DBS Foundation

Does the pressure of being in the public eye faze Max Maeder? "I think I give myself more pressure to do well," shared the teenage kitefoiling world champion while sailing with youth from SHINE Children and Youth Services, a charity that champions youth resilience. The exclusive DBS Sailing at the Bay experience took place after a closed-door discussion between Max and 50 youth on mental resilience. He was joined by Asher Low, Founder of Limitless, a non-profit that aims to make mental health support more accessible to youth. DBS Foundation has partnered Limitless to subsidise therapy for some 1,800 troubled, underprivileged youth and train 10,000 peer support leaders from secondary schools and junior colleges. #TrustYourSpark #DBSFoundation #mentalhealth #youthempowerment #youth

“DBS started as a bank to develop Singapore, then we went on to help develop businesses, and bank underserved segments in the community such as migrant workers. If you create a product or service that creates good, good employees and customers will join you. So good begets good,” said Tan Su Shan, DBS Deputy CEO and Group Head of Institutional Banking, as she addressed 200 audience members at the DBS Foundation Impact Beyond Dialogue. The dialogue, graced by Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development and Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration, brought together policymakers and business leaders to discuss the changing role of businesses in society. The consensus was clear: businesses should not only solve problems, but also create lasting, positive impact on society. Gillian Tee, CEO and co-founder of Homage and recipient of the 2016 DBS Foundation Grant, shared how businesses should leverage the impact ecosystem to rethink their business models: “If you're in it to do good, do it for the long haul. DBS Foundation was such a big part of our earlier phase of growth, supporting us even through Covid-19 when we were figuring out what to do. Today all our country operations are profitable, and we want to continue to scale and expand our impact.” Janet Ang, Chairman of the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) Foundation echoed this sentiment: “What’s encouraging is I do see more and more good leaders who are prepared to take the lead – like DBS, how they inculcate purpose into their values and the culture of the organisation. When that happens, that's when the tides will rise. Not just one company at a time, but many companies, through the ecosystem they work with.“ At the dialogue, DBS Foundation also launched a new Impact Beyond Award to support innovative businesses addressing society’s pressing needs. This year’s is seeking visionary businesses that are tackling the needs of ageing societies. While ageing is typically seen as a challenge, DBS Foundation believes it’s an opportunity to be harnessed – both to change traditional mindsets, as well as to create longevity solutions and do well by doing good. “There’s a Chinese saying: ‘When I have a senior at home, I have a treasure trove of experience.' How do we unlock this treasure?,” shared Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Social and Family Development & Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth. The Foundation will award a total of SGD 3 million in prize money to three visionary businesses (SGD 1 million each), along with mentorship from DBS management and other business leaders, and access to potential investors. This is part of DBS’ SGD 1 billion commitment over the next decade to uplift vulnerable communities, and complements the longstanding DBS Foundation Grant. Learn more about the DBS Foundation Impact Beyond Award: go.dbs.com/impact-beyond. #DBSFoundation #ImpactBeyondAward #Impact #socialenterprise #longevity #ageing #inclusivity

We’re excited to launch the DBS Foundation Impact Beyond Award, a new initiative to unearth and support innovative businesses with visionary solutions that address the world’s most ‘wicked’ problems. Each year, we’ll pose a challenge statement that spotlights one of society’s pressing needs and invite businesses to pitch innovative and transformative solutions. For the inaugural award, DBS Foundation is putting the focus on ageing. We’re awarding a total of S$3 million to three outstanding businesses to accelerate solutions that enable everyone — including vulnerable communities — to age with dignity and purpose. We’re looking for solutions that: ✅ Enhance quality of life with innovative products and services ✅ Improve access to healthcare and nutrition, and protect and enhance mental wellness ✅ Foster more inclusive and resilient communities; redefining the built environment to help combat social isolation ✅ Build a multi-generational workforce through new skills and micro-jobs ✅ Improve digital literacy and financial resilience Businesses with other transformative longevity solutions are welcome to apply, too! If your organisation fits the bill, find out more or share this post and tag someone who should apply. Applications for the DBS Foundation Impact Beyond Award are open until 30 November 2024. For more information on eligibility and timeline, check out our website: go.dbs.com/impact-beyond. #ImpactBeyondAward #Impact

