Li Foundation was honoured to welcome representatives from the DBS Family Office team and DBS Foundation for an exchange centred on our approaches to philanthropy and social impact. During which, we discovered notable overlaps in both organisations’ thematic interests, such as ageing, social enterprises, and community building.
The DBS Foundation shared its recent transformation and sharpening of focus areas, particularly on the topic of ageing, where it has recently launched a $7.3 million program to enhance the physical and social well-being of vulnerable seniors. This builds upon existing efforts to foster an inclusive society through education, healthcare, and employment, and was driven by Singapore’s acute challenge of a greying population. Instead of treating ageing as a phase of decline, the foundation aims to build a senior-friendly society by investing in innovative solutions, not unlike Li Foundation’s support of an assisted living facility pilot led by the Asia Philanthropy Circle.
Both organisations also found resonance on the topic of social innovation. DBS supports social enterprises in scaling promising and unconventional solutions through their Business for Impact Grant Award. One such awardee is GentleFoods, a local maker of pureed meals (modified food that is easier to swallow) for the elderly and patients with swallowing difficulties. In a slightly different capacity, Li Foundation initiated Inspiring Asia, an annual micro film festival that spotlights compelling stories on a given social or environmental issue, while supporting impactful charitable initiatives across the region. In doing so, it facilitates cross-border exchange of social innovation ideas, with the Best Micro Film taking away USD 50,000 and the Best Project receiving USD 100,000 to scale its solution.
Finally, Li Foundation shared about our approach of using sports as a medium to engage the community and shape lives. Under this umbrella, we have supported programs like the SportCares – Li Foundation Multi Sport Programme (SLFMSP) that trains youths in running, swimming, and cycling to build their character and lower the chances of delinquency, as well as Relay SG60, an upcoming charity relay run to celebrate Singapore’s 60th birthday while raising funds for over 200 charities under the Community Chest.
The exchange underscored both organisations’ shared belief that long-term, sustainable change requires bold thinking, cross-sector collaboration, and an understanding of the community’s needs. As DBS and Li Foundation continue on our social impact journeys, this dialogue has laid the groundwork for potential synergies, and we look forward to collaborating in the future to multiply impact locally and beyond.
The book showcases how the participants challenged their limits and conquered the World Marathon Challenge and North Pole Marathon to inspire people to challenge their own limits and pursue their dreams boldly.
The book tells the stories behind the event which saw the largest number of people in history running 1045km round Taiwan in 19 days.