Singaporean Charities Lack Skills in Vital Areas says talenTtrust Study

SINGAPORE, July 14, 2021: In the last 18 months, Covid-19 has ripped through the Singaporean economy. talenTtrust, a registered charity that facilitates skills-based volunteering, found that charities and nonprofit organisations felt the impact, resulting in less financial donations than in previous years. In a recent joint survey by the company and YouGov, talenTtrust has revealed the latest attitudes and perceptions towards the charity sector. In Singapore, charities and NPOs play a vital role in fostering community, contributing to the overall economic stability and mobility of the nation.

Across the board, 8 out of 10 Singaporeans did not believe that charities would benefit from having skilled professionals. However, all of talenTtrust’s charity partners have a need for skills-based volunteers. This misperception is prevalent amongst the younger generation who saw no practical advantage in working with nonprofits. They believe the time invested would not help develop their resume. A third of Singaporeans aged 18-24 and 40% of millennials did not see career experience and CV enhancement as strong motivators to volunteer.

On this, talenTtrust CEO Tess Mackean says, “People aren’t aware of just how much value and impact their business skills could add to a charity. This is what we, at talenTtrust, are striving to help them understand. People undervalue their skills. Currently, digital skills are particularly significant given the acceleration in digital due to Covid-19. Digital literacy in the sector remains relatively low, creating a chasm in skills that is holding charities back from performing at a level where they can achieve maximum impact.”

Gen Zs and Millennials need a cause to believe in

The survey revealed that over half of Gen Zs and Millennials (55% of Gen Z and 52% of millennials) disagreed that charities and nonprofits were adequately equipped with resources to help those in need. As more data emerges on Generation Z, the industry has seen a shift in purpose from younger audiences, resulting in more donations than usual. Gen Z Singaporeans are considered to be more mobilised if they believed in a cause. Half of them (47%) would rather donate their time to a cause than give money as compared to other generations that scored 40% or lower.

Not many Gen Zs (7%) and Millennials (10%) would donate to organisations solely because they have helped people they knew. This suggests that this group does its own independent research when aligning themselves with charities. The survey also found that 2 out of 5 Gen Zs and 3 out of 10 millennials would volunteer more if they found a cause to believe in.

“Gen X believes that charities and nonprofits have adequate resources to succeed but we actually know this to be a misconception. Having worked with many local charities, we see a huge need in strategic, financial and customer management. Charities do extraordinary work but can lack the business skills they need to grow. We can help find this talent and in turn help many in need,” comments MacKean.

Additional survey findings include:

Fewer respondents were inclined to volunteer solely for career advancement or to boost their professional CV. Most were inclined to volunteer if they found a cause they actually believed in.

90% agreed that volunteering improves their mental health.

Only 16% of respondents agreed that charities would benefit from more professionals volunteering their professional skills.

A majority (70%) did not agree to charities and nonprofits charging volunteers a fee to ease administrative costs.

“Unbeknownst to many, the face of volunteering has evolved through the years,” says Mackean, “Paid volunteering is commonplace around the world, and not only helps ease administrative costs, but also ensures volunteers are committed to making a lasting impact with their charity beneficiaries.“