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SINGAPORE – Charities will be supported to boost their digital capabilities and strengthen regulatory compliance and transparency, with a series of initiatives to be implemented later this year.
They include a new set of tools, to be launched in November, which aims to help charities embrace digitization in support of their corporate and administrative functions.
Speaking on Wednesday (September 23) at the virtual Charity Governance conference, Culture, Community and Youth Minister Edwin Tong said that Charities GoDigital Kit is one of three initiatives to support charities in strengthening their capabilities amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Describing charities as the glue that holds Singapore together, Tong said they play a key role in civil society and that much of the work they do benefits the most vulnerable segments of society.
“Much of his work is indeed critical to our national drive to build a more caring and inclusive Singapore,” he told some 500 representatives and charity partners at the event.
Tong also announced a revised Charity Transparency Framework, to be released next month.
He said transparency, like accountability, is key to building trust with donors and stakeholders.
“The more well governed a charity is, the more trust a donor will have in that charity.”
“This framework serves as a guide to help charities define their transparency policy and approach … It will summarize good disclosure practices and help charities better communicate with their stakeholders.”
The framework was released in 2015, and the revision was announced last year.
In a statement, the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) said that the framework has been redesigned to accommodate charities of different sizes. The revised framework will be posted on the Charity Portal and on the Charity Council website.
Mr. Tong also announced that four more organizations will help strengthen compliance and effectiveness of charities starting September 23. These shared service partners will help charities at little or no cost.
The four are the Singapore Institute of Chartered Accountants, the Law Society Pro Bono Services, the Singapore Institute of Internal Auditors, and the Shared Services for charities.
With the latest addition, there are now 11 such organizations helping charities from accessing IT solutions to recruiting talent and submitting annual reports and financial statements.
The two-day conference, held virtually for the first time, is organized by the Securities Investors Association (Singapore) with the support of the Charity Council.
Tong said the past few months have not been easy and the charity sector has been affected as well, but was pleased to learn that many have adapted to the Covid-19 requirements.
To assist in digitization efforts, charities can take advantage of the Wellness Voluntary Charities Capacity Fund.
In his speech, Mr. Tong highlighted some charities that have benefited from digitization, noting that the arts charity Ding Yi Music Company has been engaging audiences online by holding an online concert on Facebook.
He added that the ministry will continue to work with partners and provide resources to strengthen the capacities of charities and build a “more prosperous and resilient” charity sector.
In his speech, Charities Commissioner Ang Hak Seng said that charities should not only consider increasing donations, but also spend time improving productivity, and that every dollar saved is another dollar for recipients.
“We also want you to deepen your professional core; I always say, do what you do best, outsource the rest,” he said, adding that working with shared service partners would allow charities to focus more on their activities and programs.
Charity Council Chairman Gerard Ee said he understands that it could be tempting for charities to put the achievement of good governance and transparency at the back of their minds during this challenging period.
“However, it is more during these times that charities need to increase trust in their donors, share with them the good work they are doing and gain more support for their efforts to help recipients.”
He urged charities not to compromise on good governance and high standards of ethical behavior during this period, so that they can be sustainable and resilient.
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