SINGAPORE - From April 1 this year to the end of March next year, donations to Institutions of a Public Character (IPCs) will be matched dollar-for-dollar through the new $200 million Bicentennial Community Fund.
This announcement was made by Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu on Saturday (March 30).
Each IPC will get up to $400,000 of the fund, subject to the utilisation of the fund and other eligibility conditions.
To date, the fund supports more than 600 registered IPCs, encouraging them to engage potential donors and volunteers so as to better meet the needs of the community.
Only organisations that are registered IPCs during the stipulated time period may tap the fund, which will be administered by the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre with support from the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.
A series of briefings for IPCs will be held in April to share more details about the fund.
Ms Fu said that additional support will be given to IPCs in the form of assistance to adopt digital giving platforms, such as the SG Cares App and Giving.sg platform, allowing them to engage new donors in a digital space.
Information on other grants and resources by the Government and other partners will also be provided to the IPCs through various schemes.
Ms Fu added that nurturing a culture of care requires a collective effort from everyone.
She said: "We are here today because of our forefathers. They have made sacrifices and helped one another regardless of race, language or religion, to make a better life for themselves and their children.
"Through the Bicentennial Community Fund, we hope to further encourage all Singaporeans to continue the philanthropic and community self-help spirit for our forefathers, 200 years on and 200 years forward."
Ms Ivy Tse, chief executive officer of Halogen Foundation Singapore, an IPC, said: "I certainly look forward to the BCF as an opportunity that is tapped to uplift causes that are needed to move Singapore ahead."
Advocacy and marketing executive of Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore Daren Ng said he felt the fund would encourage donors to give beyond seasonal giving trends.
"The (fund) will also be an excellent way to give individual and corporate donors the extra boost to make donations or curate new and impactful partnerships," he said.
