Giving.sg platform received record donations of S$95.5 million in 2021: NVPC

SINGAPORE: National digital giving platform Giving.sg received a record S$95.5 million in donations in 2021, said the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) in a news release on Wednesday (Jan 19). 

It is the largest sum collected in a year since the platform was started by NVPC in 2010.

The amount is a 2.3 per cent increase from 2020, and a 167 per cent increase compared to pre-pandemic 2019.

NVPC attributed it to a rise in virtual giving during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

It added that the pandemic also sped up the adoption of technology in fundraising campaigns.

Last year, the number of non-profit organisations (NPOs) on Giving.sg went up by 5.8 per cent. There are currently 625 registered charities supported by the platform. 

Across all entities, nearly 4,880 fundraising campaigns were created on the platform in 2021, a 21.2 per cent increase from the year before.

NVPC's deputy CEO Tony Soh said that charities must stay flexible to "adopt to challenges brought about by the pandemic and to keep (in) pace with beneficiaries' evolving needs".

"Adopting hybrid fund-raising campaigns - synchronising in-person giving initiatives with virtual platforms - could bridge existing gaps in the sector while encouraging more people to give," he said.

YEAR-END FESTIVE PERIOD

The year-end festive period saw S$25.4 million in donations in December, which was a 20.4 per cent year-on-year increase and the highest monthly total on the platform. On Dec 31 alone, S$3.5 million was raised, marking a record amount in single-day donations.  

The Great Singapore Give, a fundraising campaign in December that was part of SG Cares Giving Week, contributed S$2.1 million to the total donations collected. 

Mr Soh said: "To enable and facilitate the desire among Singaporeans to give, we have partnered with government agencies and companies to empower charities through marketing efforts such as enhancing the NPOs' digital capabilities and creating awareness of national fundraising campaigns such as The Great Singapore Give." 

TRANSACTION WAIVER 

As part of the NVPC's continued effort to support charities, transaction fees on Giving. sg will continue to be waived until Mar 31, 2022.

The two-year waiver will allow charities to receive full donations, said NVPC.  

“It has been a difficult time for charities in Singapore. It is even tougher to try to cope with a crisis alone," it said. 

"NVPC has been working tirelessly with various stakeholders over the past two years to uplift people and communities that have been struggling."