SGUnited Buka Puasa reaches fundraising target

The Rahmatan lil Alamin Foundation working in partnership with MUIS and community organisations, hit its $3 million fundraising target within a month after the initiative was launched

1. The latest milestone for SGUnited Buka Puasa initiative comes as it hits the $3 million fundraising target – within a month after it was launched. The ground-up initiative convened agencies and community organisations to raise funds, prepare and deliver 20,000 daily meals for the breaking of fast during the month of Ramadan to hospitals, Community Centres/Clubs (CCs) and homes of MUIS’ Zakat beneficiaries.

2. The fund has also benefited from contributions from several other private organisations and local charitable trusts, notably the Stephen Riady Foundation and Temasek Trust oscar@sg fund. Both organisations were among the largest contributors in this fundraising effort, joining 7,000 other donors who contributed almost $780,000 via online fundraising platform Giving.SG as well as another S$450,000 through other modes of donations.

3. MUIS and mosques had earlier donated a combined total of $1.6 million towards this cause, which has seen its fundraising target raised once due to strong demand from the community for the provision of meals. With healthy contributions from the community, the mosque sector has made a second fund injection of additional $200,000 to this initiative bringing the MUIS/Mosque total contribution to $1.8 million.

4. The extraordinary support and response from the community has enabled more than 20,000 people from the local community to receive daily meals as part of ongoing efforts to tackle and cushion the impacts of COVID-19. The meals were also extended to those on the frontlines of the battle against COVID-19 as a form of gratitude and appreciation for their contribution to the nation. In total, we would have distributed a total of 600,000 meals by the end of Ramadan. 

5. Speaking about the latest milestone, Executive Director of Rahmatan lil Alamin Foundation, Mr Zainul Abidin Ibrahim, said:

“During this time of uncertainty, our community has come together and given back in countless ways. In a matter of weeks, what this initiative has achieved is nothing short of remarkable. At a time where the resilience of many are tested, we saw the generosity of individuals, local businesses, charitable trusts and the strong pool of volunteers providing much needed compassion and practical help to those who are affected by the pandemic. We express our greatest thanks to each and every person and organisations who had selflessly stepped up to this cause. This overwhelming support is a testament that the community sees the importance of getting involved and further uplift the work of extending help to fellow Singaporeans.”

6. As we have met the fundraising target of $3 million, the SGUnited Buka Puasa Initiative’s Giving.sg crowdfunding campaign will be closed on Tuesday 19 May 2020.

7. We would like to take this opportunity to extend our appreciation to all our partners and every individual person for contributing to this initiative. Reaching the $3 million mark also demonstrates to us that the transition from traditional box and peer-to-peer collection to digital fundraising is a challenge that the community has and will continue to embrace. It looks set to be a new norm that we will become accustomed to in the future. 

Majlis Ugama Islam Singapura