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Offer your time, talent, treasure to others

As we head into the festive season, many people are figuring out what presents to give to family and friends. While tangible presents are nice, giving to charity may have an even bigger impact. To make Singapore a better place, and improve your own life at the same time, you may want to consider giving time, talent or treasure during the coming weeks.

While tangible presents are nice, giving to charity may have an even bigger impact. TODAY file photo

While tangible presents are nice, giving to charity may have an even bigger impact. TODAY file photo

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As we head into the festive season, many people are figuring out what presents to give to family and friends. While tangible presents are nice, giving to charity may have an even bigger impact. To make Singapore a better place, and improve your own life at the same time, you may want to consider giving time, talent or treasure during the coming weeks.

BENEFITS OF GIVING TO A GOOD CAUSE

Giving provides you with an opportunity to make a positive difference for people, animals, the environment or any number of other causes. Helping children learn to read or excel in sports, for instance, gives them new skills. Spending time with elders adds comfort and meaning to their lives. And planting trees or saving coral reefs improves the environment.

Author John Stanley, who wrote the book Connected to Good, provided a useful “TTT” framework to remind us of how to do this: Time, talent and treasure. “Time means hours in your schedule spent working for a cause. Talent means service given from your particular skills. Treasure means money donated to support an organisation. The alliteration of the three Ts makes the phrase memorable.”

The giving that people do has a big impact. Even though the amount given to charities here dropped 36 per cent from 2015 to 2016, donations still totalled S$865 million last year and allowed non-profit outfits to do plenty of good work.

Giving to charities has added financial benefits as well. While data from Singapore is limited, the Office of National Statistics in the United Kingdom values the output of volunteers at £23.9 billion (S$43 billion) and the Cabinet Office estimates the well-being value to volunteers at about £70 billion.

Financial services group TD Economics in Canada found that the 2.1 billion hours that 13.3 million volunteers put in was equivalent to 8 per cent of full-time jobs in the country. Along with the work having a value of C$50 billion (S$52.5 billion), TD said “there is economic value from the social capital generated, such as a person using the opportunity to develop or improve on skills.”

THE GIVER ALSO REAPS

Beyond the benefits to beneficiaries and the financial value in such activities, giving time or talent or treasure also helps the giver.

A study at the University of Oregon in the United States, for instance, showed that when we know we have acted to improve the life of another through giving, it boosts our own self-esteem and sense of purpose. Moreover, a paper published in the Journal of Economic Psychology documented that households that made charitable contributions had notably lower probabilities of high blood pressure, cancer and heart attacks.

Another study at Harvard University showed that giving more money to charity can lead to higher levels of happiness.

Other research shows that volunteers enjoy better health and lower stress. One study at Washington University found that older volunteers had improved stamina, memory and flexibility.

Giving time also leads to volunteers being more satisfied. As the Singapore Children’s Society noted, volunteers get to meet people with similar interests, appreciate people’s differences, develop confidence, and develop skills that may be useful in the workplace. “Most importantly, there is also the fun that comes with volunteering!” it wrote on its website.

SO MANY WAYS TO BE GENEROUS

When you want to give, the first step is to decide what you are most passionate about. As Ms Kristine Sloan from the Forbes Nonprofit Council in the United States explains, “get crystal clear on the things you value. If you can clarify your values and priorities, you may have a clearer picture of what types of organisations would give you the greatest sense of fulfilment.”

Your reason for giving TTT should begin where your passions are, whether it is a love for animals or teaching or healthcare or something else. The work you do will seem more worthwhile when you are committed to a cause, and your impact will be bigger.

You can then decide where to give and how much money or time to contribute. There are more than 2,200 registered charities in Singapore helping children, seniors, migrant workers, animals, women, the disabled, the environment and more. These, along with hundreds of religious organisations, need your support.

To find an organisation, go online. Giving.sg, for instance, is a one-stop-portal that lists more than 480 charities. The Charity Portal run by the Commissioner of Charities also enables individuals to search for charities. Specialised sites such as Green Future Landscape 2017, which lists conservation groups, are available. You may also do a simple search on Google for causes, ask friends with similar interests where their donations go, or take a look at my book, Is Giving Worth It, in the library for more ideas.

At this time of the year when it is easy to get caught up in the frenzy of buying presents and spending money on big meals, stepping back to give to those in need can be even more meaningful. The benefits to the beneficiaries, and to you, will be tremendous.

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