Citi-YMCA Youth For Causes 2015

Programme Fact Sheet & Timeline

Citi-YMCA Youth For Causes (YFC) is a community initiative started by Citi and the YMCA of
Singapore in 2003. Funded by Citi Foundation, the programme is a catalyst to promote social
entrepreneurship and community leadership development among Singapore youths. It provides youths
aged 15 to 25 with a platform which includes seed funding, training and volunteer mentorship for
executing self-initiated projects to raise public awareness, funds and mobilize volunteers for Voluntary
Welfare Organizations (VWOs) of their choice. YFC complements the Values in Action (VIA)
programme as part of Ministry of Educations Character and Citizenship Education. The youth,
comprised in teams of four, will demonstrate values such as harmony, respect and responsibility as they
champion their social causes.
Officially launched in 2003 in commemoration of the centennial celebrations of both Citi Singapore and
YMCA of Singapore, the programme has enjoyed continued success, developing and mobilizing more
than 120,000 volunteers to help over 156 VWOs raise awareness, as well as more than S$6 million of
donations in that process.
This programme has been part of the Presidents Challenge since 2005. In 2013, over 4,000 volunteers
were mobilised by 27 YFC teams to champion social causes for 11 VWOs under the Presidents
Challenge list of beneficiaries. The teams raised S$246,000 for these VWOs through the YFC
programme as part of the Presidents Challenge 2013.
The YFC programme empowers participants to be the masters of their own project, working closely with
VWOs in Singapore, and gaining first-hand experience in organizing events to champion a social cause.
Students get to learn lessons outside of the classrooms to spark their entrepreneurial spirit, and be
developed into socially responsible community leaders.
Upon completion of the YFC projects, an awards ceremony, the YFC Awards Celebration, will be held in
November to celebrate the 100 teams achievements, as well as to recognize outstanding teams in
various categories. The best mentor, along with the most supportive school, Teacher and VWO will also
receive recognition through the ceremony.

Website: www.youthforcauses.com,
Facebook: www.facebook.com/youthforcauses
Email: yfc@ymca.org.sg

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YFC Programme Information

Programme
Mechanics

100 four-member teams of youths will be chosen by the judging panel at the YFC
Selection Interview
o The team must comprise of four members, each between the age of 15 and 25;
any additional members can be part of the sub committees.
o Team members need not be from the same school
The team must select a local Voluntary Welfare Organization that has a valid Institute of
Public Character (IPC) Status. Each participating VWO must be approved by the YFC
Secretariat.
There are three stages to the YFC Programme:
o Stage 1: Proposal & The Pitch
Online proposal
! Applicants must create their teams account, select their chosen
VWO and submit an online proposal via www.youthforcauses.com
from 1 February to 22 March 2015.
! Each proposal must be endorsed by the VWO before it is eligible for
submission. The Proposal will consist Project Timeline & Budget,
Description of chosen VWO; Aims and Benefits of project; Possible
Challenges and Solutions; Project Mechanics (Financials, Volunteer
Recruitment and Public Awareness).
Pitch your project
! All applicants must pitch their proposal at the YFC 2015 Selection
Interview on Saturday, 18 Apr. 100 teams will be selected on merit
by a panel of judges.
! Teams who are not selected are encouraged to continue their
project with their VWO or School and apply for other sources of
funding.
o Stage 2: Project Implementation
Each selected team will be provided with:
! Seed funding of S$1,600 from the Citi Foundation
! A Volunteer Mentor from the business or social sector will guide
and assist the team through its YFC journey
! Trainings & Workshops to equip participants with useful life skills
! House to House Street Collections (HHSC) License as a blanket
fundraising license from NCSS promotes a collection of funds by
way of appealing to the public, made by means of visits from house
to house or of soliciting in streets or other places or by both such
means, for money or other property. The scope of fundraising
activities is still subject to the venue owners permission. This permit
does not cover the public entertainment, the setting up of booths,
sale of flags or any activity that resembles a Flag Day
! Opportunities to work closely with VWO and learn about the
VWOs social mission and its beneficiaries
! Hands-on experience to develop participants character, leadership
and values as they put their ideas into action
o Stage 3: Showcase & Celebration
! All Teams are to share the outcome of their projects at the YFC
2015 Project Showcase on 17 Oct. Shortlisted teams will be invited
to vie for the YFC Awards at the YFC 2015 Awards Showcase on 18
Oct.
! All teams are to gather at the YFC 2015 Awards Celebration on 19
Nov.

