The trend towards pooled and donor-advised funds in Singapore reflects the more formal approach that is replacing adhoc, self-directed philanthropy. Private philanthropic efforts are becoming more institutionalised in Singapore as the ecosystem evolves to support the goals of younger donors who want to use their funds more strategically and for greater impact. Rather than hand out cheques to nonprofits at their doorstep, modern-minded donors, more engaged with issues such as climate change and social inequality, are channelling their money through family offices, donor-advised funds (DAFs) and foundations.  That in turn has spurred a need for services to handle the grunt work. Advisory firms now offer a range of services, from educating donors and matching them to causes to doing the due diligence and the administration.  Pauline Tan, a former financial data analyst, founded social impact consultancy Soristic in 2015 to support charities and funders by utilising tools such as big data analytics. In its December report titled Singapore’s Biggest Philanthropic Organisations, Soristic said institutional philanthropy has made rapid strides in the city-state, thanks to the support from government i...