I happen to think that Singaporeans are generous. Remember the time when the tsunami occurred on Boxing Day? Tsunami donations are all around Singapore. Singapore, with a population of around 4 million, has donated so much that it is likely to reach SG$150 million [Source: Red Cross]. That would be something like SG$37.50 per person! Frankly speaking, the figure is rather strange. I personally donated around 15 I think. [I don't really know because I throw in my coins into the collection box.]
People probably had enough with charities you know. After donating to the tsunami funds, people may be less willing to donate to other charities. I won’t be surprised, in fact, I am probably one of those too that unknowingly [I am innocent!] have such a mentality.
So what to do, what to do? If you’re a charity that does this telephone hot-line donation thingy every year, what would you do? If you’re a charity that called yourself National Kidney Foundation, what do you do?
**An over-commercialized charity foundation**
Well, if the odds seem to be against you, there is one more thing to try. Make donations attractive. If you donate, you stand a chance to win a car, win a condominium, win cash and more! So much prizes, one of which ought to attract you! The National Kidney Foundation builds their charity formula on this method year after year. It’s a winning formula. Both sides wins _(kinda)_.
Just stop here? Hell, no! The National Kidney Foundation went further to attract customers, I mean, donors. What about this? If you donate last year, you stand a chance to win double the cash prize you would gain if you donate this year too!
You won SG$2,000 as a reward of donating to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF). [Why the hell am I typing NKF again and NKF, I forgot to use abbreviations.] You donated last year too. You get double, you won SG$4,000 instead. Isn’t this like loyalty rewards? Oh, I see that it is indeed referred to as “Loyalty Rewards” in the Mediacorp TV Channel 8 web page.
Have a charity to be telecast-ed on television and get the celebrities to do strange stunts on the stages. Jack Neo [director of I Not Stupid and I Not Stupid Too which I reviewed] did the stupidest thing I have seen so far. He took this fan and set the spinning fast, then he attempt to stop the spinning fan with his, er, tongue? And when he did, you see shocked faces and hear cheers and a host proclaiming Jack Neo did it for the charity and blah blah. I, too, was shocked. I was shocked that just an act can be marvelled by the audience.
Frankly speaking, I rather these artists just sing some nice tunes and act in a skit on something. Performing all these dangerous tasks is:
# Dangerous (needless to say).
# Uncreative after years and years because the same thing just pops up again. I mean, how many stunts do you want that poor stunt coordinator to invent or reinvent.
# Ridiculous. I don’t share the same enthusiasm of the others. I find these stunts a bore nowadays. In fact, I am more impressed with 5566’s item which probably doesn’t involve an extra effort to practice since it’s their song and they have to practice it anyway.
Perhaps a simple charity show would be enough, one that can earnestly show the artist’s concern for these people by their words and not by walking through broken glass like a traditional Indian festival ceremony. Sing a song or something, act in a skit.
Show a documentary on how the god damn money is being used to increase the transparency of the whole donation system. We already know the fact that kidney dialysis is expensive. Showing how care is provided in other ways using the money would be good. Instead of advertising all the artist that would be in the charity show, time could be spent in advertisements to declare the donations last year and give a simple chart of their spendings too. You know what - make a pie charts, I love pie charts as much as apple pies. Pie charts are good.
They should remove the whole loyalty rewards thingy. It makes the whole charity thing too commercialized. It’s different from SingTel (my mobile subscription telco) offering me Red Rewards here. Firstly, SingTel is commercial anyway, they can do this. Secondly, SingTel’s reward doesn’t make many call more to earn the reward points, it’s really a reward here. But the whole double-your-price offer that NKF made is less like an incentive, more like an attraction.
Hopefully, one day I’ll watch the NKF charity show again and feel it really is a charity show and not a commericial entity to lighten the burdens of our government providing medical care to its citizens. And for goodness sake, do away with the loyalty rewards thing - the idea is a horrid.
