Held on 25th to 28th June 2019, AVPN members from all the world over gathered in Singapore. Passion ran deep at this four-day conference impact investors and key innovators exchanging ideas to create transformational changes to effect positive changes in underprivileged and underserved communities.

Singapore Pools was honoured to share the stage with like-minded change makers in the social landscape at AVPN's breakout session – "Mobilising Impact Capital for Asia". Together with four other participants on the panel, which included City Developments Limited Chief Sustainability Officer Esther An, SOLS Energy Founder-CEO Raj Ridvan Singh, Damson Capital Partner Leon Toh and Trafigura Pte Ltd CEO Tan Chin Hwee, the session panelists shared how corporate organisations could take the lead with structural changes from within – starting with the way they conduct business, to commitment towards capital for impact;  as well as the nature of social and charitable causes supported.

As Singapore's leading contributor in channeling capital for social impact (annually Singapore Pools contributes $2 billion in taxes and duties, in addition to funding for charitable purposes) - doing good better - is not unfamiliar territory to Singapore Pools. Since 1968, surpluses from Singapore Pools had helped fund numerous national celebrations as well as big-ticket infrastructures which generations of Singaporeans have come to fondly remember and enjoy.

From the first National Stadium to the current Sports Hub, Singapore's first Indoor Stadium as well as the iconic Esplanade and picturesque Gardens by the Bay, these familiar icons that dot the island's skyline today, are testament of Singapore Pools' track record and commitment towards Singapore and her progress. 

"Being Singapore's sole legal non-casino gaming operator with a social mission, Singapore Pools' has always focused on upholding our operations as a business for purpose - with impact capital generated from the company's business for funding and contributions to help Singaporeans", said Singapore Pools' Chief Executive Officer Lam Chee Weng.

In his sharing, Mr Lam also shared Singapore Pools' strategy in mobilising impact capital. The company leverages its owned assets - be it financials, retail network, people, expertise and even partnerships to benefit the community. With ground-up support from all members of the company and from partners like the National Council of Social Services (NCSS), this approach has given birth to several innovative projects which benefit the social and charity sectors, key of which is iShine Cloud. This is a cloud-based secure platform to enable the Social Service Sector (SSOrgs) on its digitisation journey, with crucial time saved on backend operations to enable the SSOrgs to thrive and devote valuable time to serve their beneficiaries better.

AVPN is a unique funders' network based in Singapore committed to building a vibrant and high impact social investment community across Asia. Together with AVPN, Singapore Pools was a co-host of the Members' Day dinner, which brought together investors and social change-agents for bigger purposes.