NUHS Fund Limited (NUHS Fund) is a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) and a registered charity with IPC status. The charity was set up by NUHS to promote medical research and development as well as provide health related services for the benefit of the Singapore Community.
Gifts directed to NUHS Fund will be used to ensure better health outcomes for the Singapore community:
Every dollar donated to the NUHS Fund goes in its entirety to support the patients assessed to be in financial need to help them with their recovery journeys.
Click on the quick links below to jump to the respective sections for more information.
The day-to-day operation of NUHS Fund is managed by the NUHS Development Office (DO). NUHS DO does not engage commercial fundraisers, while manpower and operating costs are absorbed into NUHS DO's budget.
The charity incurs minimal administrative expenses such as bank charges, audit fees due to annual statutory requirements and administrative charges levied by online donation platforms (e.g. Giving.SG, GIVE.asia), all of which are borne by funds separately ring-fenced for these purposes. This allows for every dollar donated to NUHS Fund to be channelled in its entirety to support patients in their journey to better health.
NUHS Fund has more than 40 sub-funds covering various medical areas and needs. It strives to be as comprehensive as possible in extending help to patients in financial hardship. Some of our sub-funds that benefit financially disadvantaged patients include:
The NUH Children's Fund supports financially disadvantaged children whose families have difficulty coping with the costs of medical treatment. Your support will help change the future of our young patients.
The NCIS Cancer Fund goes towards the support of financially disadvantaged cancer patients, cancer research and the education and training of healthcare professionals. This allows innovative procedures and improved treatments to benefit all cancer patients.
Heart diseases require costly procedures and long-term medical treatment. Many financially disadvantaged heart patients require financial assistance when other avenues of financial support are not available or insufficient, to undergo the necessary medical treatments.
View NUHS Fund's Annual Reports and Donor Reports.
Q: What is NUHS Fund? A:NUHS Fund Limited ("NUHS Fund") is a Company Limited by Guarantee (CLG) and a registered charity with IPC status. The charity was set up to promote medical research and development as well as provide health related services for the benefit of the Singapore Community. Specifically, gifts directed to NUHS Fund will be used to support the development and delivery of solutions to meet challenges in health and healthcare by harnessing research and education to achieve the following objectives:
The National University Health System ("NUHS") believes that all patients, regardless of financial condition, have the right to the best health outcomes possible. Hence, active public outreach and fundraising activities are directed to raising funds to helping patients who are assessed to be in need of financial assistance. We encourage donors to contribute to the General Needy Patient Fund where gifts will be directed towards the greatest need in our community. Note: Donors who would like to contribute to research and education initiatives to ensure better health outcomes for the Singapore community and build a future ready health system can contact NUHS Development Office at [email protected]. |
Q: Who manages NUHS Fund? A: A board of directors has been appointed to oversee the charity. The Board comprises 11 persons, of which 4 are in the employment of NUHS and its entities while the remaining are independent directors. The following are members of the board with Prof Lim Pin as the Chairman:
Day-to-day management of the charity has been delegated to the Development Office of NUHS. NUHS Development Office ("DO") reports to the Board of Directors as well as to the Chief Executive of NUHS. |
Q: What is the role of the Board of Directors? A: The Board of Directors will provide guidance and have oversight over NUHS Fund. This includes guidance on fund raising strategies, fund raising efforts and utilization of funds based on prioritization of healthcare needs. |
Q: What regulations does NUHS Fund operate under? A: NUHS Fund is governed by The Companies Act, The Charities Act, Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore Regulations and Singapore Police Regulations. As an Institution of Public Character under the Charities Act, the charity is held to higher standards of governance and management. NUHS Fund also reports to the Sector Administrator, Ministry of Health. |
Q: What are the administration costs incurred by NUHS Fund? A: NUHS Fund incurs minimal administration costs as all manpower and operating costs are absorbed in the budget of NUHS DO. Expenses incurred by the charity include bank charges and audit fees due to annual statutory requirements as well as administrative charges levied by online donation platforms (i.e. Giving.SG, Benevity, Give.Asia and SimplyGiving), all of which are borne by funds ring-fenced for these purposes. Every dollar donated to NUHS Fund goes in its entirety to support the patients assessed to be in financial need to help them with their recovery journeys (unless otherwise indicated in specific campaigns). NUHS DO does not engage commercial fundraisers. |
