SINGAPORE – Volunteering helps people develop a stronger sense of duty and responsibility for their fellow citizens, gives them purpose and meaning, and helps expand their social network.

But it is not just something people here do as individuals when they have spare time. Instead, it more fundamentally reflects who Singaporeans are as a people, and the kind of society they wish to have in Singapore, said Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong.

Speaking at the first Singapore Volunteer Management Conference held at SIM on Tuesday – attended by about 2,000 participants – Mr Wong said 20 years ago, fewer than 10 per cent of Singaporeans volunteered, but the volunteerism rate reached a high of 35 per cent in 2016.

It has since come down to 22 per cent, partly because many schools and organisations had to stop activities due to Covid-19 restrictions.

“So we hope this decline is temporary,” he said, adding that Singapore’s volunteerism rate today is nevertheless more than double what it was 20 years ago, and comparable to the average rate amongst OECD countries.

Still, there is scope to do better, Mr Wong said.

In surveys, more than half of Singaporeans said they wanted to volunteer to help fellow citizens, he noted. But they ultimately did not step forward because they did not find the right fit, or were worried they would not be able to juggle volunteer commitments with their family and work obligations.

For those who did sign up as volunteers, some found that the experience fell short of their expectations, he said. Others felt ill-prepared or found it difficult to see how their efforts made a difference, and feeling discouraged, they gave up.

Mr Wong outlined three ways to grow and sustain volunteerism in Singapore.

First, the Government will continue to encourage Singaporeans to volunteer, and help match them to the relevant organisations and community groups.

It has rolled out the SG Cares app for people to easily find causes aligned to their interests. It also established SG Cares Volunteer Centres in each town, to help mobilise and train volunteers to meet the needs in their own community.

It will continue to grow the supply of volunteers across all ages, including in schools and the Youth Corps, for young people to do community projects locally and abroad.

Mr Wong added that the Government is trying to draw more working adults to continue volunteering after they leave school.

Second, organisations must improve how they engage and retain volunteers, he said.

Organisations should carefully identify and design meaningful volunteer roles, and provide them with support and training, he said. “You have to invest in the development and growth of your volunteers. You have to help them discern how their contributions are part of a larger purpose.

“Because at the end of the day, if volunteers feel like they are being used just to fill up empty slots or to plug certain organisational needs, they will not be motivated, they will not be inspired and they are less likely to continue serving.”

If done properly, such practices can have an outsized impact on the effectiveness and scale of social and community efforts, he said.

A 2022 survey conducted by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) found that social service agencies which focus on strengthening their volunteer management practices, such as by hiring a full-time volunteer manager or putting in place a volunteer management system, will see a significant increase in regular volunteers. These agencies can in turn scale up and serve many more beneficiaries.

These benefits apply for both large and small groups. For example, KampungKakis, a ground-up initiative which helps isolated and frail seniors, manages its 1,000 volunteers with one full-time employee, even as it taps volunteers to take on leadership roles.

“All organisations can adopt good volunteer management practices. And the Government will do more to support you in this,” said Mr Wong.

For example, through a new Volunteer Resource Hub, NCSS will provide toolkits to help identify strengths and gaps in volunteer management, and recommendations for organisations to level up.

The SG Cares Volunteer Centres will also provide training on how to recruit, engage and retain volunteers more effectively, and link organisations with partners that can enhance their capabilities.

Finally, the Government will create more platforms for organisations to share their experiences and best practices in this area, Mr Wong said.

Explaining why volunteerism must be strengthened as an integral part of Singapore’s refreshed social compact, he added: “It is this spirit of contribution and giving that is so crucial in taking our nation forward... Let’s continue to work together... to engage the many Singaporeans who want to give back to society, and help them take that crucial first step to becoming a volunteer.”