“Why are you comparing other people's highlights to your day-to-day? I believe that if you focus on what you do, you won’t spend so much time looking at social media and comparing yourself to others,” shared Bronze Medallist and DBS brand ambassador Max Maeder while speaking about mental resilience during a DBS Foundation closed-door event in Singapore. The teenage kite-foiling world champion engaged more than 50 youth on navigating pressures while staying focused on their goals. He was joined by Asher Low, Executive Director of Limitless, a non-profit that offers free and subsidised counselling to youth facing mental health-related challenges. Asher added, “It's not helpful to compete with other people, especially if there are no metrics, no boundaries in your competition. So then what do I compete with? Don’t let that overwhelm you and stress you out that you can’t move forward”. To give the youth a taste of how Max navigates the head- and tailwinds of kitefoiling, they went on an exclusive sailing experience at the Bay on the iconic DBS sailboats. DBS Foundation has partnered Limitless to make mental health support more accessible to youth. The two-year partnership includes subsidised therapy for some 1,800 troubled underprivileged youth, and the training of 10,000 peer support leaders from secondary schools and junior colleges. We hope this session with Max further inspires them to stay mentally resilient and look out for each other. #DBSFoundation #TrustYourSpark #youth #mentalhealth #inclusion

DBS Foundation has a vision of creating impact beyond banking, beyond borders, and beyond generations, by uplifting the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable communities in Asia. We are enabling those in need to cope with life's uncertainties so that they can be more socially and financially resilient. Making their every day better and every tomorrow brighter. We Provide Essential Needs: Improving access to food & nutrition, basic education and healthcare, including mental health, and tools to better cope with daily stressors. As well as build self-esteem and community connections. We also Foster Inclusion: Providing skills and tools to improve financial and digital literacy; improving access to upskilling opportunities for better employability. DBS Foundation - From a Spark within, to Impact Beyond. #ImpactBeyond #Impact

“The goal is supposed to spark you, and it’s supposed to get you to start doing it. Build a system or a routine that you like…because it’s not liking where you’re going to be which gets you there. It’s liking HOW you're going to get there which gets you there. So just enjoy the process!” said Bronze Medallist Max Maeder while addressing more than 200 youth in Singapore. To wrap up the sixth edition of the DBS x Institute of Technical Education (ITE) mentorship programme, we were thrilled to have DBS brand ambassador Max Maeder share what it takes to stay resilient in the face of challenges. He credits his own mentors – co-pilot and kitefoiling pioneer Daniel Leow as well as coach Johnny Dolenc – for inculcating in him values such as kindness and discipline which have gone a long way in empowering him to excel at his sport. Taking the stage with Max, DBS Singapore Country Head Han Kwee Juan and DBS data analyst, Ryan Goh, who is an ITE alumnus, echoed the athlete’s sentiment on the role of mentors in encouraging the youth to take the road less travelled. The session, moderated by Head, DBS Foundation and DBS Group Strategic Marketing and Communications, Karen Ngui, drew out the importance of being clear about one’s goals to achieve them. “It’s important to have an end goal in mind in what you do. A lot of times there are things that I don’t want to do…but if I don’t invest in it now, how would I feel in 20 years? And because I'm so afraid of how I'm going to feel like in 20 years, I better wake up and do something,” said Kwee Juan. Launched in 2019, the DBS x ITE mentoring programme aims to empower and guide ITE students to develop essential skills, build confidence and achieve career goals. The partnership has expanded over the past five years to include all three ITE colleges, connecting 240 DBS mentors with 280 students, and is set to deepen to further address the growing needs of youth in Singapore. #DBSFoundation #DBSPeopleofPurpose #TrustYourSpark

“There’s food to eat, there are volunteers who make the atmosphere lively. Best part is, there’s air-conditioning and we can end work early!” 83-year-old Mrs Lee marvels at how her life has changed. She and her husband used to make a living by collecting cardboard, working rain or shine to make ends meet. In Hong Kong, it’s common to see elderly “waste pickers” collecting cardboard and other recyclables on the streets. They make a significant contribution to the environment, yet face unequal treatment and poor working conditions. Eric, the founder of @V Cycle, hopes to change things. V Cycle is an innovative solution that seeks to address Hong Kong's plastic pollution problem, whilst also creating a safe and comfortable working environment for elderly waste pickers. It employs a team of elderly to sort through recyclables, which are then upcycled into useful furniture or everyday items. It's where Mrs Lee has joyfully been working at for the past three years, able to socialise with peers while doing meaningful work, and in far better conditions. V Cycle is a recipient of the 2023 DBS Foundation Grant, which enabled it to expand the business, and help improve lives and livelihoods of more elderly waste pickers. If you have a business that shares our dedication to uplifting vulnerable segments in the community, apply for the DBS Foundation Grant before it closes on 31 August 2024! More info here: https://go.dbs.com/4g8xdEW #DBSFoundationGrant #SocialImpact #Ageing #TrustYourSpark

