Future-Proofing Singapore Charities at the Bloomberg Data for Good Exchange Summit 2025

(from left to right) Taran Khera, Director, Data Strategy Group, GIC; Jaclyn Dove, Managing Director, Sustainable Finance, Standard Chartered; Vandna Ramchandani, Regional Head of Corporate Philanthropy Asia Pacific, Bloomberg; Lisa Gainer, Chief Executive Officer, talenTtrust; Kelvin Cen, Head of Southeast Asia, Bloomberg; Charles Tan, Senior Director of Philanthropy, The Majurity Trust

• D4GX 2025 Summit attracted over 50 Singapore-based charities across 14 diverse sectors with interest in upskilling their digital and data proficiency
• Summit insights include:
  • 78% of charities surveyed were interested in analyzing their own operational data but lacked the capacity and resources
  • 51% of charities are interested in transforming raw data into clear, compelling narratives that convey their work’s value and outcomes to stakeholders, funders, and the public
• In a live survey, 77% of charities reported feeling inadequately prepared to apply data to their future operations. Additionally, 77% of charities identified the ‘skills gap’ as the primary barrier to effective data utilization

Singapore, June 12, 2025 – Bloomberg’s Data for Good Exchange (D4GX) program brought together 53 selected Singapore-based charities on Wednesday, 11 June, to advance their digital and data literacy at its inaugural D4GX 2025 Summit.

Drawn from 14 diverse sectors including arts and culture to social services, the Summit saw strong representation from human welfare charities, reflecting key societal trends and the government’s focus on family, aging and well-being. Notably, 9 focused on children and youth, 8 dedicated to disabilities and special needs, and 5 supporting seniors and families. Tailored to their digital needs, the D4GX Summit 2025 introduced charities to data-driven strategies for greater impact and transformative community outcomes.

Vandna Ramchandani, Regional Head of Corporate Philanthropy Asia Pacific at Bloomberg, shared, “The strong participation of Singapore charities at the Summit reflects the growing demand for digital and data capabilities amongst the social sector. In alignment with Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative, programs like D4GX empower charities to adopt evidence-based strategies to supercharge their operations, drive innovation, and ensure transparency. By sharing best practices, organizations can harness the power of their data to deliver greater impact.”

The Summit featured practical sessions for charities showcasing the capabilities of data to drive change, improve metrics, and develop stronger narratives. These sessions were led by industry experts such as Taran Khera, Director, Data Strategy Group, GIC; Dr Mohammed Rahim, Group Chief Data Officer at Standard Chartered; Jaclyn Dove, Managing Director, Sustainable Finance, Standard Chartered and Charles Tan, Senior Director of Philanthropy, The Majurity Trust; and Dr Kwan Jin Yao, Research Fellow, The Majurity Trust.

The Summit revealed several key insights into Singapore’s charity sector[1]:

• 78% of Singapore charities surveyed acknowledged a lack of internal data analysis skills and expressed a strong desire to upskill for improved operations and impact. While eager to analyze their own operational data, they concurrently highlighted limitations in their capacity and resources
• 51% of charities are interested in transforming raw data into clear, compelling narratives that convey their work’s value and outcomes to stakeholders, funders, and the public
• In a live survey, 77% of charities reported feeling inadequately prepared to apply data to their future operations, strategy and impact[2]. Additionally, 77% of charities identified the ‘skills gap’ as the primary barrier to effective data utilization[3].

Additionally, the charities had the unique opportunity to engage with representatives from national agencies such as the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC).

Charities also benefited from interactive sessions led by Bloomberg News, focusing on the art of narrative development and data storytelling. These workshops enabled attendees to refine their organizational impact narratives, receiving valuable feedback from industry peers and data experts. Charities left equipped with actionable insights and empowered to craft compelling, data-driven stories that effectively showcase their work and impact.

Following the completion of the D4GX Summit, Taran Khera, Director, Data Strategy Group at GIC said, “Data is not just a tool, but a catalyst for meaningful change in any organization. We are glad to be part of this initiative that enables our employees to mentor charities as they develop their data capabilities. Together, we can strengthen Singapore’s social sector as they continue their work in building more resilient communities in Singapore.”

Dr Mohammed Rahim, Group Chief Data Officer at Standard Chartered added, “We believe in leveraging data to achieve meaningful outcomes, enhancing the experience of private, public and social sectors. It is a privilege to be part of the D4GX program, which not only champions data literacy but also supports Singapore-based charities for the long run.”

Applications are now open for all charities in attendance to apply for the D4GX grant and accelerator program, where they are required to unpack their organization’s strategy and identify a data challenge. Bloomberg will grant up to S$360,000 to support this initiative. Following which, six charities will be shortlisted for a three-month D4GX grant and accelerator program supported by The Majurity Trust and talenTtrust. The D4GX grant and accelerator program includes mentoring and access to data and technology experts to help the six charities develop a solution to tackle their data challenge, alongside S$60,000 in funding from Bloomberg to implement their data-driven solution.

For more information and to apply for the D4GX program, please visit Bloomberg’s D4GX website  here: https://www.bloomberg.com/company/values/philanthropy/d4gxsingapore.

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About D4GX
At Bloomberg, data is at the heart of what we do, helping to connect the world to a dynamic network of information, people, and ideas. We believe that access to data can deliver powerful results for society. That’s why we’re helping communities use data to unlock opportunity and drive progress on some of their biggest challenges through the Data for Good Exchange (D4GX), a Bloomberg initiative with an innovative program that promotes the power of data to supercharge the social sector. D4GX is part of a long Bloomberg tradition of advocacy for using data science and human capital to solve problems at the core of society.

For more information and to apply for the D4GX program, please visit https://www.bloomberg.com/company/values/philanthropy/d4gxsingapore

D4GX Singapore Contact: Dean Thomson, Singapore Corporate Philanthropy at dthomson38@bloomberg.net

About Bloomberg
Bloomberg is a global leader in business and financial information, delivering trusted data, news, and insights that bring transparency, efficiency, and fairness to markets. The company helps connect influential communities across the global financial ecosystem via reliable technology solutions that enable our customers to make more informed decisions and foster better collaboration.
For more information, visit Bloomberg.com/company or request a demo.

Media Contact: Mandy Wu, SEA Corporate Communications at mwu462@bloomberg.net

[1] In a survey conducted by Bloomberg as part of the Data for Good Exchange program, 71 Singapore-registered charities from 14 diverse sectors participated revealing:

• 56 charities expressed a keen interest in leveraging data analysis, though they acknowledged limited capacity in this area
• 46 charities highlighted peer learning as a key motivator for their involvement in the D4GX initiative.

[2] 77% of charities are not sufficiently prepared to apply data to help inform future strategy, operations and impact (98 respondents on June 11).

[3] 77% of charities identified skill gap as their main barrier to using data effectively (94 respondents on June 11).