[Milky has replied me in her post here!]
i HATE charity shows.. seriously.
it’s not that i have a black heart or something..
i’m very willing to donate, especially for causes like sickness..
but it seems like there are only charity shows on TV all year long..
and that’s really annoying..
and the prizes and advertisments?
I bet the money they spent on these are enough to support the NKF for quite long..
man!! cant they just have one BIG charity show in the beginning of the year, and we can donate all that we want?
by Crystal (Apr 15, 2005 at 4 PM)Alright, because I have so much to say, I have moved the entire bulk of my comment into my blog. You can go there to read lol.
Summary version: Charity shows would be much more meaningful without the crazy stunts and crazy rewards.
by milky (Apr 15, 2005 at 5 PM)Crystal: The prizes and advertisements are sponsored I think. It’s like an investment to them, the sponsors invest prizes to get consumer, opps, I mean donor’s interest. Just one big charity show? I think it would be less effective actually, hahaa.. I have nothing against charity shows. I just don’t like the over-commercialization of it.
milky: Wow, that’s quite a reply. Thanks for mentioning me.
I agree with you completely, it would have been much more meaningful. The charity now doesn’t look like a charity. I don’t feel as much for the people as I would have.
Charity, in my opinion, is giving without expecting returns. NKF does not fit my description apparently.
by Mr. Dew (Apr 16, 2005 at 12 AM)RIGHT! Bravo~
by milky (Apr 16, 2005 at 12 AM)By the way, read milky’s post here!
by Mr. Dew (Apr 16, 2005 at 1 AM)I had to say this. Sponser prizes cannot be convert to cash for NKF. The reason why company sponser donates is to get more consumer. It is a advertising method or plot. There will be no such scenario that the company will donate cash instead.
Advantages of donating the product for the company”
1. The company look ‘good’ and generous
2. The winner must use the product. One more customer that will spread good will of the company
3. The cost of the product is actually much much much lower than the surface value. (They actually donated less)
The person for the NKF charity has only one choice but to use these so call ‘donation’ to attract a lot more actual money.
by dgj (Apr 16, 2005 at 7 PM)or else no company will donate
by dgj (Apr 16, 2005 at 7 PM)dgj: I thought there are cases where companies actually donate. Anyway, your point is valid. The companies are likely to do this for publicity. There are some companies that could have been taking advantage of these charity foundations to portray an image of goodwill for their companies.
by Mr. Dew (Apr 16, 2005 at 9 PM)it’s not just that isn’t it. they’re too agressive. they harass people to help them collect more donations. i don’t call that charity.
furthermore, they’re a money hungry organisation. asked my dad to give a portion of his salary to them. he agreed. a while later, asked for more, he also agreed. just two weeks back, they came back asking again. i think they’ll piss people off more than getting their sympathy.
by sky (Apr 19, 2005 at 3 PM)sky: I would be least surprised, this method can easily pissed before off. It is too commercialized. It gives charity a bad name here.
by Mr. Dew (Apr 19, 2005 at 11 PM)light//side
Sometimes while embracing the light side, the non-profitable organization (Jedi Council) in Singapore may go overboard by recruiting too much volunteers (Jedis) from secondary schools – whatever the hell the reason is.
by //beconfused (May 26, 2005 at 11 AM)…
Please help him
ToAll Donars
Dear Sir/Mdm,
We are having Fund-Raising Campaign for the new establishing Red Star Community Service.
Our funds raised will be use to establish The Red Star Community Service Building and our operation fund to help Jobless, Elderly, Ex-Convict and family to create job and back to the work force.
We believe jobless resident able to manage their families and their basic living if we able to provide them a second chance. We do not believe they are useless in our society.
Please provide love and concerns to our society by supporting us financially to “Red Star Community Service” at Blk 405, Woodlands Street 41, #04-551, Singapore 730405.