Meet Miao Ting, an accountant turned data analyst who, inspired by her grandfather’s struggle with dementia, has dedicated herself to honouring his kindness. Discover how witnessing his cognitive decline motivated her to volunteer and champion financial inclusion for underserved communities in Singapore. --- “He might be getting older, but if he’s constantly forgetting details and unable to remember things, you might want to get it checked out,” a close friend said to Miao Ting. In 2020, Miao Ting’s grandfather brought home fried dough sticks for breakfast instead of his granddaughter’s favourite hawker dish. Puzzled, she asked what made him get her a snack he knew she didn’t like. “It was uncharacteristic of him because he knows me like the back of his hand,” said the 32-year-old, who was raised by her grandparents. Over time, Miao Ting grew more concerned. Her grandfather, whom she often relied on for advice, couldn’t recall information she had shared with him. She decided to bring him to a polyclinic where the doctor confirmed her fears: he was in the late stages of dementia. Feeling guilty for not recognising his condition sooner, Miao Ting began to meticulously record photos, videos, and voice notes of their time together. These small but precious keepsakes help her cope with his decline and provide him comfort in the moments of anxiety that often accompany memory loss. “If there’s one thing dementia hasn’t taken from him, it’s his kindness,” she said. “I want my life to be in memory of him, even though he no longer remembers the people he has touched.” In the years since her grandfather's diagnosis, Miao Ting has carried his kindness as a spark to guide her with important decisions in life. Since joining DBS in 2016, the accountant turned data analyst volunteers after work at financial literacy workshops and befriending programmes. She particularly finds tapping on her skills from work to teach children from low-income households financial literacy skills fulfilling. In one of the workshops Miao Ting volunteered for, she was paired with Sophie Arianny who had one-to-one guidance on key financial concepts such as budgeting, identifying needs and wants, and saving for the future. Sophie was one of 23 students who participated in the DBS Financial Literacy workshop co-organised with Big Heart Student Care, an after-school centre that equips students, including those from low-income households, with life skills. Sophie was initially too shy to even raise her hand in class. But with patience and kindness, Miao Ting drew her out, and the nine-year-old felt comfortable enough to share her dream of becoming a veterinarian. She even sets aside part of her savings each month to buy science comics. (...continued in comments)

In today’s fast-changing digital age, the need to adapt and stay competitive has become even more pressing. But for Hong Kong’s underserved youth, who already lack resources and suffer from low social mobility, what can they do? To support these youth, DBS Foundation and MakerBay Foundation joined hands to organise the DBS Foundation InnoFuture Youth Programme. This provided underserved youth aged 15 to 24 years with free education in mainstream technologies such as no-code and artificial intelligence, and hands-on work opportunities so they can build up their portfolios. Besides giving them access to new skills and thus, a chance at a better future, the programme also guided the youth to think about what changes they can bring to society. How they can use what they’ve learnt to pay it forward – for example, by conceptualising digital solutions for NGOs and social enterprises. By empowering them with a sense of accomplishment and the faith that they can do great, we hope to create a little spark that’ll encourage them to keep exploring, to keep trying. Watch the video to see how we’re supporting (and rooting for!) these youth. This video was produced in partnership with South China Morning Post SCMP. #DBSFoundation #DBSPeopleofPurpose #Impact #SocialImpact

Why change a business model that works, and works well? For second generation owner of 35-year textile company UKL Enterprise, Gary Hsieh, it was to leave a sustainable legacy for his children. And it started his journey to change both his company, and the textile industry. DBS has supported Gary through his journey — starting with a DBS Foundation Grant that kickstarted his pineapple waste-to-textile initiative. DBS Taiwan has also aided him with cash flow and financial management, while opening marketing and networking opportunities, including an invitation to showcase his innovations in Singapore. Apply now for the DBS Foundation Grant, before 31 Aug 2024: https://go.dbs.com/3XiKuTJ #TrustYourSpark