Looking at Dr June Goh-Rin’s long list of responsibilities, you’d be forgiven for thinking it would take at least five persons to accomplish. A senior consultant and director of Neuroanaesthesia and Neurocritical Care at Singapore General Hospital, she is in her second term as president of the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations (SCWO). She juggles this with other work- and non-work-related roles and, not so long ago, responsibilities as governing council member of Dover Park Hospice.
SCWO serves more than 50 member organisations representing over 500,000 members. One of its biggest achievements was the recently launched Seeds of Change fund. The $300,000 grant is supported by the Ministry of Social and Family Development Office for Women’s Development.
The initiative serves as a three-year catalyst for organisations to kick-start or scale up projects for women’s development, with SCWO being the grant’s administrator.
“Successful applicants can receive up to 90 percent per project or up to $20,000, whichever is less,” she says.
“We aim to support at least five projects a year, depending on the scale of each. Larger funding can be considered on a case by case basis.”
For its first funding year, projects should look at addressing or advocating for women’s employment or health issues.
Creativity is important when it comes to sourcing for money, according to Dr Goh-Rin. At the end of May, SCWO organised a New2U Biannual Bazaar and managed to raise $28,205. Among other initiatives, the funds raised will go towards supporting SCWO’s Star Shelter, which provides temporary refuge for women and their children who are victims of family violence.
Over at Dover Park Hospice, her task is no less ginormous. As Singapore’s first purpose-built hospice, this non-profit organisation needs an annual operating budget expenditure of some $14 million. Patient fees cover only 10 percent while 40 percent is fulfilled by government funds; the rest is raised through its annual Sunflower Gala Ball, mailer projects and a biennial Charity Golf. Last year, the gala ball collected $1.2 million, which benefited 800 patients.
This story first appeared in the July issue of A.