We believe in impactful giving, and support programmes that address the social challenges of today in innovative ways and have measurable impact.
We are happy to partner the National Council of Social Services ("NCSS") to support pilot initiatives such as Halogen Foundation’s Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship programme and the Venture Philanthropy Fund which pools together donations from like-minded donors to fund selected pioneering social impact projects across a few sectors.
Halogen Foundation's Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship Programme
Through NCSS, we supported a pilot initiative to scale and measure the impact of Halogen Foundation’s Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship ("NFTE") programme in 2015. Adapted from a three-decades-old evidence-based programme in the US, the NFTE programme aims to activate the entrepreneurial mindset in youth from underprivileged communities through a structured curriculum, thereby empowering them towards successful futures.
Targeted at disadvantaged youths aged 15 to 18 from the Normal (Technical) stream who are on the Ministry of Education’s Financial Assistance Scheme and/or come from challenging family backgrounds (e.g. incomplete homes, incarcerated parents, early death of parents), the NFTE programme is delivered over 30 weeks in school and provides these youths with opportunities for experiential learning, professional mentoring, as well as to hone their entrepreneurial, communication and critical thinking skills. The pilot involved 74 students from Bedok Green Secondary School and Evergreen Secondary School, and provided them with 60 hours of entrepreneurial training, 12 hours of leadership training, learning journeys, as well as access to mentoring and internship opportunities.
Outcomes
Pre and post surveys of the participating students in both schools demonstrated the following outcomes:
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4.40% improvement in entrepreneurship mindset based on an Entrepreneurship Mindset Index (EMI), which measures students’ abilities across the following 8 core domains:
The most significant improvements were seen in the Communication and Collaboration, Future Orientation, as well as Initiative and Self-Reliance domains.
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2.99% increase in self-esteem based on the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, a 10-item scale that measures global self-worth by measuring both positive and negative feelings about the self.
The NFTE programme has since secured longer-term funding support under the Tote Board Social Service Fund.
NCSS Venture Philanthropy Fund
We have partnered NCSS to support the following four social impact projects under the NCSS Venture Philanthropy Fund ("VP Fund"). These pioneering projects span across the categories of (i) children, youth and family, (ii) seniors and (iii) mental health, and involve working with different social service organisations, with active management and supervision by NCSS and the key donors under the VP Fund.
Learn More
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'We're passing them hope': The ITE student who found her purpose uplifting others", 24 Feb 2019, CNA Insider
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"Doing good, innovatively", 30 May 2018, The Business Times
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"Free scheme helps ease widows' grief", 19 Jan 2018, The Straits Times