Tote Board & NVPC's Launch of the Guide to Impact Measurement

I wanted to firstly wish all of you a very happy National Day.

While the presentation was going on, I couldn’t help but reflect on how far we’ve come from the last 60 years. We started with very little to begin with, and through the sheer hard work of everyone and communities coming together, we have built what we see today.

And it’s equally gratifying to see agencies like Tote Board and NVPC coming together to form breakthrough ideas of bringing the entire sector forward.

Let me start by firstly, sending my thanks to Mr Tony Soh, Chief Executive Officer of NVPC, Mr Tan Choon Shian, CE of Tote Board, and all distinguished guests here. Thank you for coming down and thank you for being here.

Non-profit organisations (NPOs) play an important role in improving the lives of others and the communities that we live in. They exemplify our ethos of service and that societal challenges require collaboration and collective action, from different stakeholders.

1. I used to be in several volunteer groups and charities and a lot of what was highlighted did resonate with me as well – including the ability to measure outcomes.

2. The charity sector plays a pivotal role in mitigating social inequalities, supporting those among us who are not able to look after themselves.

   1. And I think this is the real difference from where we were 60 years ago and where we are now. 60 years ago, we had to fend for ourselves. But today, we are able to collectively come together and support one another.

3. We have social enterprises who marry business and social purposes, bringing the best of both worlds to address social issues.

4. There are many ground-up groups that drive change at the hyperlocal level as well, driving initiatives that address unmet needs.

Diversity is a key attribute of the non-profit sector, where different players are united in their shared desire to improve lives, to create an inclusive society, and to build caring and cohesive communities.

This is where the coming together of both NVPC and Tote Board is significant, and the formation of the ‘Guide to Impact Measurement - From Intent to Impact for Non-Profits', or “the IM guide”, is an impactful way of measuring the development and therefore a timely and very useful initiative for this particular sector.

1. The guidebook allows non-profit organisations to understand the extent of their impact, beyond the number of beneficiaries that they serve, and to be able to go down to the level of the initiatives. And it uses practical tools and frameworks to do this.

2. For example, the notion of the Theory of Change, or ToC, where organisations – such as Lions Befrienders Singapore, an organisation that I worked with very closely in my former role as the CEO of the Agency of Integrated Care – were able to identify the resources needed to achieve the desired outcomes for their programmes.

3. Lion Befrienders utilised the ToC in their Group Drumming for Seniors programme, allowing them to adequately allocate the necessary manpower and effectively craft their communication to the elderly participants, to ensure that the programme benefits the recipients.

4. The guidebook, beyond measuring impact, also helps non-profit organisations to better utilise their own resources, allowing those with limited resources to operate efficiently and effectively. It further facilitates the engagement of potential donors and partners, as their impact is now clear and quantifiable.

NPOs play a vital role in our society, and it is encouraging to see growing sector-wide efforts to support them in adapting to changing needs and expectations. The Government has rolled out various resources to support NPOs:

1. Charities can tap on the Charities Capability Fund (CCF) to strengthen their governance, operational efficiency, and long-term sustainability.

2. The Singapore Government Partnerships Office supports ground-up movements by providing an accessible first-stop entry point for government support and resources.

3. Ground-ups can also tap into additional network and resources through initiatives such as BAGUS Together by NVPC, Tote Board, and Temasek Foundation.

4. I remember attending the opening ceremony of BAGUS Together in my previous capacity, and I was inspired by how three organisations came together for social good, and I think this is very impressive.

Thanks to the vision and leadership of Tote Board, Temasek Foundation, and NVPC, our combined efforts reflect our belief that when NPOs are stronger, our society benefits as a whole. And in so doing, I think we can move from a notion of enablement towards a notion of enlightenment.

It is often useful for like-minded partners to come together and support one another for the benefit of society. And this is the perfect example of that, where two organisations come together,rally other charities and non-profit organisations to work together and better support society.

I want to thank all of you for your efforts. May the guidebook be strengthened and promulgated from strength to strength and extend to beyond as many organisations as possible.

I’m sure this will make not only make the partnerships, but the community stronger as a result of it.

Thank you.