Q: Who are the beneficiaries? A: Please refer to our updated Donor Report for details. |
Q: Does NUHS Fund's beneficiaries include foreigners? A:Broadly, financial assistance can only be administered within the stated purpose of the charity, with the particular terms and conditions attached to specific donations; and must be compliant to the Income Tax Regulations. While donors can restrict their gifts to assist specific segments of the Singapore community, NUHS Fund does not encourage this. As an IPC1 charity, all tax deductible donations must be channelled towards benefitting the Singapore community which includes:
Under the Charities Act, we are allowed to assist non-resident foreigners on a limited basis and the source of donations to support this cannot receive tax deductibility. 1 Institution of Public Character |
Q: Who decides which patient gets funding? A:All applications to NUHS Fund's sub-funds have to be reviewed by a Medical Social Worker (MSW)/Social Worker (SW) who will perform a financial assessment and make a recommendation to the sub-fund committee for approval. Patients must be subsidised patients at NUHS entities or partner organisations, and fulfil the requirements of the sub-fund. The amount of help received from the charity will vary depending on the individual circumstances and the patient's financial background. Under the charity's funds criteria, all applications are subject to a financial cap which is dependent on the condition or treatment for which financial aid is required. |
Q: Are there other avenues of funding available to these families? A: Yes, there are. MSW/SW will explore all available funding schemes including government (Medifund) and other charities before tapping on NUHS Fund. Generally, funding from the charity is the last resort after all other avenues of funding have been exhausted. Under some circumstances where external applications undergo a lengthy process of review and approval and where the condition of the patient may be compromised, the charity's funds may be tapped on in the first instance. |
Q: Why are donations required since there is government support for patients who require financial assistance through Medifund? A: NUHS Fund supports gaps not covered by government support or schemes. While the government has been expanding help to patients who require financial assistance, there are exclusions from Medifund assistance which include consumables, home assist equipment, step-down care as well as procedures and treatments still not considered standard of care. The implementation of Medishield Life which focuses on in-patient medical bills and out-patient treatment for catastrophic medical condition (e.g. chemotherapy for cancer, dialysis for kidney failure) has reduced the need for support in these areas. Medishield Life, however, does not cover the cost of out-patient consultations, medical investigation, medication for everyone in the Singapore community or the costs of consumables and home assist equipment. |
Q: Do you send out acknowledgement receipts for donations? A: Yes, if requested, donors will either receive a tax deductible receipt or an acknowledgement of donation. Receipts can only be provided only if required information is provided – via brochure, various online donation platforms or email proof. A minimum amount of $10 is required for a tax deductible receipt to be issued. Where donations are collected via partnerships and information of donor is not collected, NUHS Fund will not be able to provide any acknowledgement of donations. Tax deduction cannot be issued for donations to individual patients specified by the donor. |
Q: Is there government matching for donations to NUHS Fund? A: The Government does not provide specific matching grants to NUHS Fund, a charity under the oversight of Ministry of Health. Direct government support for financially disadvantaged patients takes the form of Medifund support. However, similar to all other charities, NUHS Fund is able to tap on Tote Board/Government dollar for dollar matching support (currently capped at $250,000) for eligible fundraising projects under the enhanced fund raising programme. |
Q: How can I make a donation to this Fund? A:You can make a donation, by simply clicking on Giving.sg. |
Updated as of 29 December 2023
For a copy of the FAQs, download here (PDF, 198 KB).
The Personal Data Protection Act (“PDPA”) which governs the collection, use and disclosure of personal data is effective as of 2 July 2014.
We are committed to safeguarding your personal data and have put in place processes and internal procedures that comply with the PDPA.
Your personal information is collected, used and disclosed by NUHS Fund and its sub-funds, managed by the relevant NUHS departments, for the purposes of managing the donation, donor stewardship and engagement matters including updates on fundraising activities.
For more information on NUHS' PDPA policy, please refer to this link
https://www.nuhs.edu.sg/personal-data-protection-act
For further clarifications, please email us at [email protected].
If you have something to report on actual or suspected wrongdoings involving any NUHS employees, please refer to our whistleblowing reporting channel here.
