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With COVID-19 continuing to impact businesses and workers in 2021, NTUC-U Care Fund (U Care Fund) has pressed on efforts to assist lower-income union members who may need a helping hand in such times of need.
Close to $8 million was raised this year with kind donations from long-standing supporters as well as new organisations as part of U Care Fund’s innovative fundraising model. Some 35,000 NTUC union members and 15,000 children benefitted from various assistance programmes this year, aimed to help union members alleviate the cost of daily essentials including the needs of their school-going children.
NTUC Assistant Director-General and Director of NTUC Care and Share Department Zainal Sapari, said, “2021 remains a challenging year for our workers, especially those who are earning lesser or whose incomes were affected by COVID-19. On our part, we have been tapping on new opportunities to ensure sufficient funds so as to sustain and provide the level of assistance to such members in need. Some of these efforts have led to new partnerships which we hope to continue in the following years, enabling more to come forward and make a real difference in the lives of our lower-income union members.”
New fundraising model to widen donor pool
In 2021, more than 460 donors contributed to the fund, with contributions from the Singapore Labour Foundation, and NTUC Social Enterprises - NTUC Income, FairPrice Foundation and Mercatus Co-operative - amounting to $4.4 million in total. NTUC-affiliated unions and associations continue to show their support, donating close to $1 million collectively.
As part of NTUC’s innovation culture to better serve the interests of union members and workers, U Care Fund has similarly embarked on new ways to raise funds and cultivate a wider pool of donors in 2021. This was done by forging new collaborations with new and existing friends of the Labour Movement, as well as by tapping on new technologies and platforms to call for donations. Close to $1 million was raised via these initiatives, with outreach to some 350 new corporate and individual donors.
One of the key fundraisers organised this year is the Blockchain for Good initiative, Singapore’s first Non-fungible Token charity auction. Over $400,000 was raised from Blockchain Association Singapore’s (BAS) corporate members and the general public, exceeding the initial target of $250,000. U Care Fund and BAS signed a Memorandum of Understanding to continue the use of blockchain technology for fundraising purposes.
Other efforts where U Care Fund was the adopted charity include a partnership with home-grown business consulting company FT Consulting. Leveraging its 30th anniversary celebrations to do good, FT Consulting rallied local SMEs and raised a total of $130,000 through contributions by 31 donors. In another collaboration, local start-up HyperLive Entertainment made fundraising fun and interactive via an e-Getai charity concert. Over $200,000 was raised for U Care Fund through live gifts during the show, dollar for dollar matching by a group of generous donors and Tote Board.
In addition, U Care Fund expanded efforts to raise funds through digital platforms, running various online campaigns to reach out to members of the public and encourage them to donate to U Care Fund via Giving.sg and PayNow. $280,000 has been raised to-date.
Assisting members in need
The NTUC Care Fund (e-Vouchers) programme returned this year, with a total of $5.5 million set aside to help union members stretch their dollar on daily essentials and items for their children’s educational needs. To-date, some 14,000 members have received up to $100 worth of assistance, with additional $100 per eligible school-going child. About 15,000 children have benefitted from this programme.
U Care Fund continued its collaboration with Pacific Bookstores, running the annual NTUC Back To School (BTS) e-Fair to provide greater convenience to parents who can now arrange for their children’s school supplies virtually amidst COVID-19. Previously a once-yearly affair, the BTS e-Fair runs twice this year with each campaign period held during the mid and end year school holiday period. For the mid-year campaign, 22,000 beneficiaries were eligible to enjoy up to 58 per cent savings on school essentials. The year-end BTS e-Fair will run from 6 December 2021 to 7 January 2022.
A key thrust of uplifting the lives of lower-income members is to empower them with skills and opportunities for them to make more informed decisions for in their lives. In this regard, U Care Fund organised a series of workshops under the LIFT-UP Initiative to advance the social mobility of union members and their families. Among the workshops conducted were 16 mental wellness sessions in partnership with Mind Culture to help beneficiaries overcome stresses amidst this challenging period. While through the LIFT-UP Pathfinder programme, lower-income union members and their families are supported with upskilling opportunities as a family. More than 150 union members and their families have benefitted from LIFT-UP and LIFT-UP Pathfinder.
NTUC 60: Caring through Collaboration
As part of her 60th anniversary commemoration activities, NTUC and the Labour Movement had embarked on a series of “care through collaboration” activities such as the NTUC60 Charity Golf and union-led community care projects to show support to members, workers and their families.
The flagship event, NTUC60 Charity Golf, had raised more than $670,000 through the sale of golf flights and outright donations. The proceeds will go towards benefiting 7,000 primary school and special needs children of lower-income members.
In addition, a #DO60ODTOGETHER initiative was launched to showcase 60 different Care projects. More than $40,000 went towards supporting community service projects to care for the less privileged, impacting over 50,000 beneficiaries.
Empowering children of lower-income union members
Further embracing the NTUC spirit of innovation, U Care Fund will continue to bolster its new fundraising model and widen its donor pool in 2022. Moving forward, U Care Fund will look at concerted efforts to empower the children of lower-income union members, providing them with a lift up in life and making a real difference to what their future holds.
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