Creating Social Impact 

It is endeavor from DBS Bank to make a lasting impact in addressing Asia’s evolving social needs. 

With a growing Asia and its promising potential comes a widening gap between the haves and the have-nots, which challenges traditional solutions. DBS Foundation recognizes that Social Enterprises (SEs) are important contributors to inclusive economic and social development. With commercially sustainable solutions, SEs provide jobs, goods and services to the disadvantaged. SEs address social issues that impact the communities we live and work in. 

Our vision is to shape a better future for Asia. The DBS Foundation focuses on building a more inclusive Asia by championing social entrepreneurship. It is instrumental in helping us be a force for good and embed sustainability into the organisation. Check our Sustainability Fact Sheet.

  

 

DBS Foundation 

The DBS Foundation, which was launched in 2014, is an endeavour from DBS Bank to make a lasting impact in addressing Asia’s evolving social needs. 

With a growing Asia and its promising potential comes a widening gap between the haves and the have-nots, which challenges traditional solutions. DBS Foundation recognises that Social Enterprises (SEs) are important contributors to inclusive economic and social development. With commercially sustainable solutions, SEs provide jobs, goods and services to the disadvantaged. SEs address social issues that impact the communities we live and work in. 

Our vision is to shape a better future for Asia. The DBS Foundation focuses on building a more inclusive Asia by championing social entrepreneurship. It is instrumental in helping us be a force for good. 
  

What We Do 

As the only corporate foundation in Asia dedicated to championing social entrepreneurship, we work with SEs and Social Entrepreneurs in Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, China and Taiwan to support their growth. This is similar to the way in which DBS has worked closely with SMEs in these same communities. Our programmes aim to grow social enterprises at each stage of their development. Through these programmes, we seek to: 

• Create awareness and understanding of social entrepreneurship among public and commercial communities 
• Encourage the incubation of innovative social enterprises 
• Provide both funding and skilled volunteer support to social enterprises.  

 For more information on the Foundation, please visit http://www.dbs.com/dbsfoundation/. 
  

Who We Work With 

To further the mission of championing social entrepreneurship in Indonesia, we build partnerships with strong institutions like Usaha Kecil Menengah Center, Universitas Indonesia (UKMC UI/SME Center UI) as well as social enterprises that run interesting programmes of Change. 

In 2014, DBS Foundation established a partnership with UKMC UI to develop a handbook on Social Entrepreneurship, covering the inspiring stories from Social Enterprises around the world and Indonesia, as well as practical guidance on how to start Social Enterprise based on the Indonesian ecosystem and available assistance from various organizations. The book will be launched in July 2015. Following the book, UKMC UI will also be the partner for Social Enterprise Boot Camp where expertise will provide workshops aimed to equip selected Social Enterprises with skills and capacity to develop robust business plan in order to pitch for financial assistance. 

Aside from that initiative, DBS Foundation partnered with Greeneration Indonesia, a social enterprise championing environment issue that is now focusing on its subsidiary, Waste4Change to pursue a more comprehensive solution in waste management. Greeneration received grants from DBS Foundation in 2014 to roll out a campaign on responsible waste management (including the implementation) and social entrepreneurship concept to five schools in Bekasi. Up to date, this effort has reached up to 1,400 students, teachers and school officers since the programme’s launch in March 2015. 

Through a structured grant programme from the foundation, we offer grants to social enterprises which are in various stages of growth. More on the DBS Foundation’s Grant Programme can be found here.  

In addition we source products and services from social enterprises encouraging their business. We also feature various SEs in our internal and external publications giving their business and social mission the visibility they deserve. 

 

 

Dare to Become a Social Enterprise & Profit for Social Enterprise Handbook

Social entrepreneurship is a business concept that involves communities and the marginalized in order to develop their skills and improve welfare, collectively drives businesses that generates profits while remains balanced and creates a positive impact. The emergence of social entrepreneurship has aided a myriad of social issues ranging from better employment opportunities to protecting the environment. Such business methods are the backbone of a sustainable economy.

Developing a social business is not an easy task as many are still not familiar with the definition, criteria, so much as the business model that makes it a social enterprise. In addition, people’s understanding of social entrepreneurship can be said to be quite low and often misinformed.  Therefore, Bank DBS Indonesia collaborated with the University of Indonesia SME Center to create a guidebook that is expected to adequately educate social entrepreneurs and other business actors in Indonesia. This e-book includes various information and knowledge on social entrepreneurship, providing steps by steps and tips to become a good business actor.

In 2016, DBS Foundation launched a book titled "Berani Jadi Wirausaha Sosial" with the aim of enthusiasts and business players to learn everything there is to know or the A to Z’s of social entrepreneurship. This first book has successfully received more than 400,000 downloads. Continuing those action, amidst this COVID 19 pandemic situation, DBS Foundation launched another e-book, a follow-up series called “Profit Untuk Misi Sosial (Profits for Social Missions)” where it explores the ins and outs of business as well as how to balance it with an impact for companies to prosper even more in recent context. 

Don't hesitate, download both books right now! Together with the DBS Foundation, we #SupportSocialEnterprise #DBSDukungBisnisSosial  

Download Dare to Become a Social Enterprise Handbook 

Download Profit, for Social Enterprise Handbook

 

 

People of Purpose

People of Purpose (PoP) is a staff volunteer movement organised by DBS that promotes our values, engages our employees, and leverages our staff’s time and expertise - all while making meaningful contributions to the communities in which we live and work. 

At the moment, DBS Indonesia is partnering with Indorelawan.org to channel the interests and talents of DBSI staff in volunteering and leaving positive impacts for the community. 

In 2014 while partnering with Happy Hearts Foundation, over 100 staff from DBS Indonesia participated in rebuilding a pre-school located in Jakarta’s suburb area. The school had a single classroom for 63 children and minimal infrastructure. Efforts were therefore placed to provide a better environment for the children and the immediate community. Staff from DBS Indonesia helped build 2 new classrooms and made way for construction of more classrooms thereby creating adequate space for the children. 

In another programme, staff walked the talk by participating in the Social Entrepreneurship drive with Provisi Education where they gave their time to mentor and guide 400 high school students who were placed in social entrepreneurship workshops and related training.