Some online donation platforms see dips in donation amounts, fewer individual fundraisers in 2023

Source: The Straits Times
Author: Natasha Ann Zachariah

SINGAPORE - National digital giving platform giving.sg, which allows people to donate to about 600 registered non-profits in Singapore, saw donations drop for the first time in 2023 after four consecutive years of growth.

The platform, which also allows users to volunteer and fundraise for causes, raised $94.6 million in 2023 - a 3.5 per cent dip from the $98 million received in 2022.

It also saw a drop in unique users for the third time since 2021, after it experienced a surge in donors at the start of the pandemic in 2020.

That year, there were about 177,000 donors, but the numbers have declined every year since. The National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), which oversees giving.sg, said there were about 114,000 donors in 2023.

Despite there being more campaigns on the platform, individuals who started their own fundraisers also collected fewer donations last year, said NVPC. A total of $9.9 million was raised through more than 2,400 campaigns in 2023, as compared to $10.8 million from over 1,800 campaigns in 2022.

Dissecting the numbers, NVPC's chief executive officer Tony Soh said the drop in donors and donation amounts could be due to a post-pandemic correction, where donors might have diversified their giving methods or reverted to offline donations.

Rising inflation and cost-of-living concerns in the last couple of years could also have affected donations, he said.

Mr Soh noted that the number of donors, donations and fundraising campaigns remained much higher than pre-pandemic levels.

NVPC said that despite fewer unique donors, the average donation per donor has steadily increased over the years, rising from about $530 in 2020 to about $830 in 2023.

Mr Soh believes the spirit of generosity among Singaporeans will remain strong in 2024, despite economic and geopolitical uncertainties. He said they have consistently demonstrated a remarkable willingness to donate and volunteer for causes that resonate with them.

"While the macro landscape may create headwinds for the sector, it is also an opportunity for Singaporeans to step up and come together to uplift individuals and strengthen communities," he said.

Other online donation and crowdfunding platforms shared preliminary report cards for 2023.

Give.Asia, a Singapore-based fund-raising platform, said that giving is on the rise in Singapore as it saw more people giving on its platform in 2023 as compared to the year before. It did not give details of the sums raised in either year.

However, its CEO Pong Yu Ming said that the average amount per donor was lower by about 20 per cent, at $80 per donation. He put it down to more avenues for fundraising as charities appeal for donations on their own.

"The typical charity is getting more tech savvy with new websites, social media marketing campaigns and a push towards more online giving," said Mr Pong.