The National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) has released their Corporate Giving Study 2021 which aims to provide insights into how the pandemic has altered the corporate giving landscape in Singapore. The study was conducted based on a sample size of 1,014 respondents from both local and foreign-owned companies to give us a holistic representation of the private sector companies in Singapore. The study deep dived into the various aspects of corporate giving such as, the rate of corporate giving, which type of companies increased their giving and the reasons for giving.
Summary of Key Findings:
1. The rate of corporate giving in Singapore has increased during the pandemic but there has been a decrease in the median value of philanthropy.
2021 saw an increase in corporate giving with 75% of the businesses surveyed engaging in at least one form of giving. Despite this increase in involvement, the study revealed that there was a decrease of $2,000 in the median of cash and sponsorship value to $1,000 as compared to the $3,000 seen in 2017.
2. Businesses that had a beneficial impact from the pandemic where more inclined to increase their giving as compared to those that were not.
Businesses that performed better 2021, such as those in the Financial & Insurance and Information Communication industries, contributed more to the community as compared to businesses in industries that didn’t perform as well.
However, it is also important to note that following the pandemic, different industries recover at different rates, times, and magnitudes. In addition to the industries that have seen a positive impact from Covid-19, non-profit organisations can look forward to increased giving from businesses in industries that are headed for recovery within the next year. These industries include the construction, the retail/wholesale trade, and the retail industries.
3. More businesses are exploring other avenues of giving back.
According to the CGS, the number of businesses that partake in the traditional way of donating in cash decreased by 11%, while in-kind donations increased by 13% in 2021. Furthermore, there has been an increase in the number of businesses that participate in skill-based volunteering, inclusive hiring, and practice mindful consumerism by purchasing from social enterprises and NPOs in their procurement practices.
4. The pandemic has encouraged businesses to align their corporate giving with their core values and purpose.
Most notably, in 2017, only about 44% of corporate giving objectives were aligned with the company’s values. Fast forward to 2021, this number has increased to 54%, indicating that more businesses are altering their giving strategies to better fulfil their company values.
5. Strengthening of connection to the local community and business leaders’ interests were the key motivations to give. Resource constraints and lack of information were the key barriers faced by potential givers.
The study revealed that the top 2 reasons driving corporate giving in Singapore are to do good for the society, with 59% of respondents stating this as their main reason, and to strengthen the company’s connection to the local community, with 39% of respondents stating this.
Furthermore, resource constraints and lack of resources were the main reasons inhibiting businesses from participating in more philanthropic activities with 65% of the respondents stating that their company has too few employees.
The Corporate Giving Study 2021 conducted by NVPC has enabled us to better understand how businesses have changed their giving habits, as well as the reasons driving these changes. NPOs stand to establish partnerships with these businesses by leveraging on the changes mentioned in the report.
Check out the full report by NVPC here.