Awards & Grants

Honouring Excellence in Community Service

C4SR champions service leadership and volunteerism across campus through awards and grants that both celebrate exceptional student contributions and catalyse new community engagement initiatives. 

By recognising outstanding service achievements, we inspire a campus-wide culture of civic responsibility while providing tangible support for students committed to creating meaningful change in our communities.

Awards

Through the generosity of various organisations and individuals who share our commitment to social responsibility, SMU offers prestigious awards to honor students who have made outstanding contributions to community service.

Pilot Pen Community Champion Award

Established in 2014, the award aims to recognise outstanding contributions by undergraduate students in community service.

SGS-Ikeda Peace Award

Supported by Soka Gakkai Singapore (SGS), this annual award is given to students who are committed to the spirit of volunteerism with volunteer welfare organisations.

Yu Xin Community Leadership Award

Established in 2012, the award recognises outstanding students in community leadership and aims to motivate them to achieve greater heights of excellence in community service.

Grants

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our generous donors whose support enables SMU undergraduate students to engage in meaningful community service work. The following individuals and organisations have made a significant impact on SMU and our students through their generous support:

Central Singapore CDC GiraffeSG Do-Good Grant

Aligned with Central Singapore CDC’s Better Life Framework, the GiraffeSG Do-Good Grant was launched to support community partners in developing ground-up initiatives that create meaningful impact for local communities. The grant aims to empower emerging changemakers to drive positive change within their communities. Programmes endorsed by C4SR that directly engage beneficiaries in the Central Singapore CDC district are eligible. 

Community Service Projects Grant

Established by Associate Professor Themin and Mrs Febrita Suwardy in 2010, the grant provides financial support to full-time undergraduates undertaking community service projects in Singapore or overseas, facilitated through C4SR.

The grant supports both financially-needy students and group-based applications, enabling students to participate in meaningful community service regardless of their financial circumstances. 

Diana Koh

Commencing AY 25/26, the Diana Koh Social Impact Internship Grant supports full-time undergraduate students undertaking the Social Impact Elective (SIE). The SIE is an initiative by SMU that enables students to work with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) during a regular academic term without having to take a leave of absence from the university. Through this elective, students earn academic credit while contributing meaningfully to causes they care deeply about, under the guidance of an SMU faculty member. Students engage with social and environmental issues and support ongoing initiatives, research, and outreach, enhancing the NGOs’ ability to deliver impact. The grant will cover part of the internship stipend, to provide additional support for the NGOs. 

Equinix Singapore

Since 2022, the donor has been supporting community service projects that raise awareness on sustainability-related matters, including environmental conservation, and the protection of biodiversity and our natural heritage.  

Realstar Community Service Fund

The grant provides assistance to full-time SMU undergraduates who participate in overseas community service projects in Southeast Asian countries and Nepal; and local community service projects in Singapore aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).

Ruth Chiang Overseas Community Service Grant

The grant is set up by Mrs Ruth Chiang, the pioneer Director of the Office of Career Services (2000-2015), to support students working with underserved communities in Cambodia on education and training programmes, developed in tandem with the beneficiary organisations.

The Morrison & Foerster Foundation

Since 2024, The Morrison & Foerster Foundation has supported Project Xingfu, an annual SMU overseas community service project to Mae Sot, Thailand. The project focuses on empowering refugee youths through education and skills development, with the goal of helping them become more workforce ready.  

Funded primarily by Morrison Foerster’s lawyers and staff members, the Morrison & Foerster Foundation supports underserved communities and equal access to justice of all kinds.  

Wilmar Overseas Community Service Project Grant

Established in 2014, the grant seeks to facilitate student participation in overseas community service projects in China and/or Indonesia, in communities supported by Wilmar International Limited, for those wanting to serve the community and create an impact on its beneficiaries.

Youth Expedition Project Grant (YEP)

The Youth Expedition Project (YEP) grant, powered by Youth Corps Singapore as part of National Youth Council (NYC), supports Singaporean youths aged 15 to 35 in undertaking overseas service-learning projects. At SMU, the grant funds student-led overseas community service projects facilitated through C4SR, covering areas such as education, skills training, and community development in ASEAN countries, China, and India. From 1 April 2025, all YEP applications at SMU will be submitted to and managed by C4SR under the Youth Corps Programme Funding Partnership.

Yu Xin Community Project Grant

Commencing AY2025/26, the Yu Xin Community Project Grant supports one local community service project each year with a grant of $3,000. Projects endorsed by C4SR that directly engage the elderly or persons with disabilities are eligible. 

Past Donors

We would like to thank our past donors, CDL, Tote Board, Shirin Fozdar and GIC, for their generous support of SMU’s community service initiatives.

Tote Board Singapore

The SMU Inspiring Community Service Programme by Tote Board Singapore, enabled students to lead and participate in meaningful community projects across Singapore. 

CDL Young SDG Leaders Grant

From 2014 to 2025, this grant by City Development Limited (CDL) had supported student-led community service projects and empowered about SMU students to implement a wide range of projects that supported the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs). 

Shirin Fozdar Community Service Project Grant

The Shirin Fozdar Community Service Projects (CSP) Grant facilitated the advancement of women’s community and aimed to instill a continued passion for long-term development of the community. 

GIC Sparks & Smile Award

Established in 2015, the GIC Sparks & Smiles Grant (Sparks) empowered financially-needy youths to be change-makers in their communities.