He built an app to bring neighbours closer. Keeping it going hasn’t been easy
After nearly seven years running GoodHood.SG, founder Nigel Teo reflects on the challenges of sustaining the platform and the volunteers who have helped him along the way.
GoodHood.SG founder Nigel Teo (left) speaks to CNA’s Claudia Lim. (Image: CNA)
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SINGAPORE: For GoodHood.SG founder Nigel Teo, the kampung spirit is more than a fond childhood memory.
It is something he has spent nearly seven years trying to bring back through GoodHood.SG, a platform launched in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic to help neighbours connect and support one another.
But the journey has not been easy. Mr Teo, 46, has struggled to secure funding, grappled with burnout and spent years running the initiative without pay.
A former government scholar who worked in the public service, technology and finance sectors, Mr Teo said he has supported himself by living simply and through investments.
FROM CHILDHOOD MEMORIES TO COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS
Growing up in Braddell View, Mr Teo remembers a neighbourhood where children regularly gathered to play and neighbours knew one another.
“Every day we’ll come down and play with the kids, and that’s something that we always look forward to, like meeting other people of the same age, having fun, playing in the rain, actually jumping down the stairs,” he recalled.
He remembers how neighbours would come knocking on his family’s door if he did not turn up.
“It’s very nice because everybody knows everybody, and you feel a sense of belonging.”
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As he grew older, Mr Teo felt that such connections between neighbours were becoming less common.
“I’ve seen the kampung spirit die, but I actually think people do crave it, people do want to help,” he said.
“I think the big problem was that neighbours are all cooped up and not talking to each other, and there’s actually a lot of social isolation,” he said.
He believed technology could help bring residents together by making it easier for them to offer assistance or seek help from one another.
Through GoodHood.SG, residents can, for example, list unwanted household items for neighbours who may need them or seek help with tasks.
The initiative attracted 2,000 users in its first week, according to Mr Teo.
By June 2026, the platform reportedly had around 120,000 users, with more than 120,000 items listed and over S$6 million (US$4.7 million) worth of goods given away.
FUNDING STRUGGLES AND PERSONAL SACRIFICES
Mr Teo said the platform initially received a small grant, but the money ran out within four or five months.
His decision to focus on serving the community, without plans to expand beyond Singapore, also made it difficult to attract financial support.
He recalled how potential funders questioned his approach when he told them he had no business model.
“Everybody looked at me like, ‘What’s wrong with you?’”
Over nearly seven years, GoodHood.SG has received more than S$1 million in total funding through government grants, philanthropic support and contributions from Mr Teo himself.
The challenges have also prompted Mr Teo to reconsider his initial reluctance to generate revenue from the platform.
“I was purist to the extent (of) thinking revenue was bad, because it would corrupt (the) community, so now I’m a little bit more practical and knowing that you know we do need resourcing,” he told CNA.
Looking ahead, Mr Teo hopes to expand GoodHood.SG one neighbourhood at a time, working with corporate partners, philanthropists and government agencies that share its vision.
He said finding partners with similar values was important, as some potential funders had offered financial support with conditions attached.
“The question then is how do we manage that resourcing in a respectful manner and in a manner that never compromises our community,” he said.
Beyond the financial challenges, Mr Teo acknowledged that his desire to help others had also taken a personal toll.
“I would say the biggest challenge is probably myself, because I think often many people in this space are more givers, and we tend to burn out because we want to help as much as we can,” he said.
Mr Teo said his optimism and desire to help others had sometimes led him to take on too much.
He has since learnt to be more cautious about making commitments, allowing more time and resources to fulfil them.
VOLUNTEERS WHO STAYED THE COURSE
Today, around 300 volunteers contribute their time and skills to GoodHood.SG, according to Mr Teo.
Among them is Ms Mei Juan See-Toh, 21, a business management student at University College Dublin, who joined as an intern in 2024 and now helps develop the platform.
She also gives away items through GoodHood.SG, including belongings she believes her neighbours may find useful.
For Ms See-Toh, volunteering is about more than exchanging items.
“The relationship that we build is genuine, sincere, and kind. We always look out for each other,” she said.
She added that volunteers continually look for ways to help and strengthen the community.
Mr Teo said he was grateful to those who had remained committed to the initiative despite the difficulties.
“The first few years I definitely made a lot of mistakes. I still make mistakes … But (I’m) really, very thankful for the volunteers who stuck through it, who see beyond and who have the capacity and the patience to just journey along together.”
He said their willingness to contribute without receiving special privileges reflected the spirit of active citizenship.
“That’s the amazing part because why would people volunteer when there’s no perks, no priority in HDB balloting or primary school or anything, right?”
Mr Teo said one of the most encouraging aspects of his journey has been seeing volunteers offer support and take on greater responsibility.
“I think what is really encouraging is when volunteers journey alongside not just for the specific task, but for the emotional support also, because sometimes it is a very difficult journey,” he said.
“Of course, seeing volunteers step up and lead – that’s also very encouraging because it is no longer just myself, but other people are carrying the flame.”
Source: CNA/mp(sn)
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