DPM Gan Kim Yong at the Community Chest SG60 Appreciation Ceremony

My Parliamentary colleagues,
Senior Parliamentary Secretary Mr Eric Chua,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen, and friends of Community Chest,

Good morning to all of you. 

It is wonderful to see so many of you here this morning — donors, Social Service Agencies, grassroots leaders, corporate leaders, volunteers and community partners. We are here today to celebrate the collective efforts of our SG60 SGSHARE campaign.

When we launched SGSHARE at the start of SG60, we did so with a simple belief: that Singapore’s greatest strength is not just our economy, our infrastructure or our institutions — these are important but our greater strength is our people. Our willingness to look out for one another. Our instinct to say, “We First”.

Today, as we conclude this year-long effort, we celebrate what that spirit has enabled us to achieve together.

A Nation That Stepped Forward

During Budget 2025, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced the SG Gives matching grant.

Under this initiative, the Government pledged to match donations made through Community Chest, the President’s Challenge and the Collective for a Stronger Society to support national social and community programmes.

I am pleased to share that Singaporeans have rallied together in a remarkable way.

In 2025 alone, individuals and corporates donated over $100 million.

Some of these donors have also made multi-year commitments to donate more than $70 million over the next two years.

These donations and commitments reflect the trust they have in our social sector.

Because of the SG Gives matching grant, every dollar given goes further, multiplying the impact and providing a predictable stream of funding for our Social Service Agencies or our SSAs. This allows our SSAs to plan ahead, build capabilities, and serve communities in need more effectively and sustainably.

To reinforce this culture of giving beyond SG60, we have also extended the 250% tax deduction for qualifying donations to IPCs until 2029, and likewise extended the Corporate Volunteer Scheme. These measures reflect the Government’s commitment to supporting sustained philanthropy over the long term.

What has been most inspiring is the breadth of participation.

Today, more than 270,000 individuals contribute regularly through SGSHARE. SGSHARE donations have also increased by close to 19% compared to the previous year. This is a clear sign that the spirit of giving is taking root more deeply.

Members of the public also stepped forward through giving.sg, with more than 19,000 acts of giving totalling nearly $2 million recorded during the SG60 campaign.

Behind every contribution is a heartwarming story:

A child getting early intervention support.

A senior receiving companionship.

A person with disabilities building new capabilities.

A family finding stability and hope.

These outcomes are made possible through over 300 programmes and projects delivered by our SSAs.

And to our SSA partners who are here with us — my heartfelt thank you to every one of you.

You are the vital bridge between generosity and impact.

You transform goodwill into real change on the ground.

Beyond SG60: Sustaining the “We First” Spirit

As we celebrate these achievements, we must also look ahead.

Milestones will come and go. Campaigns will start and conclude. But the needs in our community do not end with SG60.

The “We First” spirit must not be confined to a milestone year. It must become our values and our way of life.

The multi-year commitments we have seen are especially meaningful. They allow our social sector to move ahead beyond short-term funding cycles towards long-term strategic transformation.

I encourage all of us to continue the journey beyond SG60 — sustain your giving, deepen your partnerships, and embed social purpose more firmly into what we do.

When giving becomes regular rather than occasional, impact becomes lasting rather than episodic.

Doing Good and Doing Well

Today, I am also pleased to announce that NCSS (National Council of Social Service) and NVPC (National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre) will be collaborating with EY (Ernst & Young) to present a special mention award during the annual EY Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards.

NCSS and NVPC will serve as Impact Partners, identifying entrepreneurs who have demonstrated purpose and impact in leading their businesses.

This reflects an important principle: that business excellence and social impact go hand in hand. Doing good and doing well are not competing goals — they reinforce one another.

We hope this initiative will inspire more business leaders to integrate social purpose into their strategies for sustainable business.

The Heart of Giving

 As we look ahead, I would like to leave you with this thought.

Giving is not only about what we provide. It is about what we become.

When we give, we widen our circle of concern.

When we give, we strengthen trust.

When we give, we affirm that no one in our society stands alone.

And perhaps most importantly — the more kindness we give, the more we open our hearts to receive kindness.

A generous society is one where compassion flows in many directions — where today’s giver may one day need help, and today’s beneficiary may become a contributor tomorrow.

That is the Singapore we want to build: confident, caring, and united.

Closing

To all our friends observing Ramadan and preparing for Hari Raya, I wish you peace, blessings and answered prayers for you and your loved ones.

I would also like to acknowledge our many volunteers, and our partner Heartwarmers, who are distributing Habuan Harapan bags to over 9,700 families this morning.

And to everyone here, thank you for making SG60 not just a celebration of our past, but a commitment to our shared future.

Let us carry forward this “We First” spirit — beyond SG60 and into the next chapter of Singapore’s journey. When we choose kindness, we strengthen the heart of our nation.

Thank you and have a great morning.