Charities in Singapore
As the old idiom goes, kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
Kindness comes in many forms, and it’s the 21st century where charity subscriptions are available just a click away. We’ve found a mix of 8 organisations catering to different groups that you can sign up with to help causes you care about on a regular basis, even if you’re a busy bee.
Similar to a GIRO arrangement, these charity subscriptions allow donors to automatically contribute a set amount each month – starting from $10 – through their linked bank accounts:
1. Dyslexia Association of Singapore
Image credit: Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS)
To help children diagnosed with dyslexia, the Dyslexia Association of Singapore (DAS) provides support programmes and special education for kids all over Singapore.
While we might be familiar with the term dyslexia, not many know what it actually entails beyond just seeing words as jumbled up letters. In fact, Dyslexia is a Specific Learning Difference that affects the skills involved in word reading and spelling and can lead to difficulty in phonological awareness and verbal memory.
DAS sustains itself on public donations, so a little amount here will go a long way in helping these young ones through their education.
2. iCare Hub
Image credit: Yellow Ribbon Project
We’ve all done a little something we regret. But what matters at the end of the day is that we get back up.
iCare Hub supports the recovery of women ex-offenders and women in recovery (WIR) from addictions through their short-term accommodation programme. In the long run, they operate a transitional programme that helps their members gain employment and reintegrate back into the community.
Your donation will fund a range of support from daily needs like food and toiletries to bigger expenses like accommodation.
3. Muscular Dystrophy Association Singapore
Image credit: MDAS
Muscular Dystrophy Association Singapore (MDAS) helps maximise the quality of life of people with muscular dystrophy – a disease that causes the progressive weakness and loss of muscle mass – and their families through financial assistance for medical equipment, subsidies and providing training for employment.
Your donation will help lighten their burden by providing life-saving equipment such as breathing machines, as well as funding home help services to help members with their daily routines.
4. Nature Society Singapore
Image credit: Nature Society (Singapore)
Metal straws are a thing now, but even when they weren’t in trend, Nature Society Singapore (NSS) has always been on board the environmental train. NSS is a non-government, non-profit organisation that promotes nature awareness and advocates conservation in Singapore and in the region.
Join them for guided nature works and bird and butterfly watching, and if you support their cause, drop ‘em a donation every month to do your part for the environment!
5. Rainbow Centre
Image credit: Rainbow Centre
You might have caught a glimpse of living with autism with the recently popular Netflix series “Atypical” and Broadway plays like “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time”. But if you wish to lend a helping hand to youth with autism and other mental disabilities beyond the screen, reach out to Rainbow Centre.
They cover an impressive scope of strategies, which include a Special Education school, therapy and outreach services, and an Early Intervention Programme – for those as young as 2 months old.
Your regular contribution will help fund these initiatives and allow needy students to receive aid in terms of material, equipment and transportation.
6. Singapore Association for Mental Health
Image credit: SAMH
With the stress and grind that comes with everyday life, it’s easy to overlook our mental health as something that can be easily fixed by “staying positive”. But this stigma is one that can be detrimental, and the Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH) helps fight stereotypes or doubts people may have about mental illnesses.
As part of the mental health community, SAMH works to promote mental health awareness and help manage and treat individuals with mental illnesses. You can drop in automated monthly donations, and all proceeds will go towards the promotion and support for mental health programmes in Singapore.
7. Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped
Image credit: Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped
You might have heard about Dining In The Dark, a concept restaurant where diners get to experience eating in pitch darkness while being served by a team of visually impaired staff.
The restaurant is an initiative by the Singapore Association for the Visually Handicapped (SAVH), a charity organisation that provides rehabilitation services to visually impaired individuals through services like eye care, skills development and counselling, which help them gain self-reliance skills to integrate into society.
8. Society for the Aged Sick
Image credit: Dom Leung
As the saying goes, no man is an island. We’re all social beings, no matter how old we may be[b]. Fortunately for the destitute and aged in Singapore, the Society for the Aged Sick (SAS) organises social activities like wheelchair yoga and cooking classes with volunteers.
SAS is a non-profit nursing home that provides residential and respite services to sick elderly, particularly the less privileged, through nursing and medical care.
Support these elders with a touch of love – a small donation might just make someone’s day!
Give back to the community with SG Bonus
As the mantra goes, to give is to receive. How about giving and receiving?
Starting 30 November, all Singaporeans aged 21 and above in 2018 will receive a hongbao – aka our SG Bonus – of $300, $200 and $100, depending on income levels. This reflects our government’s commitment to sharing the fruits of the country’s development with Singaporeans.
The breakdown is in the table below:
Image credit: SG Bonus
If you’ve signed up for other government payout schemes in the past, you’ll receive the SG Bonus automatically. Here are the payment dates to look out for:
For those who haven’t signed up for the for any government payout schemes before, you can sign up for SG Bonus by 31 March 2019 here, or through a hardcopy form available at Community Clubs and CPFB Service Centres.
Now that you’re getting some extra moolah, it’s time to use it wisely. Of course, you can splurge it on shopping and trying out the latest eats in town…or, you could set some money aside to make difference in someone’s life by donating it to charity.
With Christmas right around the corner, there’s no better time to start giving – so make a difference by donating through the SG Cares App*. A few extra karma points won’t hurt anyway!
Learn more about SG Bonus here!
*SG Cares is available on Apple and Android.
This post was brought to you by the Ministry of Finance.