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10 NGOs in Singapore

Mercy Relief

Mercy Relief was established as humanitarian NGO in 2003 with headquarters in Singapore and with a goal to respond to disasters and human tragedies in Asia Pacific. Today, it is one of the leading disaster relief NGOs with experts in capacity building and a big affiliate network.

Mercy Relief provides emergency aid within 72 hours after a disaster strikes. Its long-term sustainable development programs empower local communities in five key areas: education, healthcare, water and sanitation, shelter and sustainable livelihoods. In the past ten years, Mercy Relief provided more than 36.1 million in relief across 25 countries and responded to 79 human tragedies. It has implemented more than 59 sustainable development programs impacting over 2.1 million lives.

Habitat for Humanity Singapore

Habitat for Humanity Singapore is part of the international Habitat NGO that works to eradicated poverty housing worldwide. The Habitat for Humanity Singapore works within low-income communities to increase their access to improved living conditions.

Since 2014, organization’s volunteers regularly work on building affordable and decent houses across Asia-Pacific and provide an intensive home rehabilitation programs for marginalized families so they can have sanitary and safe homes. Up to date, 32.429 volunteers have built 1.418 houses across Asia-Pacific and serve 3.216 families in Singapore. The organization works closely in partnership with families, improves their living conditions and restores their dignity through by building houses and adapting their flats.

LIEN Aid

LIEN Aid is an international NGO founded in 2006 in Singapore, with a commitment to enable sustainable access to clean water and sanitation for rural poor in Asia.

LIEN Aid implements sustainable programs that are adapted to local needs and that benefit rural poor communities in Asia. All projects are implemented by local teams with the support of authorities and communities. Thus, the focus of its work is put on close cooperation and partnerships with other civil society organizations, governments, and private business, with a goal that access to clean water is available to everyone. Since 2006, LIEN Aid has delivered access to clean water and sanitation to over 900.000 beneficiaries in six Asian countries.

Blessing in a Bag

Blessing in a Bag is an NGO that empowers youth in Singapore to grow into resilient, compassionate and emotionally intelligent human beings who uplift their communities.

The NGO runs several programs, amongst which Beyond Awesome, that focuses on supporting low-income and under-resourced youth by providing them with alternative learning experiences by focusing on literacy and empowering communities to uplift one another. Through its program World Change Agents, Blessings in a Bag empowers a generation of volunteers and encourages them to try new things and initiate projects they care about and work on the community outreach and become change-makers. The organization also works on bridging the gap between communities by providing them with vital necessities.

Food from the Heart

Food from the Heart was established in 2003 by Signapore-based Austrian couple Henry and Christine Laimer, who saw an issue in bakeries throwing away their unsold bread. Thus, Food from the Heart became an NGO that feeds those who are the most in need.

Food from the Heart works on alleviating hunger through an efficient food distirbution. Its mission is to ”reach out to the less-fortunate and brighten their lives by alleviating hunger through a food distribution program and bringing joy through the distribution of toys and birthday celebrations”. The organization’s work is carried by volunteers, whose number has reached 1.700 since 2018 and together they reach 40.300 beneficiaries across Singapore.

Waterways Watch Society

Waterways Watch Society is an environmental NGO established in 1998 with a commitment to foster appreciation and promote conservation of Singapore’s environment, especially the waterways. The organization started with just 27 volunteers and today has grown to about 500 volunteers.

The NGO’s volunteers patrol rivers on boards during the weekends to collect litter and also look for damaged infrastructure and pollution that are reported to the authorities. It works closely with various government agencies to ensure waterways are clean and safe for everyone to enjoy. The Waterways Watch Society strongly advocates for preservation, protection and sustainability of waters and environment in Singapore and educates people on being environmentally responsible and conscious in their daily lives.

Ground-Up Initiative

Ground-Up Initiative is an NGO created with a mission to ”build up the Kampung Kampus, an ambitious feat in land-scarce Singapore, and showcase best practices in sustainable living for Singapore, and nurture a conscious community with hearts, minds and hands focused on a humane and sustainable future”.

Ground-Up Initiative team is building a Kampung Kampus, which is envisioned as a low-carbon footprint community campus. The Kampung Kampus is built on a 2.6 hectares of land in Yishun in Singapore. Its purpose is to serve as a role model in sustainable living with eco-conscious community and a more sustainable and happier future.

Singapore Environment Council

Singapore Environment Council (SEC) was founded in 1995 and since then it has become the only recognized member of the Global Ecolabelling Network in Singapore. In 2017, this NGO was granted an accredited environmental NGO status by the UN Environment Programme.

SEC works on engaging all sectors of the community through a range of programs and builds a network of volunteers under its Earth Helpers program. It also trains and educated the people, public and private sectors to develop their skills, knowledge and awareness on protecting and improving environment for a sustainable future. SEC also cooperates with governments, teaches communities to lead green lifestyles, promotes biodiversity in the urban environments and collaborates with industries.

Aidha

Aidha is an organization that works with a mission to ‘’empower and provide opportunities for foreign domestic workers and lower-income women to transform their lives through sustainable wealth creation’’. Aidha envisions sustainable futures through financial education.

With as many as 225.000 foreign domestic workers, mainly from the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar and Indonesia living in Singapore, Aidha saw a need to provide education of programs to break the cycle of poverty by encouraging them to save, invest and to start a business to plan for their futures. After attending Aidha’s education programs, majority of foreign domestic workers are able to launch their own businesses and increase their monthly savings by almost 80%. This especially relates to women because since 2006 Aidha has impacted lives of over 36.000 women and their families from some of the poorest areas in Asia.

Nature Society

The Nature Society is an NGO that is dedicated to conservation, appreciation, enjoyment and study of the natural heritage in Singapore, Malaysia and the surrounding region. The organization was formed in 1991 and it is run by volunteers.

The Nature Society has many activities, amongs which campaining for the protection of natural habitats and implementation of surveys and conservation projects. The organization also works with schools and communities to promote nature education and education. Last, but not least, the Nature Society organizes nature appreciation activities that include bird and butterfly watching, slide talks, overseas eco trips and guided nature walks.