For her birthday party next month, Sasha Marimuttu wants her friends to donate money to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) instead of giving her presents.
Sasha, an only child who turned seven last Friday, and her mother have started a “Be Kind to Animals Birthday” campaign on crowdfunding platform Giving.sg.
She is not the only person using birthdays and other special or festive occasions to get friends and family to make pledges to charitable causes.
For example, on the Giving.sg platform, which is run by the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), there are at least 12 such campaigns now.
On Give.Asia, there are at least half a dozen running currently.
NVPC’s director of digital innovation, Mr Andy Sim, said: “With greater affluence, we see more people desiring more meaningful ways to celebrate birthdays or Christmas by adopting a charity.
“This gives them a greater purpose to celebrate their significant milestones.”
This is not Sasha’s first charity campaign. For her sixth birthday last year, the little girl and her mother, Dr Nisha Chandwani, 40, raised over $400 for the SPCA.
Dr Chandwani, a psychiatrist, said: “Many parents said Sasha is very considerate and mature to do this (birthday pledge). It also saves people the hassle of thinking what gifts to buy, especially now when kids have so many toys.”
Crowdfunding sites such as Giving.sg and Give.Asia have made it easier for those planning to raise funds for charities to mark a special occasion.
On Giving.sg, Mr Sim said, many of the birthday pledges are created by parents to celebrate their child’s big day, reflecting the parents’ desire to nurture the spirit of giving.
Give.Asia co-founder Aseem K. Thakur said: “Whether it be asking friends to donate instead of getting gifts or running a marathon, these occasions feel even more amazing knowing that you and your friends have changed someone’s life for the better.”
Actress and host Munah Bagharib had her friends contribute to Happy People Helping People for her 30th birthday last month.
The volunteer-run group provides the elderly poor, such as cardboard collectors, with meals and other help.
Ms Munah said on turning 30: “This year, I want to do more with my life and find ways to give back, to focus more on people and communities who need help.”
Her campaign on Give.Asia has raised over $2,000 to date.
As for Ms Melissa Lou, she celebrated her 30th birthday in September by getting her friends to donate to a charity in Bhutan that helps needy and abused children.
Her friends contributed about $1,000.
“Every year, my friends would ask me what gifts I want and I realised there’s nothing material that I need. I feel it’s more meaningful to channel their money elsewhere,” she said.
Some of her friends have followed her example for their own birthdays, and got others to make pledges to various causes.
Ms Lou is the co-founder of Delegate, an online marketplace for event services.
The firm is planning to launch its “Pledge your birthday with Delegate” campaign in the first quarter of next year.
The campaign will have vendors and individuals pledge a sum for charity for their birthday, to help the less fortunate celebrate their birthdays.
Ms Lou was inspired to do this after she learnt of a teenage girl who had not had anyone celebrate her birthday.
When a charity celebrated her birthday with a cake, the girl, who comes from a troubled family, broke down and cried.
Ms Lou said: “We at least have one or a few birthday cakes a year but for the less fortunate, having someone who remembers their birthday could really touch their lives.”
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Source: The Straits Times, 30 December 2018