What Chinese Development Assistance Council does

The Chinese Development Assistance Council (CDAC) is a non-profit self-help group established in 1992 that provides educational, financial, and social support programmes to underprivileged Chinese Singaporean families, students, and seniors. It is one of Singapore's four Self-Help Groups (alongside MENDAKI, SINDA, and EA) and operates an islandwide network of 13 centres plus the Vibrance @ Yishun multi-racial hub jointly managed with the other three SHGs. Its core programmes span academic tuition (covering English, Mathematics, Science, and Chinese), early childhood reading (kidsREAD), supervised homework groups, play-based learning for K1-K2, enrichment through SPOT: Beyond and Tinker Space, and long-term mentoring (GEM, Project YOUth Can Shine), complemented by a Student Bursary scheme and a Family Assistance Programme providing case management and financial aid.

CDAC's funding model is anchored in mandatory monthly CPF deductions from working Chinese Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents under the CPF Act, with contribution tiers ranging from SGD 0.50 (wages ≤ SGD 2,000) to SGD 3.00 (wages > SGD 7,500), supplemented by voluntary donations. CDAC holds Institution of a Public Character (IPC) status (valid 1 Jan 2016 to 31 Dec 2026), granting donors a 2.5x tax deduction. The technology layer is limited to a Salesforce-based myCDAC portal for programme application and management, integrated with Singpass for national digital identity verification; the organisation is PDPA-compliant and explicitly not a technology product company.

In 2024, CDAC disbursed over SGD 37 million in assistance to approximately 15,700 households; in 2025 this rose to close to SGD 40 million across 16,200 households. The organisation is governed by a Board of Directors chaired by Minister Ong Ye Kung, with Prime Minister Lawrence Wong serving as Patron (since June 2024), and operates strategic partnerships with the Ministry of Education (Collaborative Tuition Programme, 212 centres, 178,000+ cumulative students since 2002), the National Library Board, the National Environmental Agency, and the other three Self-Help Groups. CDAC has publicly committed to scaling programme capacity to over 30,000 places by 2030.

Name

Chinese Development Assistance Council

Legal name

Chinese Development Assistance Council

Website

https://cdac.org.sg

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CDAC is a non-profit self-help group established in 1992 that delivers educational, financial, and social support programmes to underprivileged Chinese Singaporean families, students, and seniors through 13 islandwide centres. It is funded by mandatory CPF deductions from working Chinese citizens and PRs, plus voluntary donations under its IPC status.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. CDAC Fund Contributions: CDAC is funded through mandatory monthly contributions deducted from wages of Chinese Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents under the Central Provident Fund Act. Contribution rates range from $0.50 to $3.00 per month based on gross wage levels. Additionally, CDAC accepts voluntary contributions and donations.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CDAC provides subsidised educational programmes (tuition, mentoring, enrichment, early childhood reading) and financial/family assistance schemes (bursaries, family case management) to underprivileged Chinese Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents. All programmes are delivered free or at subsidised rates through 13 community centres and the myCDAC portal to students, families, and seniors.

Product overview

CDAC operates as a single unified non-profit service model offering a portfolio of interconnected educational and social support programmes. The core offerings centre on academic support (Tuition Programme, Supervised Homework Group) and early childhood development (kidsREAD, Play-Based Learning Programme). These are complemented by enrichment programmes (SPOT: Beyond with Tinker Space) and long-term mentoring (GEM Programme, Project YOUth Can Shine). Financial and family assistance schemes (Student Bursary, Family Assistance Programme) provide holistic support. All programmes are delivered through CDAC's islandwide centre network and the Vibrance @ Yishun multi-racial hub. The myCDAC portal (built on Salesforce) enables programme applications and management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vibrance @ Yishun: A collaborative Self-Help Groups Centre jointly operated by CDAC, The Eurasian Association, Singapore (EA), Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA), and Yayasan MENDAKI to provide a common space for different races to bond and integrate.
• kidsREAD
• GEM (Go the Extra Mile) Mentoring Programme
• SPOT: Beyond
• Project YOUth Can Shine (PYCS)

Products and services

• Tuition Programme

Quantifiable outcome

• 16,200 households supported in 2025 with close to $40 million in assistance
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Yayasan MENDAKIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint operation of Vibrance @ Yishun Self-Help Groups Centre, a shared facility serving all ethnic communities. Collaborative programmes include educational initiatives, parenting talks, and workshops serving diverse communities.
• Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint operation of Vibrance @ Yishun Self-Help Groups Centre and collaborative Self-Help Groups programmes including literacy and numeracy initiatives.
• The Eurasian Association (EA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint operation of Vibrance @ Yishun Self-Help Groups Centre, serving all ethnic communities through shared facilities and integrated programmes.
• Singapore Ministry of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on student referrals, programme delivery, and educational support for students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Schools provide spaces for Collaborative Tuition Programme centres.
• National Library BoardsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership for kidsREAD programme, providing book resources and Mobile Library (MOLLY) services for children from underprivileged families.
• Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning (CPCLL)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Family Reading Carnival and community Chinese reading programmes to promote bilingualism and reading habits.
• Self-Help Groups (MENDAKI, SINDA, EA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiatives including Collaborative Tuition Programme (212 centres, 178,000+ students since 2002), Joint Tuition Awards, Joint Football Camp, and Inter-SHG Youth Dialogue.
• Academy of Human Development Pte LtdsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConducts volunteer training programmes including Basic Training on Befriending and Mentoring for CDAC volunteers.
• WigglepodssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConducts Play-Based Learning Programme volunteer orientation and training using hands-on play-based activities.
• National Environmental AgencysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Clean Districts Amazing Communities environmental initiative with mass litter-picking events.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Care Corner Singapore: Singapore social service agency offering family support, youth programmes and eldercare. Comparable to CDAC in its holistic family-plus-children service model and outreach to low-income communities.
• Fei Yue Community Services: Singapore social service agency providing student care, youth programmes, family services and community support. Directly comparable in service mix and target demographics to CDAC's tuition, mentoring and family assistance portfolio.
• TOUCH Community Services: Major Singapore social service agency delivering youth, student care, family and community programmes. Operates comparable after-school care, tuition and family support services to similar low-to-middle-income beneficiary segments.
• Yayasan MENDAKI: Singapore's Malay self-help group operating under the same CPF-based mandatory contribution framework as CDAC. Delivers education, family assistance and student support to the Malay/Muslim community, making it the closest structural and operational peer.
• Community Chest Singapore: Singapore's flagship fundraising and grant-distribution body for social service charities. Operates a complementary role to CDAC in channelling donor funds to community programmes, with overlapping beneficiary populations and a similar public-charity positioning.
• Singapore Indian Development Association (SINDA): Singapore's Indian community self-help group funded via CPF deductions. Runs education, bursary, family and youth programmes with an identical operating model to CDAC and co-runs Vibrance @ Yishun with CDAC, MENDAKI and EA.
• The Eurasian Association (EA): Singapore's self-help group for the Eurasian community, also funded via CPF contributions. Delivers comparable educational, bursary and community programmes and jointly operates Vibrance @ Yishun with CDAC.

Broad incumbents

• National Youth Council (NYC) Singapore: Government agency coordinating youth development programmes and grants across Singapore. Overlaps with CDAC's GEM mentoring, PYCS and youth enrichment agenda, and operates at broader national scale as a policy and funding body.
• National Council of Social Service (NCSS): Singapore's umbrella body for the social service sector, coordinating over 450 member agencies. Functions as a sector regulator/incumbent relative to CDAC's role as a community-level provider of family and student assistance.

Emerging players

• SPD (Singapore): Singapore social service organization originally focused on disability but increasingly expanding into youth, education and community programmes. Comparable to CDAC as a non-profit social service provider serving specific vulnerable populations in Singapore.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Chinese Development Assistance Council