In the spirit of the holidays, let’s explore 7 easy, high-impact ways to give back in Singapore.
Plus, enjoy tax advantages when you give back.
This article was written by a Financial Horse Contributor.
1) Giving.sg (donate or volunteer)
Singapore’s national platform matches you to 600+ charities and thousands of roles.
Filter by cause, time, or location, and donate with auto tax capture (when you provide NRIC/UEN).
→ Donate or volunteer: Giving.sg
→ National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre: NVPC on Giving.sg
2) SG Cares Volunteer Centres
All 24 towns in Singapore have an operational SG Cares VC to coordinate resources and volunteerism efforts to meet community needs.
They connect you to nearby charities and skills-based roles.
→ See the VC network (official MCCY page): SG Cares movement Ministry of Culture, Community & Youth
3) Volunteer.gov.sg
Prefer nature, heritage, youth or social programmes run by public agencies?
Browse and book official opportunities across Gov agencies (e.g., Youth Corps, Red Cross activations, etc.).
→ Browse roles: Volunteer.gov.sg (opportunities example pages: FFTH packing; Youth Corps x Willing Hearts) Volunteer Singapore+1
4) NParks volunteering
Hands-on roles like habitat enhancement, invasive species management, guiding and horticulture—good for teams or teens with supervision.
→ NParks “Volunteer with us”: nparks.gov.sg/get-involved/volunteer
→ Overview hub: Get involved
5) Food from the Heart (FFTH)
A long-running food charity—donate, pack, sort, and distribute to beneficiaries. Both individuals and teams have options to volunteer.
→ Official site: foodfromtheheart.sg
→ Opportunities page: How to help
6) Daily meal service: Willing Hearts
Volunteer in shifts (early morning to afternoon) at the community kitchen.
→ Volunteer info & shifts: willinghearts.org.sg/volunteer
7) Youth & families: Beyond Social Services
Support programmes breaking cycles of disadvantage—options from mentoring to community activities, plus direct donation.
→ Volunteer: beyond.org.sg/volunteer | Donate: beyond.org.sg/
Tax-efficient Tips for donations in Singapore
Give to IPCs if you want tax deductions (2.5×)
Not every charity is an IPC. If you donate to an IPC (or Community Chest), you get a 250% tax deduction on the amount you give.
Donate before 31 Dec to claim it in next year’s tax
The date you pay matters. A gift made by 31 December counts for the next Year of Assessment.
Always include your NRIC/FIN (or UEN for companies)
You don’t submit receipts. The IPC reports your gift to IRAS using your ID, and it shows up automatically in your tax filing.
You can donate more than cash.
Transferring listed shares/unit trusts to an IPC also qualifies, based on market value on the transfer date. (Ask the IPC for their custodian details.)
Gave “too much” this year? You can carry it forward
If your donation deduction is larger than your income this year, the unused part can be carried forward for up to 5 Years of Assessment.
Overseas humanitarian giving (via SG charities) can qualify
From 2025, certain overseas humanitarian donations made through designated Singapore charities qualify for 100% deduction, capped at 40% of your statutory income.
This is separate from the 250% local IPC deduction.
Businesses: use the Corporate Volunteer Scheme (CVS).
If your team volunteers with an IPC, your company can claim a 250% deduction on qualifying costs (e.g., staff basic wages while volunteering). There are caps per business and per IPC—align scope with the IPC first and keep simple time records.
Keep confirmations
Save the donation confirmation email/letter and (for shares) the transfer statement.
If your NRIC/UEN was provided, IRAS will auto-include the deduction, but records help if anything needs fixing.