Opening address by Mr Heng Swee Keat, Minister for Finance, at the Inaugural Champions of Good event, at The Shangri-La Hotel

Mrs Mildred Tan

Chairman, National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC)

Mrs Theresa Foo, Chairman

Singapore Business Federation Foundation (SBFF)

Companies and Champions of Good

And all our Partners, Supporters, and Friends

1. Good afternoon. What a pleasure it is to join everyone today to celebrate our Champions of Good.

1. To begin, let me share with you an experience I had from 2015, our Golden Jubilee year.

1. Towards the end of the SG50 year, I moved from the Ministry of Education to the Ministry of Finance.  I stayed in touch with many of the people I got to know through the SG50 Celebration Fund. 

1. The NVPC launched the Company of Good programme last year to “make goodness the business of every organisation” – I fully agree with this worthwhile mission.

Celebrating our Champions of Good as Catalysts of Change

1. The Champions of Good aim to encourage a next level in our Singaporean tradition of corporate giving.  It is worth taking a moment to reflect on the place of corporates in our wider giving landscape.

1. Today, we celebrate the Champions of Good as powerful catalysts of change and meaningful contributors to our community. We recognise them for their initiative to lead, connect, and influence fellow companies in corporate giving.

1. I want to commend all 45 Champions of Good, who come from a wide variety of industries and range from large corporations to SMEs. This is a good start, and I hope you will share your causes, practices, and encouragement with your partners and peers, so that we have many more Champions of Good in the years to come.

1. When we look at our Champions, we see that:

1. Our Champions of Good serve as inspiration to us to continually raise the bar in growing and sustaining a vibrant giving landscape in Singapore.

1. NVPC and the SBF Foundation too deserve recognition for the important roles they have played in catalysing corporate giving.

The Journey Forward with Corporate Giving

1. Moving forward, as economic and social realities evolve, how and what we give to make a positive and lasting impact on lives will change too.  Today, doing good is more than just a good business practice; it is now an integral part of how we engage our stakeholders and inspire employees.  Corporate givers in particular can lead the way in shaping and propelling how we contribute to society.

1. What does this mean for corporate givers?  If I may offer a couple of suggestions: Innovate and Collaborate.

Growing a Caring and Inclusive Society Together

1. Someone shared a quote with me recently that made me think about what we seek to do with programmes like the Company of Good and Champions of Good. 

1. Our goal with giving must therefore be about growing – growing our combined compassion, capacity, and connections for giving.  I hope that the passion and inspiration of our Champions will spread throughout the business community and spur others to do more for Singapore. With a little kindness and generosity from every one of us, we can grow a community of giving, and build a caring and inclusive home for all.

1. Thank You.