PSSA 2004 - Corporate Category Award Winner

Singapore Telecommunications Ltd

The launch of the SingTel Touching Lives Fund in 2002 consolidated the telco's community efforts and enabled it to focus its resources and efforts on a single project each year. Over the past two years, the Fund has raised $3.5 million for 15 charities supported by the Community Chest, the fund-raising division of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS).

Apart from fund-raising, SingTel has tapped on its own strengths as a telco provider to reach out to the less fortunate through voluntary welfare organisations and NCSS. Since 1991, it has offered an annual grant for telecom services such as hotlines, which are used to provide counselling and direct services. Through its Internet arm Singnet, the company sponsored broadband connection for an email befriending service offered by the Samaritans of Singapore.

When the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) struck last year, the company came forth to support the Courage Fund, channelling proceeds from the SingTel Touching Lives Fund to provide relief for Sars patients and healthcare personnel for two weeks, and sponsoring telecom equipment and services. The message was clear - SingTel is committed to supporting the community both in good times and in bad.

Another factor that makes SingTel stand out from other companies is its ability to ring in innovative fund-raising ideas - a group of its customers service staff sold breakfast to their colleagues for a week and raised an additional $300, while the Fund's Fold A Heart charity drive, a unique tie-up with the Today newspaper, had the masses in action.

As testimony to its good work in its corporate community involvement efforts, SingTel was awarded the Certificate of Merit in the Prism Awards 2004 for Corporate Social Responsibility by the Institute of Public Relations of Singapore. It also received the President's Certificate of Commendation last year for its contribution during the Sars outbreak. The company has also consistently received awards from the Community Chest for being an outstanding partner.

Commitment and support from top management, the ability to harness the support of various stakeholders, and unique fund-raising methods has been key to SingTel's success as an exceptional corporate citizen.

Other PSSA 2004 winners: