THE LIGHT BALL
SUPPORTING LOCAL CHARITIES AROUND THE WORLD TO DELIVER EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION WHERE IT MATTERS MOST
SUPPORTING LOCAL CHARITIES AROUND THE WORLD TO DELIVER EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION WHERE IT MATTERS MORE
Sunday, 11 October 2026 | 12.00 pm - 03.30 pm
Raffles Sentosa Singapore
A CHILD IS WAITING
For a safe place to learn.
For a meal before class.
For a teacher who inspires them to hope.
For someone to give them a brighter future.
Millions of children start life behind — with no access to early childhood education, hunger, unsafe environments, teacher shortages, and shrinking aid.
Childhood cannot wait for the next funding cycle.
THE URGENT NEED
Millions of children start life behind — and never catch up.
In refugee camps, remote villages, conflict zones, and underserved communities worldwide, millions of children face daily struggles with education access, nutrition, safety, and opportunity. Grassroots organizations are their quiet heroes — but shrinking international aid, escalating conflicts, and rising costs are pushing many to the brink of collapse.
Bridge the Gap Project exists to throw them a lifeline.
300M+ children worldwide lack access to early childhood education.
1 in 3 children under 5 is stunted due to malnutrition.
Inequality is set before age 7 — without intervention, it becomes permanent.
Global international aid has fallen by 23% (OECD, April 2026). Local heroes are being left behind.
WHY BRIDGE THE GAP PROJECT MATTERS
“The highest return on investment any society can make is in the earliest years of a child’s life.”
Extraordinary grassroots organizations are already on the ground — feeding children, training caregivers, keeping learning alive. But they lack the funding, networks, and visibility to survive.
“The highest return on investment
any society can make is
in the earliest years of a child’s life.”
— James Heckman, Nobel Laureate in Economics
— James Heckman, Nobel Laureate in Economics
Fast, flexible, needs-based grants — because urgent needs are already flagged by partners on the ground, we aim to evaluate and deploy funding in weeks, not years.
We identify extraordinary local charities doing vital work for children in the world’s most challenging environments — and fund them with the speed and flexibility that traditional donors cannot.
HOW BRIDGE THE GAP PROJECT CHANGE LIVES
Our grants support:
300M+ children worldwide lack access to early childhood education.
1 in 3 children under 5 is stunted due to malnutrition.
Inequality is set before age 7 — without intervention, it becomes permanent.
Global aid is shrinking. Local heroes are being left behind.
Every grant is tied to measurable outcomes and delivered with full transparency, including exclusive Impact Journeys so supporters can witness results firsthand.
HOW BRIDGE THE GAP PROJECT CHANGE LIVES
HOW BRIDGE THE GAP
PROJECT CHANGE LIVES
Our work is made possible by strategic and operational partners:
World-class governance, cross-border grant infrastructure, and donor-advised fund (DAF) expertise
TRUSTBRIDGE
On-the-ground operations, local partner identification, caregiver training, real-time verification, and proven impact delivery across Africa, Asia, and beyond.
Through its Trehaus Gives Global Impact Programme, Trehaus has already made a significant impact: supporting over 9,000 students, piloting 220 schools, and training 130 educators. This foundation supports the Bridge the Gap Project, which identifies and funds high-impact projects.
TREHAUS, TREHAUS GIVES
This powerful partnership combines global standards with deep local and on-the-ground insight — ensuring every dollar reaches the right place, fast, and with full accountability. Bridge the Gap Project’s founder, Dr Elaine Kim, is also Co-founder and CEO of Trehaus. This partnership is why Bridge the Gap can operate so leanly — Trehaus’s existing programmes provide on-the-ground due diligence and verified impact at a fraction of the cost of building this from scratch. Some Trehaus services carry a modest, subsidised fee for beneficiary charities under Trehaus Gives’ Subsidy Determination Model; all grants and related-party arrangements are reviewed by Bridge the Gap Project’s independent board.
OUR PROJECTS, YOUR IMPACT
These are examples of the children your support could reach.
The projects on the following pages illustrate the kind of urgent, high-impact work Bridge the Gap Project funds.
Please note, they are examples we are evaluating, not a confirmed list of committed grants. Some may not ultimately be funded; other projects, not yet identified, may be funded instead.
Every project we do fund will have gone through our full due-diligence and grant-approval process. Adopting an example project gives you a direct, personal relationship with that community and supports our evaluation of its needs.
These are examples of the children your support could reach.
The projects on the following pages illustrate the kind of urgent, high-impact work Bridge the Gap Project funds.
Please note, they are examples we are evaluating, not a confirmed list of committed grants. Some may not ultimately be funded; other projects, not yet identified,
may be funded instead.
Every project we do fund will have gone through our full due-diligence and grant-approval process. Adopting an example project gives you a direct, personal relationship with that community and supports our evaluation of its needs.
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) — Hero Women Rising
Sumba, Indonesia — Village Schools
Pakistan — Rural & Low-Income Schools
Kuala Lumpur — Yayasan Chow Kit
Hyderabad, India — Dr. B.R. Ambedkar
Perak / Kelantan — Komuniti Bantuan Orang Asal (KBP)
OUR PROJECTS, YOUR IMPACT
More projects are in evaluation. Your support today accelerates our ability to respond wherever the need is greatest.
