Donation

[Daniel3]

Hi All,

 

This is what I heard from an insider source.

 

Every donation you make on the street,be it for cancer or welfare home.

The person organising the event take a 30% cut,it is even better if you pay by giro.

Passive income from you guys every month.

 

That's y I never make donation on the street.

 

Any bro there,correct me if I am wrong.

 

Cheers

 

[Latka]

Your insider source working for company dat organizes such donation drives?

[Little_prince]

it's true... came out in the papers before...

[Latka]

Now charity oso have to outsource? No wonder I see quite a number of overly enthusiastic people showing file folders of the charity that they are raising funds for. The problem I have with them is that they are casually dressed, hence make me doubt if they are trying to pull a con.

[Jeffang]

that come out at newspaper before liao..

anyway if no comm for them... why they want to go ask people to give $$$?

 

and for your info... every donation u give, be it on the street or not... there's cut before they pass it to the home...

 

[Joseph22]

Depend on who organise it.

 

if its organise by the charity organisation itself. then i assume nothing go to the organising party as he/she is employed by the charity organisation. but if organise by outsider, i will not be surprise.

[Joseph22]

that come out at newspaper before liao..

anyway if no comm for them... why they want to go ask people to give $$$?

 

and for your info... every donation u give, be it on the street or not... there's cut before they pass it to the home...

 

 

i dont get a cut leh when i do the donation tin. where got such good lobang. i want to do part time.

[Yeobh]

Always donated directly to hands that feed the mouths.

[Booboon]

nowadays u won't know the money goes into whose pocket.

[Jman888]

quite irresponsible to find those excuses.

$36,000 raised, but only S$5,000 given to cancer-stricken man so far

The New Paper Wednesday, Dec 30, 2015

 

The single father to three kids are cancer-stricken and used to hold two jobs to raise his kids on his own.

 

Photo: The New Paper

 

He said he felt compelled to help after reading a news report about a cancer-stricken father of three, Mr Goh Hoon Tiong.

 

So Mr Martin Lim started two online campaigns to raise money for the 44-year-old man and managed to raise more than $36,000.

 

But two months after the campaigns, Mr Goh has received only $5,000.

 

Now, members of the public who had donated freely to the campaigns - which were set up on online crowdfunding platforms GIVEasia and Indiegogo - are asking for updates on the funds raised.

 

They are also chasing Mr Lim to transfer the rest of the money to the cancer-stricken man.

 

The New Paper on Sunday wrote about Mr Goh's plight on Oct 4, following a report in Shin Min Daily News.

 

The report struck a chord with many readers, who sympathised with Mr Goh, especially when the single parent revealed that he had to hold two jobs to raise his young daughter and two sons.

 

Many netizens responded with words of encouragement when Mr Lim started his campaign. One wrote: "Stay strong Mr Goh and don't give up! Best wishes for a speedy recovery!"

 

A total of 170 donors donated $24,330 on GIVEasia. On US-based platform Indiegogo, 128 people donated US$8,330 (S$11,660).

 

The campaigns closed on Oct 13 and Oct 22 respectively.

 

On Mr Lim's fundraising page on GIVEasia, he said that something about Mr Goh's story made him pause.

 

He wrote: "Maybe it was the single parenthood or his struggle with a failed business; maybe it was his holding two jobs to desperately feed his three children. Or maybe it was how touched I was with the plight of his kids.

 

"Whatever the case, I decided to act in whatever little way I knew how. I turned to the Web."

 

There was also a note addressing concerns of whether he would give all the monies raised to Mr Goh. 

 

Mr Lim wrote: "I've promoted this fundraiser on 2 platforms using my personal profile to my family, friends AND business associates (sic).

 

"My reputation is worth a heck of a lot more than what I'm trying to raise for Mr Goh.

 

"I'm here to help, and all of this is voluntary. The only assurance I can give is my word."

 

DIFFICULTIES

 

TNP understands that GIVEasia transferred a sum of about $23,700 - after deducting some bank charges - into Mr Lim's personal account on Oct 20, a week after he closed the campaign.

 

In an interview on Dec 17, Mr Lim confirmed with TNP that the monies raised had been transferred to his bank account.

 

But he said he faced difficulties in transferring the monies to Mr Goh.

 

He transferred $5,000 to Mr Goh on Monday. 

 

TNP also spoke to a family service centre (FSC) officer in charge of Mr Goh's case. She declined to be named.

