Because we lost a very dear friend, Emma Yong, to cancer. It's a devastating disease that is expensive to treat and the Emma Yong Fund was born out of a need to make something beautiful out of that devastation. Emma wanted to make sure other theatre practitioners had the support and financial means should they fall seriously ill. And there's always more to be done when it comes to raising funds for this very worthy cause that's so close to our hearts. This is our little way of keeping Emma's loving spirit and legacy alive through The Emma Yong Fund.

The main objective of the fund is to give financial aid to theatre practitioners in Singapore suffering from cancer and other critical illnesses, by making available fixed monetary disbursements every quarter. These disbursements may be used to defray part of a theatre practitioner's daily living expenses or other needs.

The other objective of the fund is to raise awareness and educate the Singapore theatre community about the need to procure adequate medical insurance. This is done with the help of the Singapore Cancer Society, which has been tasked with designing and distributing materials tailored specially for theatre practitioners, many of whom are freelance artistes, cast and crew members, who do not have any or adequate medical insurance.

About Community Foundation of Singapore

The Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) was founded in 2008 to encourage and enable philanthropy in Singapore. We glean the causes and offer ways for donors to maximise their giving impact through these charitable funds. With our deep understanding of local issues and evolving needs, CFS identifies gaps and opportunities in the community to foster more effective giving. We are the leader in donor-advised funds (DAFs) and our DAF payout rates outperformed the industry benchmark. We engage with over 400 charity partners to identify programmes that impact diverse communities. By enabling real and meaningful change, CFS hopes to inspire a philanthropic culture and build a more caring and cohesive society in Singapore. CFS is a registered charity with Institution of Public Character status.