Thank You
Elvin Ong
Treasurer and Volunteer Director
Red Star Community Service
ROSE No: S2090/2006
Tel No: 9160 2267
Dear All
Please help him for donation:-
Youth Impact Committee
Mr Ong Beng Soon Elvin
Position: Youth Impact Vice President
Profession: Civil Servant, Sales Executive
Email: elvinong@spp.org.sg
Profile: Born in June 1978, Singapore. Graduate from a Singapore Polytechnic, currently a civil servant in a step-board organization.
Graduated from Chua Chu Kang Sec Sch
Obtained a NTC-2(with Certificate of Merit) in Electronics Technology in ITE
Diploma in Mechatronics from Singapore polytechnic
I strongly believe that everyone can be actively involve and be more concern in Singapore’s politics, especially the younger generation. Being the leaders for the next generation, we must contribute our best to build a democratically strong nation.
I’m volunteering my service in the meet-the-people session in Potong Pasir Constituency. During this time, I met and got to know the residents in the town and had since built a friendly relationship with them. I also learned and discovered the life of the residents and served them faithfully.
As a opposition party, we must not oppose for the sake of opposing. We are here to show the ruling party the right of the people of Singapore, so the ruling party will not have monopoly ideas that they can do what they want. We are here to enable you to exercise the right to vote and to enable you to bring your voice and your alternative views in the parliament by exercising democracy in Singapore. Therefore we need the support of the people in Singapore like you, because with you, we can make a difference and a better living for our family and our next generation to come.
We believe that we do not need to some one great to serve the community. The only thing we need is the heart to serve, a ‘never say die spirit’ and willing to move a step forward.
Red Star Community Service was found near Potong Pasir MRT Station on 10 June 2006, 18:00 hours. Malik Bin Ismail President, Yen Kim Khooi Vice President, Anthony Ng Chiew Kiat Secretary, Rosieta Bte Hussain Assitant Secretary, Ong Beng Soon Elvin Treasurer, Kenny Soh Keng Sian Assistant Treasurer and Executive member; Ramli Bin Mohamad, Nautheetha Krishnan, Ramlan Bin Mohamad, Tan Keng Woo, Koa Hean Hong, Lim Keh Huat, Han Jook Kuang and Sianny Irawati.
We are dedicated to provide community services. We will achieve this by focusing on:
Our Vision: To improve the jobless and poor Singaporean, elderly and ex-convict mobility so that they able to return to their family and community.
Our Value: Our philosophy in caring for our residents can be best described by the way how a fragile orchid plant is nurtured. The showering of human care and attention is the critical elements for its healthy grow.
Our Promise: Always giving you our Best Care and attention.
The Red Star Logo embodies a well-integrated and committed organisation that provides legal aids, food, home, counseling, organise activities and schemes of social service for rehabilitation of jobless and poor resident, elderly and ex-convict and family.
The word Red Star positioned the organization’s strong foundation and the corporate philosophy.
The red star symbolizes a rising star that marks the beginning of our lifelong commitment towards the community services. The combination of the word Red Star represents community care approach towards meeting the community’s needs. The three colours in the whole: Red Star logo signify:Green: Sign of Good Health, Red: Energetic and Dynamic and Blue: Life long commitment to the community services
Donation
Red Star Social Service has launched a large fund-raising campaign; “$10,000,000.00 Help Fund, Help Our Society”. The campaign is from 10/06/2006 to 9/06/2008.
Our Campaign Leaders are President Malik, Secretary Anthony Ng and Treasurer Elvin Ong hope to raise a minimum of $10,000,000.00.
The funds raised will be use to establish The Red Star Social Service Building and our operation fund to help jobless resident to create job and back to work force.
Our Red Star Community Service activities will involve in clinic service, legal aids service, Consumer Product Servicing, Household Servicing, Logistic Service, Removal Service, Local farm, Recycle service, manpower supply, food delivery, housekeeping, dispatch services, Local Escort Tour Service, day & night super market and day & night Hawker centre and so on.
FYI
Thank You
Supporters
[This comment has been edited to remove all links.]
by Red Star Community Service (Jul 22, 2006 at 11 AM)