In 2020, a year of unexpected disruptions, staff at Nanyang Technical University found a way to use the changes for a good cause.

Launched in October 2020, NTU’s Leave Redemption and Donation Exercise gave faculty and staff at the Singapore university a way to donate their unused vacation time to student aid funds. With travel halted and vacations canceled during the pandemic, many staff members had unused leave, and the 31-day campaign raised S$10.28 million.

Staff could choose to allocate their donations to various funds, including 18 school-specific funds.

Ivy Kwan, Associate Dean for Career Services at NTU’s Nanyang Business School, was one of the donors. She gave 15 days of leave to the business school’s aid fund for students experiencing hardship.

“I really wanted to give back to NTU and NBS, which is my alma mater,” she explained. “This is a perfect opportunity that allows me to help out in whatever way I possibly can.”