Straits Times Pocket Money Fund 2026
Strait Times Pocket Money Fund
The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund was started in 2000 as a community project initiated by The Straits Times to provide pocket money to children from low-income families to help them through school. The children can use this money for school-related expenses, such as buying a meal during recess, paying for transport or using it to meet other schooling needs. The financial help also eases the burden of the many parents who are already struggling to feed their families on their meagre incomes.
The Fund supports about 10,000 children and youth a year. Since the project started in 2000, STSPMF has disbursed close to $100m and helped over 220,000 cases of children and youths in providing them with monthly school pocket money.
STSPMF was established as a Trust on 20 October 2010 with a Board of Trustees and was granted charity status on 14 November 2011 with Institution of A Public Character (IPC) status effective from 1 January 2012. It aims to provide financial support to Children & Youths in need to pay for school-related expenses and support their social & educational development.
The fund works with schools under the Ministry of Education (MOE), independent schools, special education schools, religious schools, higher learning institutions and social service agencies, including children’s homes and other voluntary welfare organisations in disbursing the funds to students from low-income families. STSPMF enhances its accessibility to eligible students by expanding its partnership network of schools and agencies continuously.