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National Council of Social Service

Align philanthropy with business strategy

Adding philanthropy value to a business strategy.

Last updated 19 August 2025
Smiling professional in a meeting with colleagues. NCSS about aligning philanthropy with business strategy.

Overview

Start by demonstrating how existing philanthropic efforts are aligned with the organisation’s core business purpose, vision and mission. Understanding the financial outcomes and positive community impact from long-term efforts will enable the organisation to appreciate the value of sustainable philanthropy.

Steps and levels

Basic

Intermediate

Advanced

1. Expand understanding around how to align business strategy and philanthropy:

Align philanthropic efforts with your business strategy, using examples from industry leaders.

1. Undertake strategic philanthropic commitments:

Embark on commitments which better reflect your business's purpose, vision and mission, thereby adding a new dimension to the leadership.

1. Integrate philanthropy into the business:

Lead by example, by fully integrating philanthropic efforts with your business strategy.

2. Build a narrative:

Make sustainable philanthropy a central part of your corporate identity by connecting philanthropic efforts to your business's value proposition.

2. Protect and create value:

Identify opportunities in which value can be protected or created for your business (e.g., improving investor perception; value creation; longer term growth). More information on steps that can be taken to realise different forms of value can be found in the EPIC report.

2. Derive shared value:

Generate and showcase long-term business benefits.

Illustrative examples

FairPrice: Integrate philanthropy into the business

FairPrice remains committed to its founding mission, that is, to keep daily essentials accessible and within reach for all. The FairPrice Foundation was established in 2008 and, to date, has donated S$120 million to the community.

Today, FairPrice delivers on their mission through these initiatives:

  • Offering over S$900 million through direct and indirect savings, rebates and value programmes, impacting 500k customers daily (since 2019)

  • Absorbing 1% discount on GST from January through to June in 2023 and 2024

  • Doubling May Day deals for key essentials like rice, and detergent to S$4.5 million in 2024 as part of workers' welfare

  • Offered 50 cents signature Kopitiam breakfast sets for May to June to impact nearly 50,000 customers

  • Freeze prices of 50 daily essentials each month as part of its Greater Value Everyday campaign, while offering over 2,000 house brand products (enabling up to 17% cost savings)

  • Disbursed over S$120 million through FairPrice Foundation since 2008 to benefit communities and over 56,000 beneficiaries annually

Bridgestone: Derive shared value

Bridgestone has been able to derive shared value to their business through customer loyalty and employee engagement.

Bridgestone's business strategy focuses on quality enhancement of tyre products and services while ensuring that solutions built are sustainable. Their philanthropic efforts come hand-in-hand with this as they revolve around road safety awareness initiatives such as tyre inspections for customers and education for employees.