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The 100 selected teams will have to commit to:

o YFC 2015 Official Launch (21 May) to kick-start the YFC Programme together
with the Team, Mentor, VWO and School Representative!
o YFC 2015 Training Day (30 May) to equip participants with useful life skills
o YFC 2015 Project Implementation Period (21 May to 13 Sep) to put ideas into
action and execute their project in support of their chosen VWO! Promote social
causes, organize creative events to raise funds and mobilize a dedicated pool of
volunteers to run this lap together!
o YFC 2015 Project Showcase (17 Oct) to share the project outcomes with judges
and to stand a chance to be a recipient of the various YFC 2015 Awards!
Shortlisted Teams will be invited for the final round of judging at the YFC 2015
Awards Showcase (24 Oct).
o YFC 2015 Awards Celebration (19 Nov) to celebrate teams achievements and
recognize the contributions of programme stakeholders.

The 100 selected teams will have to submit:

o Pre & Post Programme Survey
o Progress Reports (June, July, August) to document the teams progress and
learning journey!
o VWO-endorsed Income & Expenditure Statements via systematic recording of
the Teams Finances and Receipts; these documents will be subjected to external
audit.
o Volunteer Hours to track their volunteers involvement; CIP hours are to be issued
strictly by their School or VWO, not the team.
o YFC 2015 Final Report to summarize the project outcomes and learning journey!

All Teams are to adhere to the Terms & Conditions of the Citi-YMCA Youth For Causes
Programme.

Requirements
for the
100 selected
Teams

Projects by
past YFC
teams

Teams have organized events such as Concerts, Carnivals, Exhibitions, Street Sales, Fun
Runs, Social Media Campaigns and Record Breaking Attempts. For more information on what
past teams have done, please visit www.facebook.com/youthforcauses.

YFC Awards

We are on the lookout for teams who demonstrate excellence in Overall Performance,
Volunteer Management, Project Implementation, Public Outreach and Financial Management.
The Most Supportive School, Teacher, VWO, and Best Mentor, will also be recognized at the
YFC 2015 Awards Celebration, which will be held on 19 Nov 2015.

Join the
YFC Alumni
Committee!

Once YFC participants have completed the YFC Programme, they can be part of the YFC
Alumni Committee: an enthusiastic and dedicated group of past YFC participants, which
supports the YFC Programme through student journalism, peer mentorship and the promotion
of volunteerism through structured events. For more information, please email
yfc@ymca.org.sg.

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YFC Programme Flow Chart

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YFC Programme Timeline

Stage 1: Proposal & The Pitch
Selection of the 100 YFC 2015 Teams
Online Application of YFC Project Proposals @
www.youthforcauses.com
YFC Pre-Selection Interview Workshop

1 Feb to 22 Mar

Time: 10:00am to 12:00pm Venue: YMCA of Singapore

This optional workshop is open to all YFC applicants and free of
charge. Topics covered include Presentation Skills and how to excel at
the YFC Selection Interview.

Sat, 7 March

YFC Selection Interview

Sat, 18 April

Time: Between 9:00am to 1:00pm Venue: YMCA of Singapore

Stage 2: Project Implementation

Project Implementation by the 100 Selected YFC 2015 Teams
YFC Official Launch

Thu, 21 May

Time: 7:30pm to 9:30pm Venue:TBC

YFC Leadership Boot Camp

Sat, 30 May

Time: TBC Venue: YMCA of Singapore

Thu, 21 May to
Sun, 13 Sep

YFC Project Implementation Period (15 Weeks)

YMCA-NUS Business School
Volunteer Service Management Programme (VSMP)*

Wed, 10 June
Sat, 13 June
Wed, 17 June
Sat, 20 June
Wed, 24 June
Sat, 27 June

9 Sessions: Social Concerns And Volunteerism, Planning, Budgeting,

Organising, Leading, Control For Performance, Fund Raising And
Marketing, Safety Management & Events Management
*The VSMP is optional and only open to 40 YFC 2015 participants. Participants
pay a nominal course fee; registration is on a first-come-first-serve basis.

