SINGAPORE – More than $100 million was donated in a year online to about 600 charities amid the Covid-19 pandemic, surpassing previous annual records.

The National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) said on Monday (April 5) that its online donation platform Giving.sg received $102 million in donations for the financial year from April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2021.

This is more than 2½ times the $39.5 million raised in the last financial year.

The increase is due to factors such as donations from the $600 Solidarity Payment given to each adult Singaporean in April last year, as well as the waiver of the 3 per cent transaction fee on the platform, meaning charities receive the full amount of the donations, said NVPC.

To continue supporting the non-profit sector and help the 600 charities on the platform in the upcoming year, Giving.sg is extending the transaction fee waiver till March 31, 2022, said the centre.

NVPC deputy chief executive officer Tony Soh said that charities had been working extremely hard throughout the pandemic to meet the increased needs of their beneficiaries and the communities at risk.

“Extending the 3 per cent transaction fee waiver for another year is NVPC’s contribution towards encouraging the public to continue giving generously, knowing that charities will receive 100 per cent of their donations,” he said.

“We hope that Giving.sg can be a unifying national giving platform as we recommit ourselves to supporting members of our community who are in need. In this unusual time, more than ever, we need to give our best for others.”

Mr Soh added that giving has always been part of Singapore’s DNA, but it really shone through the crisis last year when regular Singaporeans went above and beyond their call of duty to uplift those in need.

“Online giving platforms such as Giving.sg made it easier for anyone to contribute because of how safe, simple and trusted it is, and how it makes giving opportunities across 600 charities and 14 causes accessible to the public – we quite literally bring giving opportunities to your fingertips,” said Mr Soh.

The past year has seen several milestones in donations on Giving.sg.

This includes the largest amount donated in a single day – $2.5 million on Dec 31, 2020.

In addition, $93.4 million was collected for the calendar year of 2020, which was more than double the $35.8 million collected in 2019.

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