh, CEO, NVPC

Mr Lim Shung Yar, CEO, NCSS

Distinguished guests,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Introduction

1. A very good afternoon to you.

2. Let me first start by congratulating all of you for the wonderful work that you do in the sector, following your passions and bringing Singapore forward to a more caring and giving society.

3. It is a pleasure for us to be here with our partners, volunteers, donors, and community leaders who believe very deeply in the power of giving. Your efforts strengthen the bonds between people and help build the kind of society that we would like our Singapore to be.

Building a We First Society

4. This is also in line with our vision to be a “We First” society.

   1. A society where we put others before ourselves, take shared responsibility for challenges, and work across communities, businesses and government for the common good.

5. This vision is especially important in a time that we are in right now.

   1. It is important for organisations to find ways and means to bring ourselves back together and be an example of what it means to be a united society where we put others ahead of ourselves.

6. We also see the advent of many global developments and changes in technology that are coming up. All of these have profound impact on the countries around us and the world.

7. What ultimately matters is a society being strong - not just in terms of economic growth or its infrastructure. It is also in terms of its social capital and to simply put ourselves in terms of:

   1. The way we trust one another,

   2. Our willingness to help one another, and

   3. Our shared belief that we are in this together.

8. This is why our ambition is to nurture what we call a “democracy of deeds”, where Singaporeans do not just talk about change, but to step forward and make a difference in their own communities.

9. This is one of the clearest ways which we can build this collective spirit:

   1. By stepping forward to support others,

   2. And in our daily lives, we are able to volunteer our time, skills and expertise, and

   3. Contribute resources to our collective good.

Growing a Culture of Giving in Singapore

10. How can we grow a culture of giving in Singapore? This is where the National Giving Study 2025 provides us with some important highlights.

11. First, the NGS 2025 shows us that giving is not just an individual act but it is shaped by the people and environments around us.

    1. Individuals are more likely to volunteer or donate, and to do so more frequently, when family members, peers and colleagues are also actively giving.

    2. Supportive environments matter too, whether it is having the help that is required at home in terms of caregiving needs or household responsibilities, or workplaces that offer initiatives such as volunteer leave, so that people in the workforce can volunteer their time in supporting the community.

    3. These factors make it easier for people to step forward and contribute.

12. The Government will thus continue to encourage and foster such environments where individuals can give back in their groups and to communities.

13. For example, we have seen partnerships being formed between NVPC and the Singapore Business Federation, to help companies develop meaningful volunteering programmes with non-profits.

    1. Through Project V – a partnership by NVPC and National Council of Social Services (NCSS) – AETOS first partnered MINDS in 2024, where through monthly volunteering sessions, employees befriended persons with disabilities as they participated in outdoor activities together.

    2. AETOS employees have since volunteered together regularly, and this has created lasting partnerships between AETOS and MINDS.

14. We are also developing supportive environments at the township-level.

    1. Through our islandwide network of 24 SG Cares Volunteer Centres, community organisations are connected with individuals for meaningful volunteering opportunities.

15. The second insight from NGS 2025 is that participation is shaped by the realities of daily life.

    1. Naturally, those with work, childcare and caregiving demands may participate in more seasonal or lower-frequency ways, depending on what their schedules permit.

    2. This suggests that beyond creating opportunities, we need to make giving more flexible and accessible, so that everyone can play their part in ways they can best contribute to their causes.

16. One way that the Government will make giving more accessible, is through the new SG Partnerships Fund that Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced at Budget this year.

    1. This will also allow stronger support for citizen-led projects from the ground-up and lower barriers to entry and participation by providing capacity building to support citizen-led initiatives and projects, creating opportunities for more Singaporeans to be able to contribute to areas that they may be most interested and concerned with.

Conclusion

17. Our goal therefore, is not simply to increase the amount of giving, but to make it part of our everyday life.

18. Every act of giving, whether it is in terms of time, skills, resources, or everyday acts of kindness, helps build the kind of Singapore that we want to see.

19. So once again, my deepest thanks to all of you for making a difference.

20. Thank you very much.