When Joanne Chong first raised the topic of charitable giving over lunch with the principal of a family office, she was not expecting the answer to stay with her.

At the time, Joanne was working with a single-family office, helping to build the family’s venture portfolio. The family had resources, networks, and influence, so philanthropy and investing in impact projects seemed like a natural topic of conversation.

But the principal was candid. He simply did not have the headspace for it.

That moment revealed something that would later lead her to join TT Foundation Advisors (TTFA) as a foundation advisor: even for families with significant wealth, giving is not always a question of willingness. Sometimes, it is a question of capacity, clarity and structure.

“What drew me to TTFA was how intentionally donor-centric the model is,” she says.

Coming from a background of tailoring financial solutions for ultra-high-net-worth clients, Joanne found it refreshing to see the same level of thoughtfulness and rigour applied to philanthropy advisory. TTFA’s model challenged the idea of philanthropy as simply chequebook giving. Instead, it showed how giving could be approached with discipline, from structuring philanthropic vehicles and shaping meaningful programmes, to measuring outcomes and maximising every dollar for impact.

In a region where wealth has grown significantly in recent years, she saw the need for infrastructure that supports thoughtful and well-directed philanthropy.

Joanne’s journey with TTFA began in an unexpected way.

Dickson Lim, who heads TTFA, found out Joanne had been volunteering in her church’s special needs ministry. When he mentioned a donor who cared deeply about children with special needs and a project that could benefit from her help, Joanne did not hesitate.

What followed was an eight-month part-time stint on an intern’s pay. “A slightly unconventional but very worthwhile detour,” as she puts it. Ten years into her career, it was an unusual sidestep, but one that eventually led her to join TTFA full-time in February 2026.

Joanne and Dickson at the WealthBriefing Asia Awards 2026, where TTFA clinched the “Highly Commended - Philanthropy Offering / Initiative of the Year (Southeast Asia)” award.

“What has kept me here is the opportunity to work closely with donors on deeply meaningful work,” Joanne says.

That work begins with understanding a donor’s motivations, before moving into structuring philanthropic vehicles, shaping pilot solutions, engaging stakeholders and even bringing government partners into the conversation where wider systemic change is possible.

It could also involve helping donors respond thoughtfully when a cause becomes deeply personal. Joanne recalls supporting an Australia-based donor whose major gift to a US research centre followed a difficult circumstance that gave the cause new urgency. The experience stayed with her and reiterated how a clear giving structure could help donors support the causes they cared about in more meaningful and lasting ways.

“It’s incredibly rewarding to share that sense of purpose and progress with the donors we work with,” she says.

At TTFA, every advisor works closely with philanthropists end-to-end.

Joanne with her TTFA colleagues at lunch.

On any given day, Joanne may be meeting seasoned or aspiring philanthropists, helping them set up Donor-Advised Funds, shaping philanthropy strategies, supporting the operations of existing foundations, or working with grantees to ensure resources are deployed thoughtfully.

What she has come to appreciate is that philanthropy does not need to sit apart from the world donors already understand.

Effective advisory begins with finding the right language. For some donors, the conversation starts with legacy. For others, it begins with a cause they care deeply about. And for a growing number of wealth holders, philanthropy becomes more tangible when framed through the discipline of investing.

This became clear in a conversation with a friend who runs a private equity fund. Philanthropy, on its own, did not quite hold his attention. But when Joanne spoke in terms more familiar to him, using returns to seed and de-risk impact start-ups, the idea became more tangible.

“The shift was immediate,” she recalls. “His interest sharpened, and the conversation became much more engaging.”

One area Joanne has especially enjoyed working on is TTFA’s work in helping donors move beyond traditional grant-making, including blended finance structures, catalytic capital, loans, and even equity investments through their donor-advised funds.

Done well, it can help donors do more good, more sustainably, as returns are recycled back into their donor-advised funds.

“Before joining TTFA, I thought of giving as either one-off contributions or supporting a few charities, but what I’ve come to appreciate is that meaningful, lasting impact requires a much more systemic approach,” Joanne reflects.

Being part of Temasek Trust Collective brings this into sharp focus for Joanne every day. “The platform and credibility we carry opens doors,” she says, “and that comes with a responsibility to think carefully and ambitiously about the kind of impact we pursue.”

Joanne with colleagues from across the Temasek Trust Collective at a 2-day capacity-building workshop.

She saw this come to life when she presented a pilot project, developed with one of TTFA’s donors, to two Singapore government agencies. The project had begun as a ground-up idea, shaped through close partnership between advisor and donor, and refined through careful iteration. When both agencies expressed support, it suggested that the initiative could have relevance beyond its initial donor funding, if the pilot proved successful.

“That, to me, is what real impact looks like,” Joanne says. “Starting with an idea, building it thoughtfully, and shaping something that can be adopted at a systems level, where it can continue to create value well beyond its original scope.”

A learner at heart, Joanne goes down rabbit holes on different topics ranging from art history to the history of the world. Most recently, she completed an Executive Certificate in Carbon Markets, which has proven useful in conversations with climate-oriented donors.

Joanne attending the nine-day programme for the Executive Certificate in Carbon Markets, organised by the Nanyang Technological University, which equips business leaders and professionals with a strong foundation in carbon markets and trading.

A former part-time yoga instructor, Joanne has since traded the mat for weightlifting, and recently added running as she trains towards a 10-kilometre goal. She also runs what she jokingly calls a “farm-to-table restaurant” for two, growing everything from kang kong and chilli padi to an overenthusiastic crop of cherry tomatoes.

Eventually, she hopes to scale this into a more sustainable retirement plot. Until then, she farms virtually in Stardew Valley, where her coffee bean empire supports a no-kill animal farm.

Joanne grows melon, cherry tomato, and bok choy plants in her home garden.

That curiosity about life beyond work has become a small mission of its own. Joanne wants to help Singaporeans answer “What do you do?” without mentioning their job — an idea sparked at a house party where everyone introduced themselves through passions such as Brazilian jiu-jitsu, DJ-ing and hiking.

“Sometimes it leads to much more interesting conversations,” she says, “and finding kindred spirits.”

She is guided in work and life by Ecclesiastes 9:10: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.”

Joanne's story is part of 'People of Purpose', a series spotlighting colleagues across the Temasek Trust Collective who are driving meaningful impact. Each story reflects the spirit of collective action and our shared journey toward inclusive, sustainable change.

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