New non-profit ImpactSG in S'pore to encourage going beyond financial donations

A new ground-up initiative, ImpactSG, was launched at the National Gallery Singapore on Nov. 21, 2024.

Attended by 240 guests and launched by President Tharman Shanmugaratnam, ImpactSG is a non-profit organisation that aims to be a "gateway to giving" for individuals new to giving or new to Singapore.

Founded in June 2022, ImpactSG was created in response to a Forward Singapore conversation on social mobility, where one of the ImpactSG founders, Daniel Lim Yew Mao, pointed out two insights he learned.

"First, giving is hard for most of us. It is hard to find the time, and we may not know where to start. Second, giving will not just happen on its own. It needs to be organised," he said at the launch.

Currently, ImpactSG consists of 75 pledgers with 18 partner organisations.

ImpactSG encourages its pledgers to go beyond financial donations by volunteering their time, sharing their expertise, or tapping into their professional networks to help those in need.

Chairman of ImpactSG Ravi Menon explained at the launch that the organisation does not raise funds themselves, but instead guides potential donors on their "giving journey" and connects them with the relevant organisations.

The organisation will help onboard its pledgers by understanding the causes they are passionate about, the needs on the ground and the tangible ways they can help make a change.

In addition, ImpactSG also has launched or plans to launch programmes, such as helping children from the region suffering from cancer.

This is done by funding proton therapy treatment for paediatric cancer patients from Southeast Asia and leveraging existing resources at the National Cancer Centre Singapore.

Top photos via Hannah Martens/Mothership