Who we are
We are a fund-raising division of National Council of Social Service (NCSS). As such, our role and purpose are aligned with NCSS to ensure that every person has the opportunity to live a life of dignity to his or her fullest potential within our society. We raise funds to support charities so that they can do what they are best at - caring for and serving the less advantaged.
Community Chest was established in 1983 with a simple yet vital mission: to raise funds for the nation’s many charities. It is about raising funds from the community for the community in need.
Charities supported by Community Chest are then able to do what they are best at – providing critical social service programmes to help children with special needs, people with disabilities, frail and lonely elderly and families facing difficulties.
Over the years, Community Chest has built an enduring trust and partnership with many organisations, foundations and individuals and raised millions of much-needed dollars that enabled us to care for our beneficiaries.
At the heart of it all is our Patron-in-Chief, President Tony Tan Keng Yam, who will be lending his support to our fund-raising charities.
What we do
Community Chest raises funds on a yearly basis to meet the needs of the social service programmes we help support. Community Chest ensures that fund-raising and other operating costs are kept to a minimum. As these costs are covered mainly by Tote Board and Singapore Pools, every dollar raised by Community Chest will be made available to social service programmes under its care.
For Financial Year 2011, Community Chest targets to raise $55.7 million to help about 300,000* people in 158 programmes run by 70 charities. These programmes will help provide critical and essential services to:
- Nurturing children and youths at risk to succeed
- Helping people with disabilities lead independent lives
- Dignifying the lives of the elderly, and
- Keeping families together
*Includes direct service users, caregivers and public education outreach