I was walking home from lunch at Holland Village on Thursday when I was accosted by a man trying to raise money for a charity helping families in need. He had earlier that day tried to approach me too.

I stopped and asked if any amount would do or if I had to commit to a monthly donation.

I had some spare change of a few dollars that I could donate, but he asked for denominations of $10 because the printed receipts came in these denominations.

I told him I would like to help by donating an amount I was comfortable with, not $10, and that I did not need a receipt. 

“Miss, I’ve been standing here the whole morning and no one has responded to me at all. This will help a family buy daily...”

I told him I had to go.

Charities need to rethink their fund-raising methods. Mandating how often or how much someone should donate may be efficient for the charity but it risks alienating those who just want to help in any little way they can.

Allowing people to donate in a way that suits them may sound like the charity is focusing on the small fish and letting the big fish get away. I believe that if the person allowed people to donate whatever amount they wanted, he might have received more cash.

Deborah Tan Su-Ying