$100 million raised for Community Chest and other causes during SG60; Govt to match donations

In a statement on March 7, the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) – whose philanthropic arm is the Community Chest – said the amount of SGShare donations during SG60 rose by almost 19 per cent compared with the previous year.

, SGShare builds on the Community Chest’s Share programme. Both encourage individuals and employees to donate a small amount of their monthly pay to charity.

The public also donated more than 19,000 times, totalling nearly $2 million during SG60. As at December 2025, more than 270,000 Singapore residents are now making regular donations, NCSS said.

“This is a clear sign that the spirit of giving is taking root more deeply,” said DPM Gan.

The Community Chest does not usually publish how much money it raises year to year, but in 2024, it gave out more than $74 million to various SSAs, based on a past report.

To reinforce this culture of giving beyond SG60, the Government has extended a 250 per cent tax deduction for qualifying donations to institutions of a public character (IPCs) – or registered charities – until 2029.

It has also extended the Corporate Volunteer Scheme, where businesses may claim a 250 per cent tax deduction on qualifying expenditure incurred when they send their employees to volunteer and provide services, including secondments, to IPCs, said DPM Gan.

“These measures reflect the Government’s commitment to supporting sustained philanthropy over the long term,” he added.

But the needs in Singapore’s communities do not end with SG60, said DPM Gan.

The multi-year commitments some have made are especially meaningful, he said, as they allow Singapore’s social sector to move ahead beyond short-term funding cycles towards long-term strategic transformation.

DPM Gan also announced that the NCSS and the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) will partner professional services company Ernst & Young to present a special mention award during the firm’s annual Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.

NCSS and NVPC will identify entrepreneurs who have demonstrated purpose and impact in leading their businesses.

DPM Gan said this reflects an important principle that business excellence and social impact go hand in hand.

“Doing good and doing well are not competing goals… We hope this initiative will inspire more business leaders to integrate social purpose into their strategies for sustainable business.”