kookaburrah wrote:
That's where I see a problem - the "many a charity" issue. There are indeed many. Countless, for a country the size of a handkerchief. This is the fifth different country I live in, and never have I been accosted by these many children asking me to contribute towards every conceivable cause under the sun. I agree that charities need funds to run their operations - but this, in my opinion, is the lazy way to do it.
Ah .. I see ... how else do the Charities raise funds ? Post-NKF Saga, Singapore tightened the fund raising guidelines, so you cannot do mega fund raisers etc. and burn 90cents to make 1$, and the children's collecting funds add to their CIP hours, something that's needed for their own good-scores too. So what is wrong again ? If you are not happy donating, DON'T DO IT .. nobody is holding a knife to your neck and demanding that you donate ...
I am sure they all have their permits and that their need is legitimate. What I feel is that this need is completely secondary to the exercise - children ask as they are told to with vague instructions beyond the "smile, look cute and say how nice we are being to old people/little orphans/whatever". This leads to the impression, seemingly prevalent around here, that dealing with old people/little orphans/whatever is exclusively the responsibility of said charity with no need for further engagement by the general population beyond these flag days.
Having done enough briefing for Students, no sir, you are wrong .. kids are not told to Smile and ask $ - they are given a brief of what the organisation is, and expected to answer, and if they don't answer, I wouldn't punish them or go in that direction, because, VWOs value the time the students spend
Arsenal_fan wrote:Well the children are ok, they can take no for an answer. I've had some really persistent volunteers from the heart foundation. They look far too professional to be volunteers. I guess they work on a commission basis.
That's a new Trend, and it is a matter of time before NCSS puts a stop to this practice of engaging professional fund raising organisation, if they were violating any law.
They really insisted on a large donation and even had a installment plan to donate (100$ monthly can?). Totally amazed at the idea, if you don't have the money to donate today will you be able to afford it tomorrow?
you are kidding right ? why not complain to NCSS ?? if you were asked to donate such large sums ? Go ahead and complain ..
Another incident around a year and a half ago, we had one of these good Samaritan turn up at our doorstep at 10 p.m. when i told him i donate to other causes and would not be able to help him, he got all angry and started yelling in mandarin.
Are you sure that was a legal fund raising exercise ? Legal fund raising exercises cannot go beyond 7PM .. so you should have called the cops .. they will turn up
I sometimes wonder how much of what you donate really goes towards the cause.
Go do some reading .. if you think money is being scammed, by the many welfare organisations and somebody is squandering the money, I have one little advice: Leave Singapore .. years ago, when the NKF Saga happened, the Government has enforced more transparency and accounting for any organisation that conducts public donation
If in doubt, stop accusing, go read up at NCSS at
www.ncss.org.sg
And as per the latest updates, each fund raising approval form has a QR Code reader, directing you to the NCSS site and describing the progam, and also an Interactive SMS system to seek clarification.
BTW, FYI:
http://www.spf.gov.sg/licence/frameset_HH.html
All fundraising appeals are governed by the Charities (Fund-raising Appeals for Local and Foreign Charitable Purposes) Regulations and the Charities (Institutions of a Public Character (IPC)) Regulations. The Regulations cover areas such as duty to donors (e.g. what fundraisers should disclose), how donations are to be used, the need to maintain accounting records, efficiency in fundraising and requirements for commercial fundraisers.
Those who are keen to conduct house-to-house and/or street collections could either apply for a permit from the Singapore Police Force or seek an approval from the National Council of Social Service (NCSS) to do so if they are NCSS members. A Fund-Raising Permit for Foreign Charitable Causes from the office of the Commissioner of Charities is required for any fundraising appeal with overseas beneficiaries.
For details, please refer to the Charity Portal. The Charity Portal is a resource centre for both charities and the public, and contains comprehensive information on the rules and regulations governing charities. The two Regulations pertaining to fundraising can be found in the “Charity Essentialsâ€Â
Is this the one JR8 and the others were talking about?
