MCF and NAIHE Establish New Endowment Partnership to Enhance Charitable Giving
Singapore, 20 May — The Masonic Charitable Fund, Singapore (MCF) and the University of Newcastle’s Singapore entity, NAIHE, have entered into a landmark partnership with the signing of an agreement to establish a new restricted Endowment Fund.
The agreement, signed on 20 May, creates an innovative charitable giving model that will see NAIHE alumni contribute to an Endowment Fund managed by the MCF. Through this arrangement, NAIHE will benefit from a streamlined administration process while also enabling its alumni to enjoy tax benefits through MCF’s Institution of a Public Character (IPC) status.
Under the partnership, NAIHE has effectively outsourced the management of its Endowment Fund to the MCF. While NAIHE will continue to provide funding and identify beneficiaries, the MCF will oversee the administration of the fund and manage all disbursements in accordance with the governing Trust Deed.
MCF leaders believe the initiative could serve as a model for other organisations, including individual Masonic lodges. By placing charitable funds under MCF’s management, lodges could retain control over the allocation of their funds while offering donors access to tax benefits that may not be available through direct donations to the lodges themselves.
The signing ceremony was attended by representatives from both organisations, reflecting the collaborative spirit behind the initiative.
Among those present were Neil Tottman, Chairman of the MCF; Mike Gray, current Chair of the MCF; Professor Abhisek Singh Bhati, Pro Vice-Chancellor and CEO of NAIHE; and Associate Professor Peter Duffey, Academic Director.
The partnership marks a significant step forward in creating sustainable funding mechanisms for educational and charitable causes, while demonstrating how collaborative philanthropy can deliver benefits to both donors and beneficiaries.
