Donor-Advised Funds
(Mrs Lee Choon Guan Foundation)
A Simple, Cost-Effective And Powerful Way To Give
Donor-advised funds are the fastest-growing option for giving in Singapore. They give you the freedom to decide who to give to, how much and how often. You can make an annual or a one-off donation. You can include a donation in your will or trusts, and even create a family tradition of giving that will carry on for generations.
With over 15 years of expertise in strategic philanthropy, the Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) is a leading provider of donor-advised funds in Singapore. We work with you to establish and manage funds that align to your values and pace of giving. This personalised approach ensures that your support for charitable causes makes a greater impact, reflecting what truly matters to you.
What Is A Donor-Advised Fund?
A donor-advised fund is a professionally managed giving vehicle that enables you to give to a wide range of charitable causes. Your donation will be used to establish a fund, where you can receive upfront tax deductions on eligible* donations. The minimum sum to set up a donor-advised fund is SGD$200,000. You can create a named fund, without the significant expenses and administrative work of creating and operating a standalone private foundation.
* subject to Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) regulations
Why Give Through A Donor-Advised Fund?
Personalised Philanthropy
Get professional advice on developing a tailored giving plan that meets your requirements. With a donor-advised fund, you have the flexibility to make contributions at your own pace, allowing you to add to it at any time and contribute whatever you wish, whenever you want, as a legacy or otherwise.
Streamlined Administration
We manage all the operational, governance and administrative matters related to your fund. We keep track of your donations and disbursements and update you regularly.
Cost Savings
Save on professional expenses by centralising your giving with CFS. We do not charge set-up fees.
Trusted Grantmaking
CFS works with a wide network of charities, conducting due diligence on their programmes before making recommendations to donors. We offer grant reports that help you optimise your giving. Our grantmaking experts ensure all grants are made with care, transparency and accountability.
Three Types Of Donor-Advised Funds
We offer a range of options to structure your giving with flow-through funds, endowment funds and investible flow-through funds.
A flow-through fund allows you to start supporting charities immediately. With an endowment fund, your donation is invested in perpetuity and an annual payout can be used to support your chosen charities. An investible flow-through fund is where your donation is invested and both the investment returns and the principal amount can be directed to charitable causes of your choice.
Donor-Advised Funds
Support causes you are passionate about, now or over time through
Flow-Through Fund
Recommend grants to causes and charities you value most today
See the immediate impact of your giving on your chosen charities
Endowment Fund
Invest your philanthropic assets in perpetuity and watch them grow
Make a sustained impact on your selected charities over time
Investible Flow-Through Fund
Recommend grants while investing your donation
Make an immediate impact and sustain it over time
What Assets Do We Accept?
CFS can accept any type of asset as long as it is marketable and does not have any liability. Funds can easily be set up through a gift of cash. This includes nominating CFS as a beneficiary of your CPF monies or insurance policies. You can also give non-cash assets such as marketable securities (publicly traded shares, bonds and unit trusts).
Four Steps To Start A Donor-Advised Fund
Setting up your donor-advised fund is easier than you think. Here are some simple steps to guide you along.
- Work with us to outline your giving intentions for your donor-advised fund and decide on your fund details (fund type, fund name, pledge amount, period, charitable focus).
- A draft deed will be prepared for your review and approval.
- To execute your deed, you will need to sign and nominate a witness to co-sign.
- Make an initial donation by bank transfer to activate your fund and start recommending grants once your fund is activated.
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How We Support Charities
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What We Do
Discover how we grow philanthropy in Singapore.
Legacy Giving
Leave a Greater Gift.
Our Team
Learn about our diverse and trusted leadership.
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Our Publications
Access CFS reports and brochures here.
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