Giving directly to a charity of your choice

This can be as simple as writing a cheque and mailing it to the religious organisation you attend. Samantha donates $1,000 to the Rahmatan Lil Alamin Foundation (RLAF), which is a charity set up by the Islamic Religious Council of Singapore (Muis) in 2009 to help people affected by serious infectious diseases.

Samantha donates US$30 per month to Doctors Without Borders, a foreign charity that responds to medical emergencies around the world.

Giving through an intermediary, such as a portal

When you donate through an intermediary, your donations and those of other donors are accumulated, managed and distributed to selected charities that, on their own, may not be as effective in raising funds for themselves.

Samantha donates $1,000 to the Community Chest (ComChest), which is the fundraising arm of the National Council of Social Service (NCSS). ComChest raises funds from the community for the benefit of adults with disabilities, children with special needs, persons with mental health conditions, vulnerable seniors and other social services.

Giving through a donor-assisted fund

The Community Foundation of Singapore (CFS) can help you set up a donor-advised fund where, if the amount donated is $200,000 or more, it can open a fund in your name and work closely with you to match your interests with community needs. CFS has over 400 charity partners and donated funds are managed by an Investment Committee, which is made up of experienced professionals from the finance industry.

Starting your own charity

If your family has a significant amount to give, you could consider starting a private foundation, such as the Shaw Foundation (donated $350 million) and the Lee Foundation (donated $1 billion). Such charities are often founded with private money (from family or corporate sources) and do not raise funds from the public. They thus differ from typical charities such as the Singapore Children’s Society and the Singapore Red Cross Society, which seek funds from the public.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which was launched in 2000, is reputedly the largest private foundation in the world, holding US$46.8 billion in assets. In May 2020, the Foundation committed US$125 million towards developing and distributing COVID-19 diagnostics, therapies and vaccines.

Testamentary giving means your donation occurs only after your death. Your gift can be an immediate gift on your passing or it can be staggered over a period of time.

Making immediate gifts

This is most commonly done through a Will.

Making staggered gifts

If the size of your gift is large, such as $100,000 or more, you could use a Trust and specify guidelines on how those funds are managed and used for charity. This allows you to make a lasting contribution over a period of time.