SINGAPORE - Some $19.9 million was raised from Singapore's two largest donation portals in 2015, an increase of 46 per cent from the amount in 2014.
The money was raised from SG Gives and Giving.sg, both managed by the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC). The donation portals are the largest here, serving more than 375 non-profit organisations.
More than $60 million has been raised from both portals, since the inception of SG Gives in February 2010. Giving.sg was launched in December 2015 as a one-stop site that combines the functions of SG Cares, a portal which is dedicated to volunteerism, and SG Gives. Both SG Cares and SG Gives will be inactive on March 31.
NVPC gave more details of the donation trends in its statement on Thursday.
Donations peaked towards the end of the year, with 38 per cent of the 2015 amount collected in December.
NVPC said the surge in donation amount could be due to the inaugural launch of #GivingWeek in 2015, which arose as an offshoot from #GivingTuesdaySG which typically falls on the first Tuesday of every December.
More than $176,000 was collected on #GivingTuesdaySG in 2015, a 104 per cent increase from the amount in 2014.
NVPC chief executive Melissa Kwee said: "#GivingWeek was organised with the intention to create a conscious atmosphere of giving during the festive period. We believe that every festive occasion... gains in meaning and purpose when we remember what we can also do for others."
