At a time of fake news and hyperpartisanship, independent media is more essential than ever in helping inform citizens, debate issues and drive innovation. That is why we are thrilled to welcome MediaCorp Foundation – Singapore’s leading media company dedicated to building an informed, tolerant and connected society through grantmaking in media, journalism and education – into our list of grantmakers. Specifically they favor organizations which support their mission through cross-disciplinary approaches when making grants.
Last week, Prince William unveiled the 2023 winners of his Earthshot Prize competition to find solutions to climate change at an awards ceremony held in Singapore. According to Kensington Palace, Singapore serves as an epicenter for innovative entrepreneurship and technology; during his visit there, Prince William met with local groups working on environmental issues and heard their stories.
Philanthropists have become an essential resource in meeting climate threats and providing solutions. From funding research on renewable energy technologies to supporting philanthropic sector’s capacity for response, their efforts are crucial in the Paris Agreement’s mission of limiting greenhouse gas emissions by 2 degrees C.
Even during these challenging times, Singapore remains committed to its spirit of philanthropy; indeed, its philanthropic community continues to expand and prosper. Additionally, we have observed increased engagement from Singaporeans who are making more charitable donations than ever before, as shown by an increase in funders featured on our Grantmakers’ Profiles database.
Our annual ranking of Singapore’s top philanthropic funders has been updated to include the most up-to-date data. This year, we expanded the scope of the ranking to include other grantmakers – not limited to traditional foundations – who support a range of charities and causes beyond traditional foundations, including collective giving organizations. Furthermore, our data tracking now encompasses total grant disbursement as well as annual expenditures, with an indicator showing what percentage of grantmakers’ assets are dedicated towards philanthropy as opposed to operating capital, introduced this year for the first time in our rankings!
This year’s top philanthropists include Lee Foundation and Lien Foundation – large-scale givers that make multi-year commitments to various causes and initiatives. Both foundations have donated more than S$100 million over a 10-year span combined, making them Singapore’s second and third largest philanthropic funders respectively.
This year’s winner of the NUS Singapore History Prize, Leluhur: Singapore Kampong Gelam is an innovative blend of history and primary sources authored by Ms Hidayah who hopes the award serves as a confirmation that one doesn’t need to be an professional historian to pen history books.