The National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) has released their Individual Giving Study 2021 which aims to serve as a guide for stakeholders such as non-profit organisations to gain insights into the state of individual giving in Singapore. In this 2021 edition, the study seeks to understand how individuals have changed their giving habits amid the pandemic. The study was conducted based on a sample size of 2,004 participants from diverse backgrounds and are above the age of 15.
Summary of Key Findings:
1. While there was a decline in volunteerism and donation rate, there was an increase in median amount donated.
In 2021, 60% of the respondents revealed that they have donated, 19% down from 2018, while 22% revealed that they have volunteered, 7% down from 2018. The study has also given us a deeper understanding behind the reasons for the decrease. 20% of ex-volunteers stated COVID-19 as a barrier that prevented them from volunteering as much. Furthermore, ex-donors have tied financial constraints as a key barrier.
Despite these disappointing statistics, you will be heartened to hear that in the longer term, 1 in 2 individuals stated that they were likely to donate or volunteer in the future.
2. There has been an increase in the number of people opting to take their donations online, indicating a boost in digital giving.
The 2021 study saw a substantial increase in online volunteering sign ups (+29% vs 2018) and online donations (+37%). This indicates that individuals are shifting towards a more digital form of giving although offline methods still remain the main channel to give.
3. Surge in informal and community-led giving initiatives.
Informal giving has resulted in an increase in both volunteerism and donations by a hefty 11%. Also, it was found that informal giving and formal giving are significantly inversely correlated. This indicates that more can be done to ensure that formal giving as well as informal giving methods are able to work hand in hand to provide non-profit organisations or charities with the funds and resources required to operate.
4. Donations focus more on welfare as compared to before.
The Social Service sector saw an 8% increase in the year 2021 as compared to 3 years before. This indicates that people are opting to support causes that provide the less fortunate with basic needs. On the other hand, the Education and Religious Sector had the largest decline of 17% and 15% respectively.
Check out the full report by NVPC here.