Forty per cent of respondents in a National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) poll had 'above moderate to complete confidence' in charities, compared to 28 per cent in a similar survey in 2006.

Only 10 per cent of the close to 1,900 people polled this time round had 'below moderate to no confidence' in charities, down from 20 per cent in 2006. The survey, released yesterday, was done in April and May.

Moves by the Government to regulate the charity sector have shored up public confidence in non-profit groups, said charity leaders.

Those measures include the creation of a full-time Commissioner of Charities position, which was given greater powers to take action against errant charities, among other things.

New guidelines were introduced detailing how well-run charities should be managed and new rules were put in place to get charities to disclose more information to the public.

A drive by the NKF to show the public that it has put its house in order may have also boosted faith in charities, said the NVPC's director of sector development, Mr Kevin Lee.

Increased public confidence coupled with a robust economy pushed the average amount each donor gave to $300, up from $125 in the 2006 survey, said the NVPC.

The NVPC estimates that some $958 million was donated by individuals here, almost triple the $341 million in 2006.

About half of the donations in the current study went to religious causes, and 11 per cent to overseas causes, like disaster relief.

Mr Lee said the Sichuan earthquake and the cyclone that ravaged Myanmar in May are likely to have boosted donations.

Singapore Red Cross secretary-general Christopher Chua said widespread images of suffering have a way of 'tugging at heartstrings' and opening wallets.The Red Cross has raised over $30 million to help the quake and cyclone victims in Sichuan and Myanmar.

Besides giving money, more people here are also volunteering.

In the current study, 16.9 per cent of the population has volunteered at least once in the past year, up from 15.5 per cent in the 2006 study.

The study also found that almost all those who volunteered their time to charity also gave money, and current volunteers donated four times more money than those who do not volunteer.

Sales manager Irene Teo, 27, is a regular donor to the Breast Cancer Foundation. She said she has confidence in charities as the authorities are working to 'make sure the NKF saga does not happen again'.

She added: 'The poor will really suffer if everyone stops donating.'

theresat@sph.com.sg