Collective Resilience for a Stronger Society

Mrs Christine Ong

Chairperson of Community Foundation of Singapore

Members of the CFS board,

Donors,

Distinguished Guests,

1. A very good afternoon to all of you. It is a pleasure to be here with you at Wellington Primary School today.

Beyond Self Reliance to Collective Resilience

2. This year we celebrate SG60 as a nation. It is a time to reflect on what brought us here so far and to renew our commitment to building our future together.

   1. We were an improbable nation. But we have not only survived and thrived, as a nation, because of the tenacity and resilience of our people, especially our founding generation.

   2. But our exceptionalism in defying the odds, comes from not only the resilience of individuals. More importantly, it is built upon a strong value system of gotong royong – the spirit of working together, and where individuals not only work hard for themselves, but also extend a hand to others, so that the community progresses together.

3. Singapore is exceptional because of our Singapore Spirit. It is a spirit of our collective resilience. We have a strong ethos of putting the “We” before “Me”. This can be seen from the many helping hands coming together to form a strong safety net for the less fortunate and our spirit of leaving no one behind. This belief in putting the “We” before “Me”, is one of the enduring strengths of our society that needs to be passed from one generation to the next. This spirit will keep Singapore exceptional as we move forward and build our shared future, together.

4. In our Forward SG conversations, Singaporeans envision an exceptional society, where ground up efforts are driven by Singaporeans passionate about giving back and doing good, and where a strong spirit of philanthropy takes root. A thriving democracy of deeds in our community, and a multitude of buzzing micro-communities of self-help. And this is a key part of what will keep Singapore shining as an exceptional red dot.

Collective for a Stronger Society

5. The Collective for a Stronger Society is a concrete start, to working towards this ambitious vision of our future. The Collective was first introduced in 2024 to bring together the government, the community, and our donors in one united effort to provide sustained, holistic support for lower-income families.

   1. In just one year, the Collective has raised over $8M from 53 donors, to support some 17 ground up and community-based programmes to tackle real needs. And this is a tangible reflection of our desire to give back, to uplift the needy, and to change lives.

   2. The generous contributions of our donors complement the Government and community’s efforts to uplift and provide pathways to progress, and support families to cope, to move forward, and to thrive.

6. Today, we want to recognise and appreciate the partnerships that have made the Collective's work possible.

7. I’d like to thank our charities and ground-up groups for your dedication in working to improve lives every day.

   1. Take Levon, for example. She is a five-year-old who once struggled to recognise letters.

   2. With TOUCH Young Arrows’ Reading Odyssey programme, she now reads storybooks, which brings her a big smile. More importantly, Levon has developed a genuine love for learning, a spark that our partners has ignited, which will have a long-lasting, positive impact on Levon’s life in years to come.

8. To our donors, thank you for your generosity, your spirit of putting the we before me, and for always going above and beyond. Your contributions are a powerful expression of the spirit of gotong royong in our community.

   1. I am especially heartened by the diversity of our donors here today – corporates, foundations, and individual donors – all united by a shared desire to give back and to improve lives.

   2. You have demonstrated philanthropy with purpose, where generosity is matched by thoughtful and meaningful action.

   3. Take the Sembcorp’s Energy for Good Fund for example.

   4. Through their partnership with the Collective, the fund has supported ITE's Monthly Financial Assistance Scheme to support students in need and to allow them to focus more on their studies and pursue their dream.

      1. This is just one example of how Sembcorp's support creates real impact.

   5. Beyond financial giving, Sembcorp also helps to build sustainability capabilities of charities.

      1. Among the 65 charities they have assisted, Sembcorp supported Boys’ Town to install solar panels on their campus.

      2. This allowed Boys’ Town to reduce energy costs and reinvest savings into supporting more children and youth in need.

   6. Sembcorp exemplifies how corporate philanthropy can create meaningful impact across different dimensions of community needs.

9. So, to CFS and ComChest, your strong leadership and strong partnership with MCCY and MSF over the past year has been crucial in advancing the Collective's vision of providing holistic support for lower-income families.

10. On its part, the Government remains committed towards supporting philanthropy.

    1. That is why, at Budget 2025, PM Wong announced the SG Gives Matching Grant. Every dollar donated to the Collective will be matched one-for-one by the Government, and doubling its impact.

    2. The Collective is also about building lasting partnerships between government, donors, and communities to encourage active contributions to society.

       1. Our collective small deeds, will create a big wave of possibilities.

11. So, let’s keep the momentum going.

    1. Let us make this milestone year meaningful by stepping up our efforts and rallying others to give back, whether through our time, our talent, or our resources.

    2. Together, we can realise our SG100 vision of an exceptional society with Singaporeans passionate about giving back and doing good. A shining Singapore that is an exceptional red dot.

12. Thank you.