 

The officer said Mr Goh informed her that by late October, he still had not received any money.

 

She contacted GIVEasia, who linked her to Mr Lim via e-mail.

 

She managed to contact Mr Lim on Nov 13 and informed him that Mr Goh had yet to receive any money.

 

Mr Lim told her that he had been too busy on work trips to transfer the money.

 

He also said he would settle the matter with Mr Goh directly.

 

Said the officer: "I did not want to interfere because it dealt with money, which is very sensitive. And since I was told that the money would have gone directly to Mr Goh, I thought it would be okay."

 

Responding to TNP's queries, GIVEasia co-founder Aseem Kumar Thakur said they were "very disappointed and concerned that there has been a delay in the funds being sent by (the) campaign organiser to Mr Goh".

 

He said: "While GIVEasia makes no representation about the accuracy, safety or legality of any of the campaigns or user content posted on GIVEasia, which is clearly stated upfront in GIVEasia's 'Terms of Use', our team is nevertheless committed to providing information and taking reasonable actions to help the groups that have come forward to assist Mr Goh and his family with this case."

 

Lawyers whom TNP spoke to said that in an instance where a crowdfunding campaign fails to deliver, donors should make a police report.

 

Mr Justin Tan, an associate lawyer at Trident Law, said: "If the money has not gone to where it is supposed to go, then the first course of action would be to make a police report."

 

Mr Tan said that donors should be discerning when it comes to such campaigns and that it should be made sure that the money goes into the intended recipient's bank account.

 

Another lawyer, Mr Bryan Tan from Pinsent Masons, agreed.

 

"Essentially, a crowdfunding campaign is like a contract and you have to adhere to the contract made to the site.

 

"Donors who feel that their money has not been used properly should make a police report," he said.

 

"It is also important to make sure the money collected goes to an individual or organisation before donating online."

 

 

He had op to remove tumour

 

Since he was diagnosed with oesophageal cancer in May, Mr Goh Hoon Tiong, 44, has had to stop working.

 

He used to work two jobs - as a cleaner and dishwasher - to raise his seven-year-old daughter and sons, aged 10 and 13, on his own after the children's mother left.

 

Following an operation in October to remove the tumour in his oesophagus, Mr Goh is now on six months' medical leave.

 

He told The New Paper earlier this month: "I do not want to know how big the tumour was or what percentage was taken out.

 

"I only know that there is still some (of the tumour) left inside. Any further removal would be life-threatening."

 

He spent about two weeks in hospital and was discharged on Nov 13.

 

Mr Goh, who has undergone at least 26 chemotherapy treatments and four radiotherapy sessions, said he still has to go for radiotherapy sessions in the future.

 

When we visited him at his one-room rental flat in Lavender earlier this month, he showed us the stitches around the bottom of his right shoulder blade and on his abdomen.

 

He winces whenever he needs to cough, saying it is because of the pain from the surgery. He can eat only soft foods like porridge.

 

His mother, who is in her 70s, helped to look after the children when he was hospitalised. She also helps to prepare meals for him and the children.

 

But he personally saw to the back-to-school preparations for his children before he went for his surgery.

 

Mr Goh has been receiving financial aid since 2012. He has a monthly cash grant until end of this year, when his needs will be reassessed. He also receives help with his rent and utilities.

 

His children have government aid, in terms of their school and tuition fees. They also get cash grants.

 

Non-profit organisation The Ray of Hope Initiative aims to raise $13,730 - to buy Mr Goh beds and mattresses, and to provide him with a sum of $1,000 a month to offset his household expenses for a year - from Oct this year to September next year.

 

As of yesterday, the NGO has raised about $5,000 and a volunteer has been visiting Mr Goh every month to pass him his cheques.

 

When asked about donations given by strangers directly to him - in cash, cheque or transfers directly into his bank account - Mr Goh declined to reveal the figure.

 

He said: "I want to keep and save. I can't simply spend it. It needs to last for years."

 

'Too busy to check bank account'

 

His work as a business consultant involves travelling around the region for several weeks at a time.

 

And that is why the money has not been sent to Mr Goh Hoon Tiong, said Mr Martin Lim when The New Paper spoke to him on Monday.

 

Asked if he knew the total amount he had raised, Mr Lim could not recall a specific figure, saying he does not check his bank account often.

 

"I was so busy that I did not have time to even check my bank account," he said, adding that he had gone on back-to-back work trips.

