- National Giving Study 2025 found that role models, peer influence and supportive environments are key to encouraging giving behaviours
- Volunteerism is also closely linked to more social mixing and wider social connectedness
SINGAPORE, 31 March 2026 – Singapore’s culture of giving continues to be strengthened through collective efforts across society, with the National Giving Study 2025 highlighting key drivers that encourage giving behaviours. The findings were shared at the City of Good Forum, where more than 400 leaders and changemakers from the People, Private and Public sectors gathered to strengthen partnerships and foster greater collaborations for social good. The Forum, themed “Shared Spirit, Collective Impact”, was graced by Mr Dinesh Vasu Dash, Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Manpower.
National Giving Study 2025: Role models and supportive environments encourage more giving
Expanding the focus of past editions of the National Giving Study (NGS) where donation and volunteering rates are reported, NGS 2025 adopts a broader view of the giving landscape — encompassing everyday acts of mutual aid alongside volunteering and donations, and introduces a revised approach to measuring the latter. It aims to expand our understanding of giving within an evolving landscape, including what giving looks like, and what shapes it. It also acknowledges that generosity flows through informal, relational channels alongside organised structures. (Refer to Annex A for more information on NGS 2025 and its methodology).
The NGS 2025, which surveyed over 3,600 people in Singapore last year, noted several key findings:
- About 3 in 4 people (76%) reported having engaged in giving behaviours in the past (including everyday acts of mutual aid, volunteering, and donation), revealing a society where giving is widespread.
- Parental role models, close social networks, and supportive environments are key in shaping giving behaviours. Individuals reported being more likely to volunteer or donate and do so more frequently when those around them actively give. Supportive environments matter: domestic support with caregiving and household responsibilities, as well as workplaces that offer volunteer leave, encourage greater participation.
- Volunteerism is closely linked to more social mixing and wider social connectedness. Individuals who volunteer tend to build broader and more diverse social networks, interacting across different socio-economic, racial and occupational backgrounds.
- Volunteering was shaped by people’s real-life rhythms. Work, childcare and caregiving demands were linked to lower participation and more seasonal engagement, suggesting the value of flexible, lower-commitment opportunities.
While findings from NGS 2025 are not directly comparable with past editions due to the changes in methodology, NVPC notes that giving behaviours in Singapore reflect that generosity is widespread. At a glance, giving behaviours through structured forms reflect the following:
- 21% of respondents volunteered in the past year.
- 45% of respondents made a monetary or in-kind donation in the past year.
- Respondents volunteered a median of 7 hours in the past year.
- Respondents volunteered a median of 3 times in the past year.
- Respondents donated a median of S$120 in the past year.
- Respondents donated a median of 4 times in the past year.
Potential strategies to encourage giving
The NGS 2025 finds that giving is socially embedded and moulded by role models and peer norms, domestic and workplace support, life-stage rhythms and time availability, as well as digital engagement patterns. Several strategies could be adopted to encourage more giving in Singapore. These include:
- Reinforcing early giving norms through youth-focused recognition
- Strengthening and acknowledging social support (e.g. framing giving as a shared household contribution)
- Enabling workplace support mechanisms such as organised volunteering activities and volunteer leave and recognition, making giving visible and valued
- Designing pathways from online engagement to offline participation (e.g. demonstrate collective change through small individual actions)
- Providing low-barrier opportunities, such as seasonal or project-based roles, allows individuals to contribute in ways that fit their personal schedules
- Encouraging group-based volunteering to build shared norms and sustain engagement
Mr Tony Soh, CEO of NVPC, said “Giving is strongly shaped by the people and environments around us. Individuals are more likely to volunteer or donate, and to do so more often, when giving is practised by family, friends, or colleagues. Supportive workplaces, such as those that organise volunteering initiatives and offer volunteer leave, further enable participation by making it easier for people to give back. This affirms the direction of NVPC’s programmes, which focus on strengthening these enabling environments, working with companies, charities and Institutes of Higher Learning to make giving more accessible and impactful.”
The full NGS 2025 report can be found at nvpc.org.sg/research/national-giving-study-2025.
Celebrating partnerships and supportive environments that encourage giving
A total of 20 corporate-community partnerships were recognised at the City of Good Forum 2026 for their efforts to strengthen Singapore’s culture of giving. These partnerships were part of Project V, a structured volunteering programme co-led by NVPC and the National Council of Social Service. Project V supports companies in connecting with community partners and progressively building long-term volunteer commitments through a structured and guided approach, enabling both parties to strengthen programme delivery and create sustainable social impact over time. The group includes five returning companies that have deepened their commitments through Project V in 2025 (refer to Annex B for a list of corporate-community partnerships from Project V). These partnerships resonate with insights from the NGS 2025, which found that supportive workplace environments play an important role in encouraging giving behaviours.
One such example is AETOS, a returning Project V participant from 2024 to 2025. Building on its initial partnership with the Movement for the Intellectually Disabled of Singapore (MINDS) in 2024, the company has continued its commitment to MINDS and expanded its outreach to include Care Community Services Society (CCSS) in 2025. Through both partnerships, AETOS rallied its employees, including frontliners, to volunteer through a range of activities with direct, personal engagement such as befriending, recreational outings and intergenerational activities. They were able to build meaningful connections with Persons with Intellectual Disabilities (PWIDs) and seniors while fostering a strong spirit of empathy and giving among its employees. AETOS has found that leadership support, recognition, and platforms for volunteers to share their experiences have been critical to ensuring successful partnerships with community partners.
For more information on other highlights from the City of Good Forum 2026, including NVPC’s strategic priorities for the upcoming year and State of Play, an exhibition aimed at facilitating corporate–community partnerships, please refer to Annex C and Annex D respectively.
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