Traditional volunteers have a role too

17 Jul 2005, The Straits Times

Question

Name of the Person: Stanley Tan Poh Leng

Traditional volunteers have a role too

Amateurish? Not traditional volunteers 

HEALTH Minister Khaw Boon Wan said that Singapore needs more fund-raising units like the National Kidney Foundation (ST, July 15). 

Even though he did not mean to demean those of us whom he described as traditional volunteers who are 'amateurs, kind-hearted souls', I am compelled to respond as a 'traditional amateur volunteer'. 

While I fully support his view that NKF is an unqualified success in fund-raising and has been doing great work serving 2,000 patients, the stand of the public is that the methods it employs and the management of public donations have gone beyond what are acceptable OB markers. 

Whether a voluntary welfare organisation (VWO) is successful depends on more than the amount of funds raised and the techniques used. 

More importantly, it has to look at its ability to meet the needs of the groups it serves. For example, wonderful groups like Breadline, which collect 'a few cents here and a dollar there', are still able to serve their targeted segment, the aged. 

I would argue that Breadline is as effective as the NKF. It does not have a high profile, it does not employ 'commercial' techniques in fund-raising and it does not incentivise its people with bonuses, yet it meets the needs of the people it serves. 

I cannot understand why this is amateurish and not be applauded as much as NKF. A VWO is neither a commercial entity nor a statutory board. It is the conduit through which a community expresses its compassion for the less fortunate. 

All lives are important, be it a patient under NKF care, an abused child, a disabled person or a terminally ill person. They are all needy people that must be helped. 

I am sure the minister does not mean to discourage traditional volunteers like us. 

In my years of volunteering, I have had to seek the help of successful executives and other professionals. I would not have been able to assist the needy effectively without their contributions. I would by no means consider them amateurs. 

I would like to pay tribute to them and others who have helped the needy quietly, without fanfare: 'You all (traditional volunteers) are my heroes and certainly not amateurish in your approach.' 

Fund-raising is not only about getting as much as you can from the public but also about being accountable to the public on how their funds are applied. This means preferably not taking what is not needed while still practising good financial stewardship with appropriate reserves. 

The current sad situation is enough of a challenge and we must rebuild public faith and community spirit without having to put down any group. 

Compassionate giving must be a deep-rooted value among Singaporeans. It must not be an action in response to 'professional fund-raisers' (as in highly paid full-time employees) or to possibly misleading fund-raising techniques (rewards and incentives). 

It should be our natural instinct to want to help others in the community in which we live.

Reply

Reply from MOH 

In "Amateurish? Not Traditional Volunteers" (16 Jul), Mr Tan praised the efforts of small Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) as they too contribute to a worthy cause in their own ways. 

We fully agree with Mr Tan. At the Jul 14 press conference, Minister Khaw Boon Wan noted the diverse nature of the VWOs. He stressed that both the sophisticated model with a big fund-raising machinery, as well as the traditional volunteer model, have their rightful places in society. Both play an equally important role in inculcating the spirit of giving and helping the less fortunate. 

Minister Khaw regretted the use of the word "amateurish" if it has inadvertently caused the wrong perception. There was certainly no intent on his part to demean the traditional volunteer model.