More purposeful businesses arise from challenging times

More than 70 organisations were conferred as Champions of Good 2020.

Company of Good, a part of the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) recognised 74 organisations as Champions of Good 2020, a 20% increase from the last edition. 

Champions of Good was launched in 2017 as a national recognition framework under Company of Good, celebrating organisations that are exemplary in doing good and which have also been multipliers by engaging their partners and stakeholders on a collaborative journey. 

In a message to launch this year’s conferment campaign, Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat congratulated the Champions, recognising their efforts in uplifting the vulnerable members of society and rallying staff and stakeholders in supporting causes. He also highlighted that they have embodied the spirit of the Singapore Together movement, where everyone steps forward to play their part.

Leading the Way Towards the Future of Business
A total of 97 unique Champions have been recognised since the programme's inception, with 23 new Champions being conferred this year. The gaps brought about by the challenging business environment have also revealed the need for organisations to rethink and reimagine their role in the community. By incorporating doing good into their business strategies, organisations can ensure better sustainability and stakeholder engagement, as well as address the needs of the community amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. With a record number of first-time and repeat Champions of Good, we see that more organisations are doing good and becoming better at it.

By leveraging core business assets to serve broader community needs, the Champions of Good are in a strong position to continue striving forward with purpose. Working in tandem with strategic partners and non-profit organisations, they are able to bridge technical expertise and business agility through a common purpose.

"By looking beyond conventional business goals, these Champions of Good have displayed resilience and adaptability in their fight to overcome the economic downturn and are setting the precedent in robust corporate citizenship for other stakeholders and industry peers to follow," said Mildred Tan, Chairman of NVPC. "With the Champions of Good leading the way, I am confident that we will build a City of Good—a Singapore that cares."

Unyielding Drive to Do Good
Whilst each Champion has charted their own journey of doing good, they have all remained steadfast adopting the Company of Good's 4 'I' Framework—Investment, Integration, Institutionalisation, and Impact. Through these guiding principles, businesses embark on a journey of transformation, becoming Champions that inspire partners and stakeholders to join them in doing good. 

Despite the challenging business climate, first-time Champions PopeJai and EY have found even greater motivation to do good for the community. Both organisations are lauded for their collaborations with stakeholders and integrating doing good in their business operations. 

"At PopeJai, we hope that our story will inspire other corporates that it is possible to be an inclusive and competitive enterprise in the marketplace with a sustainable business model while touching the lives of individuals from all walks of life," said Janelle Soh, assistant marketing manager of PopeJai Pte Ltd. 

"Being a Champion of Good is aligned with EY's purpose of building a better working world. Big changes start with something small. Like a drop that creates ripples of change, our corporate responsibility programme EY Ripples targets to touch one billion lives globally by 2030. We recognise that the COVID-19 pandemic has deeply and broadly impacted the economy, and with it the people and their families and livelihoods. To support the affected communities in Singapore, EY will amplify our impact by volunteering in various community activities and contributing in both cash and kind," said Max Loh, Singapore and Brunei managing partner at Ernst & Young LLP. 

A total of 28 Champions of Good this year have been conferred in all three editions. To Hogan Lovells and Maybank, being recognised as a Champion of Good is a testament to their unwavering commitment to continue doing good and growing with the community as part of their business strategy for greater collective impact. 

"The Champions of Good recognition has allowed us to enforce what we, as a firm, believe in when it comes to giving back to the community. [It] also makes clear that we are part of something bigger; a wider movement across the Singapore community, fully supported by the Singapore Government and private organisations alike. It has also allowed us to strengthen our connection with fellow Company of Good members, for example, by co hosting the Business Leaders Giving Network Lunch with NVPC, sharing knowledge on how to promote giving within Singapore," said Matthew Bousfield, counsel at Hogan Lovells. 

Maybank too is not resting on its laurels. Even after its third conferment, it is further championing goodness by rallying stakeholders and partners together in collective action. 

"Strong communities are defined by their capacity to come together in times of need. As a bank with 60 years of presence in Singapore, Maybank strives to play a leadership role in engaging our networks of stakeholders, including our customers, to do good together. To support livelihood opportunities for marginalised communities, Maybank will be launching a new campaign to match funds raised for The President's Challenge — Empowering for Life Fund. Through our concerted efforts, we hope to encourage collective action to create sustainable and long-term social impact," said Dr John Lee, country CEO and CEO of Maybank Singapore.

Emerging Stronger From COVID-19
The Champions of Good 2020 are trail blazers, setting in motion the wheels of change for the business ecosystem to strive towards a new future. They have inspired other organisations to rethink corporate citizenship as a collaborative member of the community, and to reimagine their organisational purpose, leading to a strategic, sustainable and impactful model of doing good that is aligned with business objectives. 

Find out who are the Champions of Good 2020 and learn about their inspiring work here.