28 April 2026
On 28 April 2026, the Central Provident Fund (CPF) Board celebrated the fifth anniversary of its Community Paying it Forward movement at a dinner honouring CPF volunteers who have dedicated themselves to helping fellow Singaporeans navigate their retirement planning journey. The anniversary dinner, graced by Minister for Manpower Dr Tan See Leng, recognised the contributions of more than 2,000 active CPF volunteers who have played a crucial role in sharing financial literacy and CPF knowledge within their communities.
Launched in 2021, the Community Paying it Forward movement draws inspiration from the popular concept of “paying it forward” where a recipient of help or an act of kindness does something kind for someone else in turn. The movement partners like-minded citizen-volunteers to embrace the spirit of community by sharing the benefits of CPF with people around them, and empowering them to make informed decisions about their financial future.
During the dinner, Minister Tan announced the establishment of the new Volunteer Management Committee (VMC), which aims to drive greater volunteer ownership and sustainability through dedicated sub-committees focused on specific areas of outreach, training and engagement. The VMC's establishment reflects a shift from traditional organisation-driven volunteer management to a more collaborative model that empowers volunteers to actively shape the creation, direction and implementation of volunteer programmes. This committee will collaborate with CPF Board to enhance volunteer experiences, maximise community impact and support initiatives that help Singaporeans better understand and make the most of their CPF. Please refer to Annex A for more information.
Over the years, the volunteering movement has grown significantly, with the number of active CPF volunteers increasing from over 200 in 2023 to more than 2,000 in 2025. As of end 2025, the community has reached out to over 73,000 members through in-person interactions and facilitated over 80,000 transactions such as top-ups and nominations. Last year alone, CPF volunteers referred members to make over 30,000 retirement sum top-ups, voluntary housing refunds and CPF nominations.
Beyond advocacy, volunteers contribute through various meaningful roles. They assist members with enquiries at CPF service centres, give public talks on CPF, and support outreach events. At these initiatives, volunteers increase awareness of the CPF Board’s digital services, encourage the use of useful tools like “PLAN with CPF”, boost knowledge on schemes such as CPF nomination and healthcare financing, and educate members on scam prevention. Volunteers also leverage their personal networks and community connections to co-create CPF information-sharing activities, from informal conversations to structured talks and community events. There has also been growing participation via the CPF Volunteering (CPFV) app, where volunteers can take learning modules on CPF content, co-create and sign up for events, exchange views and seek help from one another on the discussion forum feature.
Ms Joanne Tan, Director (Outreach & Partnerships) at CPF Board said: "Our volunteers are the heart of the Community Paying it Forward movement. Their passion and innovation in helping fellow Singaporeans navigate their retirement planning journey over the past five years has been truly inspiring. With the introduction of the VMC, we are taking the next step in empowering our volunteers to take on greater ownership and shape the future of this movement. We look forward to expanding our reach and impact, helping even more Singaporeans prepare and plan well for their retirement."