Submission of YFC Final Report @

www.youthforcauses.com

Deadline: Sun, 13 Sep

Stage 3: Showcase & Celebration

Showcase of the 100 YFC 2015 Teams & Recognition of Award Recipients
YFC Project Showcase
Time: Between 9:00am to 12:00pm Venue: YMCA of Singapore

Sat, 17 Oct

YFC Awards Showcase*

Time: Between 9:00am to 12:00pm Venue: YMCA of Singapore
*Shortlisted outstanding teams will be invited for this final round of
judging

YFC Awards Celebration

Time: 7:30pm to 9:30pm Venue:TBC

Sat, 24 Oct

Thu, 19 Nov

Briefings for Mentors, School & VWO Representatives

YFC 2015 Programme Briefing to Schools & VWOs
Time: 4:30pm or 7:00pm Venue: YMCA of Singapore

YFC 2015 Mentors Meet Up

Time: TBC Venue: YMCA of Singapore

Compulsory Briefing to Participating VWOs

Time: TBC Venue: YMCA of Singapore

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Thu, 15 Jan
Thu, 23 Apr or Sat, 25 Apr
Thu, 23 Apr or Sat, 25 Apr

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YFC Programme Statistics

BENCHMARKS

PURPOSE

Proposal
Submissions
Schools
Represented

Appeal & Reach of YFC

VWOs Supported
Mentors Involved

Funds Raised
(S$)

Involvement from the

private sector

YEAR
2003

YEAR
2004

YEAR
2005 2012
(Average)

YEAR
2013

YEAR
2014

31

108

145

116

181

33

35

30

20

65

45

38

44

25

50

94

110

107

545,244

Total funds raised for the

VWOs

174,933

225,786

(Highest:
712,435 in
2011)

756,009

936,833*

Public Outreach**

Public Awareness

125,000

300,000

914,000

2,149,000

1,721,841

Volunteers
Mobilized**

Mobilizations of
Singapore Youths

1,400

5,000

12,286

8,941

11,629

No. of Volunteers
(YFC Events/
YFC Alumni)

Past participants who

continue to be involved
in YFC

93
(20102012)

126

126

*Indicates Pre-Audited Figures

**Figures are extracted from the Participants Final Reports

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Programme Organizers

YMCA of Singapore is a volunteer-based Christian organisation that seeks to serve and

impact all members of the community regardless of race, language or religion, through
programmes, services and enterprises to develop the body, mind and spirit.
Website: www.ymca.org.sg Facebook: www.facebook.com/ymca.singapore

Citi, the leading global bank, has approximately 200 million customer accounts and
does business in more than 160 countries and jurisdictions. Citi provides consumers,
corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and
services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking,
securities brokerage, transaction services, and wealth management.
Website: www.citigroup.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/Citi

Programme Sponsors & Partners

The Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress in communities around the
world and focuses on initiatives that expand financial inclusion. We collaborate with
best-in-class partners to create measurable economic improvements that strengthen
low-income families and communities. Through a "More than Philanthropy" approach,
Citi's business resources and human capital enhance our philanthropic investments and
impact.
Website: www.citifoundation.com/citi/foundation/

The Citi-YMCA Youth For Causes Programme has been part of the Presidents
Challenge since 2005. In 2013, over 4,000 volunteers were mobilized by 27 YFC teams
to champion social causes for 11 VWOs under the Presidents Challenge list of
beneficiaries. The teams raised S$246,000 for these VWOs through the YFC
programme as part of Presidents Challenge 2013.
Website: www.pc.org.sg Facebook: www.facebook.com/PresidentsChallenge

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Sponsored by:

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