MORE THAN A GALA
The Light Ball is a gathering to shine a light on children in need, to open eyes and hearts.
This is not simply a fundraising dinner. It is a call to action — a night where philanthropists, educators, founders, families, and corporate leaders come together around one belief:
Every child deserves the chance to thrive and to learn.
On the night, you will:
Hear the stories of the children and communities your support will reach
Have the opportunity to adopt a project and see your impact firsthand
Bid in a live and silent auction of exceptional items
Join a growing coalition changing early childhood education and development at its roots
Net proceeds from The Light Ball, after event costs, go into the Bridge the Gap Project Foundation Fund. From this pooled fund, we make needs-based grants to vetted beneficiary charities and cover the lean operating costs of running the Foundation itself.
HOW TO SUPPORT
YOUR SUPPORT CAN CHANGE A CHILD’S ENTIRE TRAJECTORY
All amounts in Singapore Dollars (SGD).
For custom partnerships, foundation giving, or family philanthropy enquiries, please contact us directly. Adopting a project gives you a named, ongoing relationship and reporting line with that project. Because our grants are needs-based, your support is directed where it will have the greatest impact — sized and timed to match each charity ’s assessed needs as they arise.
ACTION, RAFFLE, WINE AND IN-KIND SUPPORT
Top 8-10 items will be included in a live auction on-stage,
other auctions items will be included in a silent auction format.
SEE IT FOR YOURSELF
IMPACT JOURNEY
Light Ball Givers will receive exclusive invitations to Impact Journeys, with Aurora and Flame givers being invited to co-host
and co-create them.
Impact Journeys bring supporters directly to the communities they fund — to meet the children, the teachers, and the local leaders whose work your generosity
has made possible.
These are transformative experiences that deepen your connection to the cause and allow you to witness, firsthand, the change you helped create, and hopefully inspire continued involvement to bring lasting impact.
Light Ball Givers will receive exclusive invitations to Impact Journeys, with Aurora and Flame Givers being invited to co-host and co-create them.
Impact Journeys bring supporters directly to the communities they fund — to meet the children, the teachers, and the local leaders whose work your generosity has made possible.
These are transformative experiences that deepen your connection to the cause and allow you to witness, firsthand, the change you helped create, and hopefully inspire continued involvement to bring lasting impact.
BRIDGE THE GAP PROJECT ADVISORS
Ashley Tan — Global Head of Philanthropy, Impact Investing & Sustainability, Amazon Web Services. Harvard Kennedy School MPA; Lee Kuan Yew Scholar; Mason Fellow.
Donna Smith — First woman President of a major Hollywood studio (Universal Pictures). CEO, Cinema Completions International; U.S. Film Ambassador to China.
HRH Nisreen El Hashemite — Executive Director, Royal Academy of Science International Trust. Harvard Medical School-trained geneticist; Chair, UN World Women’s Health and Development Forum & UN Women in Diplomacy Forum; Founder, International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
Laura Entwistle — Director of Strategic Partnerships, Unheard; Board Member, International Rescue Committee. Harvard MBA, former BCG; Founder, NGO EmancipAction; Co-Founder, Bombay chapter of Room to Read.
Mike Michalec — Founder & Managing Director, EdTech Asia and EdTech Group. Advised on $1B+ — Founder & Managing Director, EdTech Asia and EdTech Group. Advised on $1B+in edtech investments; advisor to UNESCO, UNICEF, and USAID.
THE LIGHT GIVERS
This impact is made possibly by the generous hearts of these changemakers:
• Alice Chen
• Anna Yip
• Bina Rampuria
• Boonsri Srinivasan
• Brittney Haryanto
• Devy Sahny
• Dianna Lee
• Dimple Aswani
• Helen Lam
LIGHT BALL COMMITTEE:
• Sabrina Meier
• Sharmishta Sivaramakrishnan
• Sonia Tsao
• Stephanie Dickson
• Tania Joslin
• Tianna Nguyen
• Weiling Chua
• Wendy Long
• Zola Molomjamts
• Alice Chen
• Anna Yip
• Bina Rampuria
• Boonsri Srinivasan
• Dianna Lee
• Dimple Aswani
• Helen Lam
• Jyotsna Lakhamraju
• Kate Mazzali
• Kavin Bakhda
• Michelle Cabasug
• Perng Aw
• Rachel Markham
• Rachel Sarah Howard
• Rebecca Eu
• Ruth Yeoh
• Sabrina Meier
• Sharmishta Sivaramakrishnan
• Sonia Tsao
• Stephanie Dickson
• Tania Joslin
• Tianna Nguyen
• Weiling Chua
• Wendy Long
• Zola Molomjamts
• Jyotsna Lakhamraju
• Kate Mazzali
• Kavin Bakhda
• Michelle Cabasug
• Perng Aw
• Rachel Markham
• Rachel Sarah Howard
• Rebecca Eu
• Ruth Yeoh
CONTACT US
Make a difference today
To learn more or discuss a partnership or support:
To learn more or discuss a partnership or support: