Our Approach

As a purpose-driven organisation, DBS strives to create impact beyond banking. Through DBS People of Purpose, our employee volunteer movement, employees are empowered to be a key partner in our impact journey and bring the bank’s values to life. 

With two official volunteer-leave days per year, employees are encouraged to volunteer their time and skills to make meaningful contributions to the community.

 

Our Focus & Impact

Our volunteering efforts across our core markets have been focused on three focus areas – education, elderly and the environment. Employees volunteer in skills- and service- based programmes, sharing their time and skills to give back to the communities they live and work in.

We also mobilise employees to support DBS Foundation’s commitment to uplifting the lives and livelihoods of those in need, such as by providing essential needs to the underprivileged and fostering inclusion by equipping the underserved with financial and digital literacy skills.

Since 2015, DBS People of Purpose have contributed >780,000 volunteering hours across our key markets. In 2023 alone, we positively impacted >150K beneficiaries (a 42% increase from 2022).

Moving forward, along with the bank’s SGD 1 billion commitment to fund community initiatives over the next decade, our 36,000-strong workforce will contribute over 1.5 million volunteer hours to support vulnerable segments.

 

Our People

Explore why our employees go above and beyond their duty to create an impact.

Teaching seniors digital literacy skills with 'Getai' shows

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Empowering people with disabilities with financial literacy skills

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Rallying the Call Centre to volunteer

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Teaching migrant workers digital literacy

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Mentor-mentee pair proves that ITE is not 'the end' of their dreams

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Driving communication accessibility for the deaf using AI

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Regional Partners

Read about how we’ve worked with partners to understand and support the needs of local communities to drive long-term, sustainable and meaningful impact in their lives.

India-Gray India-Red India Singapore-Gray Singapore-Red singapore Indonesia Indonesia-Red indonesia Hong-Kong-Gray Hong-Kong-Red Hong Kong Taiwan-Gray Taiwan-Red Taiwan Mainland-China-Gray Mainland-China-Red Mainland China
China
China

Since 2015, we’ve been partnering Shanghai Zhonggu Charity Youth Development Center to drive digital inclusion among children from rural communities in China. To promote greater access to online learning, the children receive refurbished, retired laptops from the Bank and participate in digital workshops with our employee volunteers. Over 1,600 children have benefited so far.

Hong Kong
Hong Kong

Since 2018, we’ve been working with the Foodlink Foundation to redistribute surplus food to underprivileged communities in Hong Kong. As of September 2022, 125,000 kg of surplus food (that’s the weight of 8.5 double-deck buses!) have been rescued and re-distributed. Besides food distribution programmes, we also help conduct “zero food waste” cooking workshops for elderly and children.

India
India

Together with our long-time partners, Goodera and United Way of Hyderabad, our employee volunteers have impacted various segments of the underserved in India. From volunteering to record audiobooks for the visually impaired and organising tours for the elderly to supporting school infrastructure transformation projects, our volunteers have positively impacted more than 175,000 lives.

Indonesia
Indonesia

Since 2021, we’ve partnered Surplus.id, a food rescue app that connects customers to F&B businesses with surplus food, to channel excess food to communities in need. Our employee volunteers have supported the rescue and redistribution of food to the underprivileged including children in orphanages.

Singapore
Singapore

Since 2015, we’ve been mobilising our employee volunteers to promote active ageing among seniors at Lions Befrienders. Our programmes include upskilling seniors in digital and financial literacy skills as well as organising social activities to prevent social isolation.

Increased accessibility to mentors for different segments, including youths, is also an area of focus. To date we reached more than 450 students from various tertiary institutions.

Taiwan
Taiwan

Since 2016, we’ve been working with The CAN, a social enterprise with a mission to drive urban and rural sustainable development in the Sanxia Township. Our employee volunteers have supported the town’s river clean-up as well as workshops to preserve the town’s traditional crafts such as indigo dyeing and metalworking.

 
 

Recognition Over the Years


2024

  • Global: Anthem Awards (Employee Volunteer or Fundraising Initiative), Webby

2023

  • Global: Awards for Excellence (World's Best Bank for Corporate Responsibility), Euromoney
  • Global: Steward Leadership 25 (SL25), Stewardship Asia Centre
  • Regional: ASEAN Rural Development and Poverty Eradication Leadership Award (Private Sector), Ministry of Social and Family Development
  • SG: Community Chest Awards (Charity Platinum Award), Community Chest
  • SG: Community Chest Awards (Volunteer Partner Award), Community Chest
  • HK: FinanceAsia Awards (International - Biggest ESG Impact), FinanceAsia
  • TW: ESG Award (Foreign Company), Global Views Magazine
  • ID: MIX PR of the Year Award 2023 (PR Programme of The Year – Internal PR Programme), Majalah MIX

2022

  • SG: President’s Volunteerism & Philanthropy Awards (Organisations of Good - Large Enterprise), National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre
  • SG: Champion of Good (Champion of Good), National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre
  • SG: Community Chest Awards (Charity Platinum Award), Community Chest
  • SG: Community Chest Awards (Charity Silver Award), Community Chest

2021

  • Global: Awards for Social Purpose (Best in Community Engagement), The Drum
  • Regional: PRCA SEA Awards (Purpose Award), Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) SEA
  • SG: Community Chest Awards (Volunteer Partner Award), Community Chest
  • HK: Caring Company 2021-2022 (10+ Caring Company), Hong Kong Council of Social Services

2020

  • SG: Community Chest Awards (Volunteer Partner Award), Community Chest
  • SG: Community Chest Awards (Charity Platinum Award), Community Chest
  • SG: Community Chest Awards (Charity Silver Award), Community Chest
  • SG: Champions of Good (Champion of Good), National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre

2019

  • SG: President's Challenge Social Enterprise Awards (Social Enterprise Champion of the Year - Corporation), raiSE
  • HK: Financial Institution Awards (Service Award - Corporate Social Responsibility), Bloomberg Businessweek

2018

  • SG: Champions of Good (Champions of Good), National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre
  • HK: Financial Institution Awards (Corporate Social Responsibility - Outstanding Award), Bloomberg Businessweek
 

Find Out More

Learn more about our commitment towards creating impact beyond banking in the latest Sustainability Report, check out these videos or get in touch at PeopleofPurpose@dbs.com.

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