Tins, tablets and trust: The business of fund raising in Singapore
As fund-raising practices change, it is becoming harder for people to know whom to trust, despite the regulations in place.
In Singapore, the traditional practice of community service, symbolised by flag days and collection tins, has evolved into a more complex fundraising landscape. Today, charities increasingly rely on paid fund-raisers, a regulated yet little-understood model that can make giving feel transactional. This shift has led to a growing sense of uncertainty among donors about whom to trust, as collection tins and tablets vie for attention alongside unverified sellers in public spaces.
The Kidney Dialysis Foundation (KDF) exemplifies this shift. During the charity's annual Flag Day in May 2025, healthcare professional Lester Ng, who had participated in similar events as a Scout, welcomed donations from the elderly and found that his children contributed more. Ng's experience reflects the growing role of paid fund-raisers, who often seek larger donations and longer-term commitments compared to traditional volunteer collectors.
While these practices are regulated, the competition among collection tins, tablets, and unverified sellers has made it harder for people to determine whom to support. Flag Days, once a staple of Singapore's civic calendar, are increasingly difficult to sustain. Triston Siew, KDF's manager for resource development and partnerships, notes that the charity landscape has become crowded over the past decade, with donors now supporting a wider range of causes and schools less inclined to organise large-scale collection drives.
Organising a Flag Day is labor-intensive, requiring a significant investment of time and resources. For Guide Dogs Singapore, which conducted Flag Days in April 2025, more than 300 volunteers were needed, yet the single event raised only about $30,000, accounting for less than 10% of the organisation's annual fundraising. Despite the limited financial impact, these events remain valuable for advocacy and awareness-building, reinforcing the importance of face-to-face interactions in a digital age.
The National Giving Study, published in May 2025, found that offline giving, including Face-to-face donations, remains the most common donation channel among respondents. While the study does not specifically track the popularity of Flag Days, it suggests that people continue to prefer in-person giving even as digital options proliferate.
Singapore is home to approximately 2,400 registered charities, many of which have turned to commercial fund-raisers for help. These services, provided by companies such as SupportWorks Singapore, offer expertise in marketing causes, recruiting donors, and managing payments. For organisations lacking the resources to develop full-fledged fund-raising teams, hiring such professionals can provide much-needed support.
Written by urgent.news from Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
