Our Focus
We believe in the power of collective action.
Since 2014, with an initial commitment of SGD 50 million, DBS Foundation has been a steadfast champion of social entrepreneurship. Our mission of creating lasting, positive change was fuelled with an additional SGD 100 million commitment in 2022 to help the underserved.
The bank’s latest commitment of SGD 1 billion dollars for the next decade starting 2024, to uplift the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable communities across the region, promises a new cycle of enduring change.
Looking forward, the foundation will focus on Providing essential needs and Fostering Inclusion for the vulnerable amongst us.
Together, we can create a world where every individual and every community has the opportunity to thrive.
Our partnerships and programmes across the region
With strategic partners, we design programmes and initiatives in our key markets to address the needs of vulnerable communities.
Our aim is to make their days easier, so we can focus on building brighter tomorrows together.
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indonesia
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Mainland China
This partnership aims to Improve the lives and livelihoods of lower-income families with children, by funding packages that support early childhood education and home ownership, while DBS volunteers equip the families with financial knowledge through a 6-month befriending programme.
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With Limitless, we provide therapy support for underprivileged youth facing mental health issues, as well as outreach efforts to equip students with peer support skills.
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We provide household necessities to those from low-income backgrounds in a “market” set-up to help with their daily needs, while preserving the beneficiaries’ dignity of choice. These quarterly markets are in partnership with SG Cares via the Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth.
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The DBS Foundation X NEA Hungry for Change challenge seeks to empower youths from Institutes of Higher Learning to develop or scale up their innovative solutions to prevent and/or reduce food waste in Singapore. Winning teams will receive holistic support to create impact.
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The programme redistributes surplus food from hotels to underprivileged communities, and processes organic waste into fertilisers for urban farms.
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The partnership with DBS Foundation includes the setting up of 5 new branches (expanding to Eastern Taiwan), which upgrades Food Bank’s food storage capacity to expand its reach to more beneficiaries while reducing food waste
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In this partnership, we provide comprehensive consulting support to seniors and caregivers from low-income families in rural areas for overall mental wellbeing.
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With Pley School, we equip students with cyber wellness skills to build mental resilience, through a train-the-teachers approach.
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The Kind Kitchen by Impact HK is a community kitchen that hires and trains homeless to collect surplus food, prepares and delivers meals to the needy. The joint effort will see an expansion in the kitchen’s capacity which will increases its impact in the community
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The programme provides low-income families with nutritious meals and strengthen mental resilience through education, assessment and specialised services.
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This partnership helps scale food rescue and redistribution efforts, while educating schools and neighbourhood estates.
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The partnership expands Green Food Bank’s network and food redistribution capabilities with the construction of new food bank branches in 8 cities, bringing more support to beneficiaries in rural areas
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This collaboration equips youth in urban and rural areas with mental wellness skills through community workshops focusing on autonomy, belonging and competence.
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singapore
Hong Kong
Taiwan
Mainland China
indonesia
In partnership with Haqdarshak, the DBS Foundation Financial Inclusion programme increases accessibility to financial literacy and welfare entitlement support to disadvantaged communities in rural parts of India
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In support of the national Digital for Life movement, the strategic collaboration with Infocomm Media Development Authority aims to forge digital inclusion to uplift digital literacy in banking and finance for the needy and vulnerable segments like seniors, children, persons with disabilities & hawkers
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This partnership aims to improve the lives and livelihoods of lower-income families with children, by funding packages that support early childhood education and home ownership, while DBS volunteers equip the families with financial knowledge through a 6-month befriending programme.
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With SG Enable, we aim to strengthen support and skills training for persons with disabilities, to enable them to live more independently and have greater access to social and economic opportunities.
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In partnership with MakerBay Foundation, the DBS Foundation InnoFuture Youth Programme provides comprehensive A.I. and no-code upskilling opportunities for underserved youth, increasing their competitiveness in the technology job market
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The programme promotes financial awareness and capability among teenagers to develop good financial skills and habits.
