As part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, Temasek is chronicling its five-decade journey through a documentary series titled "Temasek Explained" on CNA. The series draws on the experiences of people who have worked with or within Temasek, sharing valuable lessons and insights for future generations.
Since 2003, Temasek has been allocating a portion of its returns above its cost of capital for community gifts. One of its primary beneficiaries is Temasek Trust, which disburses grants for programmes delivered by an ecosystem of non-profit partners and entities to meet Temasek’s community objectives: Connecting People, Uplifting Communities, Protecting the Planet, and Advancing Capabilities.
In an interview, Mr Desmond Kuek, Executive Director and CEO, Temasek Trust, elaborated on how the Trust has evolved its role as a steward of philanthropic assets, an advocate for sustainability, and a catalyst for impact.
The Trust has been actively fostering collaborative and catalytic philanthropy for the greater good: "We see Temasek Trust working with our partners to help promote philanthropy in a number of ways, moving from chequebook philanthropy to catalytic philanthropy."
Today’s complex and interconnected challenges demand bold collective action. He noted a growing interest among philanthropists across sectors to collaborate, share knowledge, expertise, and resources to tackle the urgent challenges facing us today: "Together, we can move further and faster."
"We look forward to closer collaboration with partners across all sectors to build a better and brighter future for every generation."
— Mr Desmond Kuek, Executive Director and CEO, Temasek Trust
Mr Kuek also underscored the importance of innovative financing models, underpinned by multi-sector partnerships, in playing a bigger role in addressing social and environmental challenges: "Philanthropy can be a lot more innovative, with new financing models."
As an ecosystem-builder for good, Temasek Trust aims to "shape the conditions of the ecosystem, so that future generations, and the community, can thrive", Mr Kuek stated.
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