The Community Chest of Singapore
Community Chest (Singapore) is a non-profit organisation that channels resources to the social service sector in Singapore. It was established in 1983 to centralise the fund-raising activities of its member Voluntary Welfare Organisations, to ensure that its members could concentrate on providing services and to reduce fund-raising expenses.
Administration
The Community Chest is headed by a committee with members from various sectors and occupations. The current chairman, Mr. Phillip Tan, the National Council of Social Service(NCSS) board vice-president, who is the group finance director at CityState Capital Asia.
The President of Singapore, President Dr Tony Tan Keng Yam is Community Chest's Patron-in-Chief while Tan Chuan-Jin, Minister for the Ministry for Social and Family Development is Patron to the NPO.
Programmes Supported
The funds raised by the Community Chest are used for programmes that fall into four broad categories:
- Children with special needs to reach potential
- Adults with disabilities to integrate into society
- Relationships of families in difficulty to stay strong
- Elderly to age graciously in the community
- Mental illness
In 2007, the Community Chest raised $52 million that was made available to more than 140 programmes. Singapore Pools and the Totalisator Board sponsor all of Community Chest's fund-raising costs.
Fund-raising Mechanisms
Community Chest raises funds through various means. These include:
- SHARE - Donors allow monthly donations to be deducted directly from their pay.
- Heartstrings walk - An annual event where thousands participate in a walk around the city area.
External links
References