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As the biggest non-profit online learning platform in Taiwan, Junyi Academy has partnered DBS Foundation to launch a Financial Literacy Channel to provide fundamental financial capability for underprivileged youth
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The programme builds resilience among indigenous students through future-ready skills to enable better retention in school.
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Together with a state-owned partner, the programme provides financial literacy and computer skills training to schools in rural parts of China like Hunan, Jiangxi and Yunnan provinces
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Together with Dicoding, a learning platform with certification recognised by Indonesia’s Ministry of Education, the DBS Foundation Coding Camp aims to upskill students & educators in software development skills, including coding, A.I. and machine learning
Learn MoreWe design programmes for these purpose-driven businesses, that draw on the bank’s expertise, resources, and network to provide them with mentorship, capacity-building and business opportunities.
DBS Business Class, FoundED in association with Your Story had businesses for impact themed events in key cities bringing together startup founders, venture capitalists, incubators and other ecosystem enablers to pitch their ideas and have meaningful opportunities to connect.
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A bootcamp designed to synergise business opportunities reached more than 1 million students via over 170 social groups in China.
A handbook on what is a social enterprise, how to be one, with a section with details on how to create a profitable business through social missions.
Industry leaders and fellow SMEs gathered to learn and inspire growth in Singapore, through discussions around sustainability issues and the support SMEs need to transition.
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Businesses for Impact were invited to participate in our Live Better Marketpace in Hong Kong to help showcase their innovative products.
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Experts from 14 countries come together to spark social innovation thinking, annually.
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Business for Impact themed events were held in key cities across India, in association with Your Story, to bring together the startup founders, venture capitalists, incubaters and other ecosystem enablers.
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A bootcamp designed to synergise business opportunities reached more than 1 million students via over 170 social groups in China.
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A handbook on what is a social enterprise, how to be one, with a section with details on how to create a profitable business through social missions.
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DBS Foundation signed an MOU with Singapore Management University (SMU) with the goal of developing the next generation talent through SMU School of Social Sciences.
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Past Grantees
The accomplishments of our alumni continue to inspire us. They have gone on to raise capital, scale their presence and receive other accolades. Most importantly, they’ve stayed the course in creating change for a better world.
Learn More >The more we come together to connect, the better we understand how to forge an inclusive future for all.
The DBS Foundation Outdoor Theatre at Esplanade sits at the iconic Marina Bay waterfront, and is centred around fostering a more inclusive and socially-conscious Singapore with free weekend programmes. We also avail exclusive experiences to bring the community together at the bay, including bay excursions on DBS sailboats, and tours of the National Gallery Singapore, of which DBS is a founding partner.
DBS has a three-year adoption plan for Dagangqian Park in Taiwan. A strategically located space designed to foster a sense of purpose and community through events like urban farming, bazaars showcasing impactful businesses, and festivals that spark collective action.
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DBS Better World is a gamified adventure on the metaverse. In this experience, players engage in activities to complete missions and learn more about sustainability issues. The spotlight is on innovative approaches to enhance food resilience and reducing food waste, as inspired by Businesses for Impact supported by DBS Foundation.
Our purpose-driven culture stems from our roots as the Development Bank of Singapore. Discovering our future together with the communities we live and work in, and partnering businesses to make a difference, is all part of our DNA.
DBS People of Purpose volunteers
DBS Foundation programmes are backed by DBS’ 36,000-strong workforce, ever-ready to lend a helping hand, spend time with those who need company, or even pass on a valuable skill.
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Banking Packages
To better support local businesses that drive positive social and environmental impact, we have also developed new financing solutions dedicated for SMEs with sustainable business models.
A first in Singapore, the Business for Impact Package is designed to meet SME’s unique growth needs.
Learn More >Asia Impact First Fund
Going the distance with our impact community, we partnered Heritas Capital to launch the Asia Impact First Fund (AIFF), which provides patient and catalytic capital to innovative and high-growth social enterprises.
DBS Bank seeded AIFF with USD 10 million as an anchor investor, while DBS Foundation acts as the knowledge partner of the AIFF, tapping on our track record in identifying promising social enterprises.
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