With everything that has been happening across the globe these days–the COVID-19 pandemic, a war breaking out, inflation, the series of typhoons that hit constantly, and the ever-constant poverty and hunger all over the world–people can only do so much to help in their own little ways. If you are fortunate enough, you can donate to a charity. You can also start crowdfunding using your platform in Singapore. There are so many ways you do to be a good person and help those in need. One of which is launching a donation drive.

When you plan to work with a children’s charity in Singaporeand start a donation drive for kids, you might want to avoid the scammers who take advantage of the needs of others for their own gain. Nowadays, most netizens expose fake donation drives on social media. Thank heavens for these good internet samaritans! They use their voices to avoid disaster situations and scamming.

If you plan to donate to a children’s charity in Singaporeand for a cause, here are some tips on how to avoid fake donation drives.

HERE ARE 5 WAYS TO AVOID FAKE DONATION DRIVES

1. IT WOULD BE BEST TO DONATE TO ORGANISATIONS WITH PERMITS.

Although thousands of well-meaning individuals have launched their own donation drives for a good cause and with a kind heart, it is still best to donate to organisations that have secured their papers from their agency for their initiative. To confirm that a children’s charity in Singaporeis legitimate, you can check their registration and fund-raising permit through Charity Portal. You can send a message to 79777 or enquire at www.charities.gov.sg. If you want more information, you can also head to the National Council of Social Service (NCSS)’s website. From there, you may search for registered fund-raising events. All you need to do is input the event name, organisation name, and exact period of the event date.

As much as possible, try to get in touch with the standards bureau to ensure that the donation drives are legitimate. Hence, consider checking for their fund-raising registration through Charity Portal. That way, you can be sure that you are working with a credible, reliable, registered children’s charity in Singapore.

2. CHECK THE ORGANISERS.

The Charity Portal tracks and keeps a list of persons, specifically heads and organisations authorised to conduct donation drives. If you are one of the many people who often initiate tax relief donation drives in Singapore and other campaigns, your name and organisation are possibly there, listed on the portal. Before working with a fund-raiser and facilitators, you may consider calling Charity Portal to ensure they have permits. It is highly advisable to do a quick background check on the organisers and the entire organisation of the donation drive. Check if the heads and organisation behind the campaign are legitimate. If you affiliate yourself with a fake donation drive, you can contact Charity Portal. You can send them an email to report concerns regarding a charity, organisation, a specific fund-raiser, or the entire donation drive.

3. ASK FOR A STATUS REPORT.

Most likely, when you work with a credible and legitimate children’s charity in Singapore, they would surely provide you with a status report regarding the progress of the campaign, from the brief history, names of the beneficiaries, target date of holding the event, to kickstarting the drive. They would also inform donors of the progress of the initiative. These reports can range from a list of the funds they collected from good people, items they solicited to the donation process, names of the receivers, all the way to the thank you messages and successes of the entire drive.

4. TRACK THE PROGRESS.

Social media is one of the best platforms to monitor the progress of donation drives. Most fund-raisers launching crowdfunding use a platform in Singapore to update their donors regarding the campaign’s progress. They update their contributors from the beginning to the success of the drive.

As a donor, you need to track the progress of the campaign. Always communicate with one of the facilitators to ensure you stay on top of the entire project. Check if the money or items gathered by the organisers really go to the promised target beneficiaries. If they did not report or make a public report, be it through social media, email, or news, you can ask for updates from the organisers.

5. COORDINATE WITH THE LOCAL OFFICES.

Being good and kind can also have its own share of challenges. Imagine doing a good deed, but some people still take advantage of your kindness. It can happen even when launching a campaign or participating in a donation drive. If you are in doubt and unsure, you can always contact the Charity Portal for their list of accredited charities and organisations.

When you joined a children’s charity in Singaporeand haven’t received any replies from the fund-raisers, you can also talk with the local offices regarding the track of progress. Always coordinate with your government agencies regarding registered campaigns and fund-raisers. Most local offices, especially the Charity Portal, keep a list and manage the data on the donation drives happening across the country, so it’s best to coordinate with them and the standards bureau.

READY TO JOIN A DONATION DRIVE?

Whether engaging in donation drives, helping the elders with their csr activities in Singapore, launching a new campaign, and all those good deeds, nothing still beats the feeling of being able to help the people in need and be the best version of yourself. Most people who joined in donation drives have remained humble and down-to-earth over the years.

If you are one of the million people who live a blessed life, you may consider giving back by donating sums of money or joining volunteer opportunities to help the less fortunate. The beneficiaries would be grateful for your kind heart, especially considering the numerous happenings, unforeseen circumstances around the globe and in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. With one movement, you can help change the lives of many.

Cheers to being a good person! If you want to donate to a children’s charity in Singapore or launch a crowdfunding campaign, do it with an organisation that has been bringing hope and sharing smiles for 70 years. Work with Singapore Children’s Society. To join their drives, you may visit their website!