Founded in 2023, Giveinstead.sg is a social initiative that provides a free concierge service to help turn personal celebrations into opportunities for charitable giving, by supporting meaningful causes instead of receiving gifts.
Giveinstead.sg was born from a simple insight: many people would love to give back, but sometimes they may not know where to start or don’t have the time to organise everything themselves. At the same time, birthdays and other celebrations already bring people together in a spirit of generosity. We connect these moments with meaningful causes, making it simple and fuss-free for people to turn goodwill into real impact.
We help individuals transform birthdays, anniversaries, and other special occasions into fundraisers, inviting friends and family to support causes close to their hearts in place of traditional gifts. A ground-up initiative registered with Giving.sg, Giveinstead.sg provides a completely free, volunteer-run concierge service that supports each fundraiser from start to finish. We never handle the funds ourselves, and every dollar raised goes directly to the chosen charity.
Through these celebrations, our community has supported causes ranging from healthcare and eldercare to children, youth, animal welfare, and the environment. By making giving an easy and meaningful part of life’s special moments, we hope to foster a culture where celebrating and giving back naturally go hand in hand, extending the joy of one occasion to the wider community.
Giveinstead.sg was founded by Shoken Tsurumaru, a student at United World College of South East Asia who is passionate about reimagining how generosity can be integrated into everyday life.
Inspired by the belief that birthdays, weddings, and other milestones can become opportunities to do good, he created Giveinstead.sg to make celebratory giving simple, transparent, and meaningful. He observed that while many people genuinely want to give, they often do not know where or how to start. At the same time, celebrations already bring people together in a spirit of generosity. Giveinstead.sg was created to connect those moments with giving, helping to harness that goodwill and turn it into real and lasting impact.
Shoken’s work has been recognised both locally and internationally. In 2026, he was named People of Good (Youth) Award winner at the President’s Volunteerism & Philanthropy Awards (PVPA) 2026, after being recognised as a finalist in the Student category in 2025. He is also a recipient of the Icons of Change International Award 2025. His vision is to build a culture in which giving becomes a natural expression of joy and solidarity, and celebratory giving becomes a meaningful way for people to come together, connect, and create lasting impact in the community.
Our free concierge service aims to match you with a charitable cause to which you feel a strong connection; and help you find the best way to contribute to it, either through a general fundraiser or a customised project.
