Giving Compass' Take:

• Singapore is using technology to scale up volunteerism and philanthropy for its aging population to deal with pressing social issues. 

• Is technology the most effective way to increase the ease of access to charitable and volunteer activities? 

• Learn about Kindly, a U.S.-based app connecting individuals to volunteer opportunities.

In an effort to create a caring and empowering environment for its rapidly aging population, Singapore hopes to double its volunteerism rate from one in three currently to 70 percent in five years' time.

"We hope for Singapore to grow as a giving nation with a volunteer in every household," Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth Grace Fu said in a keynote address on June 5th at the Asian Venture Philanthropy Network's (AVPN) conference.

In her speech, Fu noted the challenge faced by many countries:

In the face of technological advances that disrupt our businesses, our jobs, the way we communicate with one another; in the face of an ageing population that will change the societal structure and dramatically increase the need for social services; in the face of globalisation that may result in uneven economic progress for segments of society; our challenge is to activate and strengthen the social compact in the face of increasing social and technological divides.

To that end, the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre's (NVPC) Giving.SG portal has grown over the past few years to more than 150,000 members who use the platform to find opportunities to volunteer and make donations.

Read the full article about volunteerism in Singapore by Grace Leong at The Straits Times.