DBS Establishes New Channel For Customers To Donate To The School Pocket Money Fund

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DBS Cardholders can give their DBS perk$ in support of needy students

SINGAPORE, APRIL 2, 2002 - DBS Bank said today more than 470,000 DBS Credit Cardholders can now use their DBS perk$ accumulated through the DBS perk$ Rewards Programme to redeem for cash donations to the School Pocket Money Fund. DBS is the first bank in Singapore to allow credit card loyalty point redemption to the Fund.

For only DBS perk$3,000, DBS Cardholders can redeem a S$10 cash donation to the Fund. There is no restriction to the number of times a cardholder can donate to the Fund as long as the donations are in multiples of DBS perk$3,000.

The School Pocket Money Fund was set up by The Straits Times to help needy school children pay for daily school expenses and is administered by The National Council of Social Service. Expected to benefit 6,400 students this year, the Fund gives out S$30 a month to recipients in primary schools, and S$50 to older students.

Andy Chan, Managing Director, DBS Card Services Singapore was delighted that DBS could help meet the needs of these students.

"This is not the first time DBS has been involved with the School Pocket Money Fund. We had an internal donation drive and external Flag Day in support of the Fund in November last year. Now, our Cardholders can also do their part and make use of their DBS perk$ for a worthy cause by redeeming as a donation to the Fund.

"We have always been supportive of initiatives that benefit the communities in which DBS operates. Today, we are very happy and excited to open yet another channel to contribute to charity. It is an enriching feeling to work together with The Straits Times as community partners and build bridges to reach out to the community," Chan enthused.

Darryl Dickens, Head of DBS Group Communications, shared Chan's enthusiasm.

"We are very encouraged by DBS Card Services' efforts in opening up an additional avenue for our customers to donate to the School Pocket Money Fund. We are also very glad that DBS' involvement with the Fund extends beyond a one-time charity drive. We have turned it into a longer-term commitment and have involved our customers in the process. We will be looking at other innovative ways of helping the School Pocket Money Fund.

"We have involved both our staff and customers in an activity that focuses on enabling young Singaporeans to help themselves, thus improving their quality of life - this is the core philosophy behind our community relations activities, " Dickens said.

Since the 1980s, DBS Bank has actively supported charitable, educational and cultural events of nation-wide significance, the School Pocket Money Fund being a key community initiative. In November last year, more than 300 DBS staff volunteers and their families sold sticker-flags island-wide and collected S$34,191.60. An internal staff charity drive also raised S$21, 473.66, bringing the total tally to S$55,665.26. DBS also involves customers to support the Fund. Customers can currently donate to the Fund via DBS Internet Banking by clicking on the School Pocket Money Fund button under the Bill Payment function. The amount donated to date (end February) via this channel was S$32,067.37. DBS also sponsored all call charges to the two 1-900 telephone lines for public donations and helped count the donations from over 1,000 collection tins amassed in the entire School Pocket Money Fund drive.