Janet's philanthropy journey started when she was appointed the executor of the estate of her cousin, Ms. Diana Koh. Ms Diana Koh had willed that her estate be dedicated to charitable organisations. As a newcomer to philanthropy in Singapore, Janet sought the advice of CFS after being introduced to it by a friend. The philanthropic services and donor-advised fund (DAF) structure provided by CFS were exactly what Janet needed. Consequently, the Diana Koh Foundation was established in 2020 as a DAF with the Community Foundation of Singapore.

In honour of Diana’s memory and legacy, the Foundation focuses on a range of sectors ranging from education, children, medical, palliative care, disability, the arts and other social services targeting the underprivileged and disadvantaged, and focusing especially on areas where there is a gap.

Janet chose CFS as it is a cause-neutral, one-stop philanthropy advisory platform. It can set up funds quickly and cost-effectively, enlighten and match donors with the causes they are most passionate about, and highlight charities with the greatest needs. Moreover, it conducts due diligence, which builds trust in giving. She also appreciates the flexibility CFS has shown in working with her, a newcomer in philanthropy, and in dedicating staff time to accompany her on her philanthropic journey.

FULFILLING WISHES

Through CFS's facilitation, Janet expresses how the process of executing the legacy gift was simplified.

"These assets and funds have been the result of hard work over the years. I have the responsibility to make sure that it drives meaningful impact in honour of my cousin," said Janet. "CFS gave me a good overview of the community needs and put everything into a nutshell for me, so I am well-informed to make the right decisions."

Janet also found that having a dedicated philanthropic advisor was very useful to her giving. "Working with the same philanthropic advisor over time, we've built a relationship of trust, which is important to me," she says.

"I wanted to find out about things and she was able not only to give me an overview, but to help me probe deeper in areas where I had expressed interest."

AN ADVOCATE FOR EDUCATION AND INNOVATION

Taking a holistic approach towards education, Janet believes that education is not just about academic results but should also include life skills through arts, sharing knowledge with the public and upskilling in health care. The flexibility of the DAF structure enables Janet to support a broad portfolio of projects through the Foundation, in line with her intentions.

Currently, the Foundation supports charities across a range of causes, including AWARE, Assisi Hospice and Pangdemonium, and Janet hopes to be able to fund more innovative programmes in the future.

"My donor-advised fund provides me flexibility and control over this legacy gift. Working with CFS's advisors, I'm able to structure my giving to support different causes while still ensuring that I provide a sustainable amount of funds to each programme," Janet shares.

As Janet has progressed on her giving journey, she has grown from someone unfamiliar with philanthropy to an advocate trying to inspire others. She is keen to encourage innovative giving whereby sustainability and impact are built into a project so that the cause can continue to be supported long after the initial donation has been used up.

"Ultimately, I hope to see my donations have a multiplier effect; by giving to a certain cause area, I wish to attract other like-minded donors as well. Then, through the contributions of others, I would have inspired giving beyond my initial contribution."