If Mr Stanley Tan had his way, giving would be an “infectious entity” that everyone should seek to spread.

“People should give according to their capacity. Some may have time, some may have love, others may have the money to give, while others could give all three,” said the chairman of the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC).

The 55-year-old retired publisher should know, having volunteered since he was 10 as part of a church group which visited the underprivileged at their homes.

Stanley became the chairman of NPVC in November 2007. The national body, set up in 1999, had taken on the role to promote and develop philanthropy in August 2003. Since then, it has set up the recently established Community Foundation of Singapore, a service that will help high net worth individuals make significant donations on a planned basis.

Through this route, some $13 million in donations have been raised since July this year, with a target of another $5 million by the end of this year.

“Getting people to part with their wealth is not an easy and natural path. There should be a good enough reason,” Stanley said.

For himself, volunteering hardly needs justification – he sees it as privilege to be able to serve.

He said “When people look at volunteering, the impression is that there has to be some push factor to volunteer... Volunteering is an integral component of wanting to make the most of our role in the community, it’s not a question of should you or should you not.”

Share-A-Meal

One of his fondest memories was during an annual Share-A-Meal session held by the Mainly I Love Kids (MILK) Fund where participants are encouraged to share the value of one meal with others.

Despite having little herself, a preteen girl named Siti, who was a social services beneficiary, donated all her savings then, to contribute towards that one meal.

For Stanley Tan - who founded publishing firm The Grand Pacific Investment Group before it was sold – that incident was a reminder of the charitable spirit that society needs to nurture among its citizens, regardless of one’s station in life. His personal goal is to help Singapore progress towards making giving a component of society’s value system.

“With development, there is a perception that there is very little need. Success seems to be in our face. To encourage people to help beyond self is the next step towards maturing as a healthy society,” he said.

“Those of us who believe that volunteerism is a good value to have should come forward to contribute towards building that. If we are not going to be proactive, how can society become (a more giving society)?” he added.

Cyclone Nargis

Singaporeans have the propensity to give, judging by their heart-warming response to help the victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar and the earthquake in Sichuan, China, according to Tan.

According to an NVPC survey in 2006, the incidence of volunteering held steady at an estimated 15.5 per cent compared to 15.2 per cent in 2004. But in 2000 – the year NVPC started its survey – the volunteerism rate was just 9.3 per cent.

The 2006 survey also found that a higher percentage of younger and older individuals were volunteering. Among those aged 15-24 years, the volunteer participation rate was 28 per cent in the 2006 survey, compared to 25 per cent in 2004. Among those aged 65 years and above, the volunteer participation rate was 11 per cent in 2006 compared to 4 per cent in 2004.

But against the backdrop of recent charity scandals at home, the need for more transparency from the Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) has become more important.

He added: “NGOs have to be more mature and have better governance, while young NGOs require time to grow.” Donors also “need to be more structured, make strategic differences and direct their resources in areas where they are more inclined towards”.

So how should one embark on the route to volunteerism?

“People should start volunteering in what matters most to them… (to) get the best experience for your gift,” he quipped.

Philosophising about what he loves about the job, Tan said, “The enjoyment of volunteering and the enjoyment of the people you work with, the occasion where you find what you do makes the difference and the knowledge that you can make some difference.”

* This article was written by Tay Nellie and first published in Singapore Magazine (Oct-Dec 2008 issue). Photo is by Ealbert Ho.