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SHF Launches “A Thousand for Good” Initiative to Raise Funds and Build Heart-Smart & Heart-Ready Workplaces with Like-Minded Organisations
- Organisations are increasingly conscious of employee health, well-being and safety, and more may be ready to support the Singapore Heart Foundation’s heart health movement.
- The new A Thousand for Good initiative will accelerate the Foundation’s outreach efforts to empower more people with heart health knowledge and life-saving skills through workplaces.
- Major global and local companies are among those that have registered for the initiative and SHF aspires to increase the number of participants to at least 1,000 in the next five years.
Singapore, 9 July 2026 – The Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF) today launched a new corporate philanthropy initiative, known as “A Thousand for Good” (ATFG), which seeks to rally the support of organisations to jointly drive the decades-long heart health movement of the Foundation.
Officially launched at the 24th Singapore Heart Foundation Charity Cup Golf Tournament held at the Sentosa Golf Club by Guest of Honour Mr Seah Kian Peng, Speaker of the Parliament of Singapore, ATFG aims to fuel the Foundation’s multiple programmes and community outreach efforts, including its three Heart Wellness Centres (HWC) that provide a highly subsidised community-based cardiac rehabilitation programme to heart patients. Earlier this year, SHF had also announced its plan to build its fourth HWC in Bedok, which is expected to open by end-2027 and benefit more heart patients.
Delivering a Positive Societal Impact Beyond Donations
More than just a giving initiative, ATFG has a broader strategic goal: to provide organisations with a meaningful way to invest in the heart health of their employees and empower them with life-saving skills to respond confidently and effectively when a cardiac emergency occurs — with a minimum annual donation of S$1,000. This is expected to build a more heart-smart and heart-ready workforce in Singapore, in the years to follow.
With the growing popularity of the “Philanthropy 2.0” concept of charitable giving, more organisations are looking to contribute to solving social problems that are close to their heart and generate measurable, long-term societal impact, with a purpose-driven philanthropic approach. Coupled with the growing emphasis on the Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) priorities relevant to employee health, well-being and safety, SHF believes that more organisations will come forth to support the ATFG initiative.
“It is a win-win for both the Singapore Heart Foundation and our partners. More organisations are prioritising the health and well-being of their employees, and A Thousand for Good will help them build a heart-healthier workplace. The initiative also empowers employees with life-saving skills, which is especially important given the concerning rise in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases captured in the latest statistics,” said Geoffrey Ong, CEO, SHF.
The Foundation has just released the latest out-of-hospital cardiac arrest statistics (2022) last week, which saw an uptrend of cases from 3,637 in 2021 to 4,058 in 2022, 80% of which occurred at home and more than 12% in public spaces.
Major Corporations Leading the Way
Off to an encouraging start, the new initiative secured the commitment of various well-known global and local corporations at its pilot stage, including Nestlé Singapore, Charles & Keith Group Foundation and AXS Pte Ltd.
“At Nestlé, we believe in unlocking the power of food to enhance quality of life for everyone, today and for generations to come. That is why we have been a stalwart supporter of the Singapore’s Heart Foundation’s heart health movement for more than 10 years. Today, we are honoured to partner the Singapore Heart Foundation in support of its A Thousand for Good initiative. Through collaborations like these, we aim to inspire healthier choices and support the long-term well-being of our employees, as well as contribute to building a more heart-ready workplace,” said Mr Rajat Jain, Managing Director, Nestlé Singapore.
In the next five years, SHF aspires to increase the number of participants to at least 1,000 organisations and individual corporate leaders in their personal capacity to support the initiative and benefit even more workplaces.
A Tale of Paying It Forward
Among the partners who have committed to the A Thousand for Good initiative is 55-year-old Mr Michael Ewing-Chow.
A heart patient diagnosed with ischaemic heart disease who joined the Singapore Heart Foundation’s Heart Wellness Centre at Bukit Gombak since early 2024, he is one of the many heart patients who benefited from the Foundation’s community-based cardiac rehabilitation programme across the years and has decided to pay it forward by supporting the initiative.
“I benefited so much from the Singapore Heart Foundation’s Heart Wellness Programme. It gave me the confidence to get back to sports and gym workouts after my stent operation in late 2023. I am very grateful to the Foundation and the staff of its Heart Wellness Centre for their unwavering commitment to improving the health outcomes of patients like me over the years,” said Mr Ewing-Chow, a former NUS Law professor who now focuses on his green energy and property investments.
He added: “I look forward to using our shophouse space, Kampong Kolab, to improve the heart health of the neighbourhood and equip residents and tenants with the essential skills and knowledge to save a life, whether it’s a colleague, client or even just a passerby,” referring to the new event, co-working and podcasting space that he has opened in a shophouse.
To find out more the A Thousand for Good initiative, visit www.myheart.org.sg/a-thousand-for-good or email SHF’s Partnerships team at partnerships@heart.org.sg.
