The Scaffold Fund aims to build a more inclusive and gracious Singapore for our migrant workers.
Eligibility Criteria
- Nonprofits registered in Singapore as a Society, CLG, Charitable Trust or
Co-operative, or a Ground-Up Group. - For individuals or groups of individuals: Applicants must be residing in Singapore and 18 years old and above.
- The proposal should address the needs of low-wage migrant workers, including foreign workers from construction, marine and process sectors, and domestic workers.
2023 Grant call is now open.
LEAD FUNDERS
YHK Foundation • LEAP201
SEED FUNDERS
BinjaiTree • Bloomberg • GKG Group • Holywell Pte Ltd • Wee Teng Wen
Woh Hup (Pte) Ltd • Anonymous Angel Donor • Yeo Family Foundation
OTHER FUNDERS
Goh Yew Lin • Jeremy Chia • Kitsing Pte Ltd • Nigel Wong • Steve Tay
The Scaffold Fund aims to build a more inclusive and gracious Singapore for our migrant workers.
Grant call is now closed.
Eligibility Criteria
- Non-profits, social enterprises and ground-up groups can apply to the fund.
- For individuals or group of individuals: The applicant must be residing in Singapore and 18 years old and above.
- For Organisations: It must be an entity registered with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) or the Registry of Societies (ROS).
- The proposal should address the needs of low-wage migrant workers, including foreign workers from construction, marine and process sectors, and domestic workers
10 partners have come together to seed the $500K Scaffold Fund.
The S$500,000 collective fund will support groundup initiatives that promote stronger community bonds between locals and migrant workers.
LEAD FUNDERS
YHK Foundation • LEAP201
SEED FUNDERS
BinjaiTree • Bloomberg • GKG Group • Holywell Pte Ltd • Wee Teng Wen • Woh Hup (Pte) Ltd • Anonymous Angel Donor • Yeo Family FoundationAbout the fund
During the Covid-19 outbreak in foreign worker dormitories, many Singaporeans expressed deep concern regarding the poor treatment and living conditions of low-wage migrant workers residing in purpose-built dormitories. Some called on the Government to relook policies, others pressured companies to provide better benefits to the workers.
However, amid all the debate and discussion about improving the welfare of migrant workers, what is becoming clear is that there are no quick fixes or easy solutions to this multi-faceted issue. Government and corporate policies must change, but the community also needs to respond by shifting its mindset towards low-wage migrant workers.
In sum, the goal of bettering the lives of the 350,000 migrant workers in this city will require society as a whole to commit to collective ownership and action.
Research Insights
Improving interaction and meaningful integration
Increased engagement and interaction with migrant workers can help to promote inclusion and tackle the negative stigma and stereotypes associated with migrant workers.
A recent study found that locals generally have limited interaction with migrant workers which could be contributing to and perpetuating misinformation and negative attitudes towards migrant workers.
For instance, only 25% of all respondents had acquaintances who were migrant workers. This means that the vast majority of the population have very little opportunities for interaction and building mutual trust and understanding. The research commissioned by TMT and Leap201 surveyed Singaporeans in 2020 on their attitudes towards low-wage migrant workers.
An earlier study conducted by the International Labour Organisation in 2019 had similar findings – that people who had less interaction with migrants tend to be less likely to be supportive of their presence.
Shifting public attitudes towards migrant workers will take time. But it can start with us facilitating more meaningful opportunities to get to know the migrant worker community.
Some Singaporeans have already taken the initiative to build bridges between locals and migrant workers. The Majurity Trust funded ground-up initiatives like “Project Postcard” where students raised over S$15,000 for a migrant worker non-profit organisation and distributed 10,000 postcards for workers to write home.
A group of youths reached out to migrant workers rehoused from their dormitories into refurbished HDB blocks. These “Welcome in my Backyard” (WIMBY) volunteers continue to promote an inclusive environment for migrant workers through campaigns and virtual meetups.
Migrant x Me is another example. It is a social enterprise that raises awareness of the migrant worker community through learning journeys and experiential programmes for schools and corporates.
It is our hope that the fund will further scaffold the change — to encourage Singaporeans to be friendlier and more accepting of migrant workers as part of us.
Application Process
With your support of $50,000 for the Scaffold Fund, we will be able to help these passion-driven community groups and many others do more to bridge the gap.
STEP 1
Submit a grant enquiry above.
STEP 2
Complete the Scaffold Application Form to provide information on key details on the initiative.
STEP 3
The Scaffold Grant Panel, made up of experts in the migrant worker landscape will evaluate the grant proposals.
STEP 4
If approved, applicants will receive up to 80% of the project costs, capped at $100,000.
Grantee Partners
Frequently Asked Questions
1 What are the key dates to take note of?
Application Period: 6 March 2023 to 14 April 2023
Clarification Timeline: 17 April 2023 to 12 May 2023
Application Outcome: End June 2023
2 How will the organisations and proposals be evaluated?
Organisations will be evaluated on the understanding and identification of market gap, uniqueness of proposed solution, innovativeness and scalability of solutions, the organisation’s ability to execute the proposal as well as financial and social risks, and how the proposal will benefit the wider community.
3 How much funding is provided?
Successful applicants can receive a grant to fund up to 80% of project costs, capped at $100,000.
4 Are there restrictions on how the funds can be used?
The grant can be used for programme related costs such as internal manpower (related to initiative), venue, transport, material and logistics costs.
5 What are the conditions of the grant?
Grantees are required to submit:
- Quarterly output reports (by 15 Jan / 15 Apr / 15 Jul / 15 Oct); and
- An impact report upon completion of the project.
6 How will the funding be disbursed?
The grant will be disbursed in tranches, based on the submission of the above-mentioned project milestone reports.
7 Can I submit more than 1 application to the Scaffold Fund?
Only one application is allowed per organisation per grant call.