Restrictions on fundraising by welfare group extended over accountability concerns: Commissioner of Charities
According to its website, Crisis Centre is a shelter for “men who are homeless or at risk of homelessness”. It was set up as a society in January 2018 and was granted charity status in May that year.
SINGAPORE — Restrictions on fundraising by voluntary welfare organisation Crisis Centre, which were first imposed in August last year, have been extended by the Commissioner of Charities Ang Hak Seng over concerns on how the charity is administered.
In a media statement on Tuesday (June 30), Dr Ang said Crisis Centre would be restricted from fundraising until it had taken various steps including the proper accounting for funds received by the charity.
The charity’s president, Mr Dennis Lee, would also be prohibited from mounting any fundraising appeal, including fundraising for other charities, Dr Ang added.
Both orders apply from July 1.
According to its website, Crisis Centre is a shelter for “men who are homeless or at risk of homelessness”. It was set up as a society in January 2018 and was granted charity status in May that year.
In the statement, Dr Ang said that he had earlier suspended Crisis Centre from conducting all forms of fundraising from Aug 15 last year until June 30 this year, pending an investigation into four fundraising appeals it had conducted.
Dr Ang has since reviewed the investigation findings and representations made by Crisis Centre and Mr Lee.
According to the findings, Mr Lee — who was in charge of the four fundraising appeals by the Crisis Centre under investigation — did not administer the fund-raising appeals properly and failed to ensure proper accountability over the funds received, Dr Ang stated.
Dr Ang said that the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) is prepared to work with the charity to improve its governance, internal controls as well as fundraising processes.
Among the conditions Crisis Centre must meet, it has to put in place proper volunteer management systems and controls to ensure oversight of the fundraising appeal conducted by its volunteers as well as obtaining written approval from MSF for all of its standard operating procedures, systems and controls.
“This will enable the charity to continue to render its services to the community with greater accountability and transparency,” Dr Ang said.