 

In an interview on Dec 17, Mr Lim had told TNP that he made a transfer of $5,000 - which he said is his online transaction limit - to Mr Goh's account but the transfer bounced.

 

He then left for a business trip and realised only later that the transaction had failed.

 

When he got back, "a volunteer" contacted him and gave him another bank account number, which the person said belonged to Mr Goh.

 

Mr Lim said he made a second transfer of $5,000 to that account some time in November, but Mr Goh said he did not receive the money.

 

Mr Lim said that when he started the campaigns, he did not have Mr Goh's bank account details.

 

"I had his address, then I figured I would just get in touch with him and get his details," he said.

 

He said he spoke to Mr Goh on the phone some time in late November or early December, and got his bank account details via a text message.

 

That was the account number he used in the first transfer of $5,000 which bounced.

 

On Monday, when asked about the money, Mr Lim promised he would transfer all of it "by the end of the year".

 

Yesterday, Mr Lim sent TNP a photo of a $5,000 transfer he made on Monday to Mr Goh's account.

 

Mr Goh confirmed that this sum is now in his account. He hoped that Mr Lim would keep his word and transfer the rest of the money soon.

 

[email protected]

 

 

 

 

[Hamburger]

Unacceptable.

Social worker is involved to help retrieve the money but was told that they prefer to deal direct.

 

Direct my foot lah!!!

[Galantspeedz]

i agree social worker should not get involved... between mor goh and mr lim... police should consider getting involved though

[Count-Bracula]

Do not know if I kena scammed this afternoon when 2 heavily tattooed men asked me for donation in exchange for either a keychain or lugage tag.

 

Was at JEMS drinking coffee with family when these 2 approached customers at this coffee place. Most of them turned them away and one of them approached me. He claimed that the donation drive was by ex-convicts (he and the other guy) trying to make good and give back to society . . . Something like that. I said okay and gave him $10 for a pokemon luggage tag. His friend saw me donating and rushed to me, insisting that I donate another $10 to him. I was taken aback by his agressiveness and said no, one enough. Thanks.

 

Ehhh. . . They told me a portion will go to charity and the rest goes into their pocket. Huh?? Kwah kwah . . .

[SuPerBoRed]

Do not know if I kena scammed this afternoon when 2 heavily tattooed men asked me for donation in exchange for either a keychain or lugage tag.

 

Was at JEMS drinking coffee with family when these 2 approached customers at this coffee place. Most of them turned them away and one of them approached me. He claimed that the donation drive was by ex-convicts (he and the other guy) trying to make good and give back to society . . . Something like that. I said okay and gave him $10 for a pokemon luggage tag. His friend saw me donating and rushed to me, insisting that I donate another $10 to him. I was taken aback by his agressiveness and said no, one enough. Thanks.

 

Ehhh. . . They told me a portion will go to charity and the rest goes into their pocket. Huh?? Kwah kwah . . .

U think got people willing to go to the streets due to goodness of their heart meh? Those survey guys ard mrt really just doing survey?

 

Not scam la.. just take it as spend 10bucks to buy key chain lor... charity get 3bucks.. 3bucks got to tattoo guy.. 2 cost price.. 2 organizer taukay hiding in bkgrd... organizer lagi more cb imo...

[RadX]

Do not know if I kena scammed this afternoon when 2 heavily tattooed men asked me for donation in exchange for either a keychain or lugage tag.

 

Was at JEMS drinking coffee with family when these 2 approached customers at this coffee place. Most of them turned them away and one of them approached me. He claimed that the donation drive was by ex-convicts (he and the other guy) trying to make good and give back to society . . . Something like that. I said okay and gave him $10 for a pokemon luggage tag. His friend saw me donating and rushed to me, insisting that I donate another $10 to him. I was taken aback by his agressiveness and said no, one enough. Thanks.

 

Ehhh. . . They told me a portion will go to charity and the rest goes into their pocket. Huh?? Kwah kwah . . .

Scam

 

They ever approached me.. I stared at them

 

They say 'nehmai nehmai '

[Mustank]

Everywhere greed

[Kangadrool]

A lot of con jobs nowadays!

 

 

[Kusje]

Approach you still ok....

 

There was one ang mo syndicate. Ang Mo woman just walk up to you when you are eating lunch/dinner and dump some junk on your table with a note for you to buy.

 

I got pissed off and just threw everything on the floor.