Fund-Raising for Local Charitable Purposes
Disclosure Regime for Public Charitable Fund-Raising Appeals
With effect from 9 October 2023, details of public fund-raising appeals conducted by or for the following entities must be submitted via the Charity Portal at least seven (7) working days prior to the start of the appeal:
- Registered and exempt charities under the Charities Act 1994
- Valid permit-holders raising funds for foreign charitable purpose approved by the Commissioner of Charities (“valid permit-holders”)
These entities are exempted from having to apply for a House to House and Street Collections (HHSC) licence from the Police before they raise funds in public.
The disclosure regime applies to public fund-raising appeals which are collections of monies or other property (e.g. donations-in-kind) conducted by means of visits from house to house or by soliciting in streets or other places or by both such means. This includes the following appeals:
- An appeal within retail outlets where retail staff may ask customers to contribute to a charity or charitable cause;
- An appeal by way of donation boxes placed in public places (whether or not there is active solicitation by persons); and
- An appeal carried out from house to house where the collector asks residents for donations-in-kind such as old clothing or books.
House to house and street collections are still licensed by the Police under the HHSC Act except for collections by or for the abovementioned groups which are exempted. For instance, public fund-raising appeals for a charitable cause and not for the benefit of any registered or exempt charity.
For more information on the HHSC licence, please visit the
Singapore Police Force’s website.
- Disclosure Requirement
- Identification Requirement
- Age Limit of Collectors
- Educating Collectors
- Behaviour of Collectors
Under the disclosure regime, charities and valid permit-holders must submit the following information on their public fund-raising activities via the Charity Portal at least 7 working days before the appeal commences:
- Purpose, duration and method of collection (e.g. street collection or house to house visit);
- Location(s) where the collection will be conducted;
- Contact number and email address that the charity or valid permit-holder can be reached at should the public require any clarifications on the collection; and
- Where a third-party fund-raiser is involved:
- Name of third-party fund-raiser conducting the collection;
- Percentage of the total gross receipts from the collection that is expected as payment for the expenses incurred for the conduct of the collection; and
- Declaration by the charity or valid permit-holder that (i) a written agreement has been established with the fund-raiser as required under the Regulations; and (ii) the charity or valid permit-holder has conducted its due diligence and ascertained that the third-party fund-raiser is fit and proper.
Disclosures made will be published on the Charity Portal for public viewing once submitted by the charity or valid permit-holder. Please refer to the
Charity Portal e-services Guide - Update Charity Basic Profile for more information on how to submit the disclosures. Charities can download a copy of the
disclosure template to facilitate the preparation of the submission via the Portal. Charities may also refer to the
sample submission for reference.
When conducting the public appeal, collectors and fund-raisers on the ground must clearly identify themselves as conducting a collection for the charity or valid permit-holder. Collectors and fund-raisers must also carry and present an official letter from the charity or valid permit-holder containing the following information:
- Serial number of the letter;
- Collection’s purpose, duration, location (as disclosed on the Charity Portal);
- Contact number and email address that the charity or valid permit-holder can be reached at should the public require any clarifications on the collection;
- QR code issued by the Commissioner of Charities or website address at which disclosures on the Charity Portal relating to the collection may be viewed;
- Name of the third-party fund-raiser (if any); and
- Signature of the Chairman, CEO or Executive Director of the charity or valid permit-holder; and where a third-party fund-raiser is engaged, signature of its CEO or officer of equivalent designation.
Templates have been developed to guide charities and valid permit-holders in preparing the official letter for collectors and fund-raisers. The official letter may be presented in hardcopy or electronic form. Charities may download a copy of the relevant template via the links below:
A person below 16 years of age is not allowed to act as collector of money or a third-party fund-raiser without the permission of the Commissioner of Charities.
The charity or valid permit-holder and third-party fund-raiser (if any) are jointly responsible in briefing and preparing all collectors and fund-raisers before commencement of the fund-raising appeal.
Collectors and fund-raisers must be:
- Informed of the requirements on conduct of fund-raising appeals including duty to donors, clear identification and behaviour of collectors that are prescribed under the Charities Act; and
- Provided with all the relevant information and documents, such as the official letter from the charity or valid permit-holder, relating to the collection.
Collectors and fund-raisers on the ground must ensure appropriate behaviour when conducting public appeals, and comply with the relevant requirements prescribed under the Charities Act.
Collectors must
NOT:
- Provide any information to donors or to the general public that is misleading;
- Cause annoyance to any person or remain at the door of or in any premises;
- Conduct collections at locations not specified in the official letter from the charity or valid permit-holder;
- Act in a way that might cause donors to become alarmed or anxious or feel pressured to donate;
- Act in a fraudulent or dishonest manner; and
- Exploit their position as a collector for personal gain.
Other Types of Permits or Licences
There may be other permits or licences from other agencies which fund-raisers need to apply for in order to carry out a specific type of fund-raising activity. For instance, a fund-raiser intending to collect recyclable waste for fund-raising purposes may require a licence from the National Environment Agency (NEA). To find out more, please visit
GoBusiness Singapore.
