Need guidance on the business entity type most suitable for your business?
Let our experts guide you.
Part 1 of Setting Up a Non-Profit Entity in Singapore provided a detailed overview of the different types of entities that can be used to setup a non-profit organization in Singapore. In this Part 2, we talk about matters that are crucial to the post-registration survival of such an organization including fund-raising, publicity, volunteers, etc.
The guide below will help you to understand and plan a successful strategy to tackle the above issues.
Fundraising refers to soliciting and gathering money or other gifts in-kind, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies.
It is important to have a specific plan and road-map in place before you start fundraising.
New fundraising techniques and methods come into existence every year, but the basic ones should be the backbone of your fundraising efforts. There are three principal sources of funding, depending on your cause and eligibility – grants by government agencies, raising funds by appealing to members of the public or approaching corporate houses.
Grants are funds given to NPOs, for charitable purposes, by corporations, governments, small business and individuals. There are various categories of grants you can apply for in Singapore:
Is Singapore a giving nation?
According to Singapore’s Individual Giving Survey 2008, donations to non profit organisations by individuals increased to SGD 958 million in 2008, compared to SGD 341 million in 2006. Donor participation increased to 91% in 2008 from 89% in 2006.
You are allowed to raise funds in Singapore, provided you have obtained the necessary licences and permits as detailed below.
You can raise funds by appealing to the public in the following ways:
For fund-raising appeal through door-to-door collection or soliciting in public places, the House to House and Street Collection Permit must be obtained from the Police. A licence is not needed if it is a private collection that is confined to friends or relatives, appeals made through the telephone or the media such as the Internet and newspapers, appeal letters by post or approaching individual donors.
There are certain permits you will have to apply for with the relevant bodies if you are holding a fund raising event in a public place. For instance, for an assembly of five or more persons in any public place to publicise a cause or campaign, you will need to apply for a permit from the Singapore Police Force. Additionally, licences will have to be obtained for any form of public entertainment, use of outdoor advertising and signage, fire and safety issues, electrical supply installation, sale of food, drinks and merchandise. If you are holding events in common areas in HDB estates, parks or state land you will have to obtain permission from the Town Council concerned, contact National Parks Board or Singapore Land Authority as the case may be.
Most corporations have a Corporate Social Responsibility arm, where they make donations on a regular basis to promote a certain cause or partner with specific organisations and hold a charity show or fund-raising event.
Approaching corporate houses for donations, whether in cash or in kind is hard work. Generally, there are two major steps involved:
Publicity is about getting people talking about your group and what you do, and getting them to spread the word for you. Before you decide on what publicity strategy you want to adopt, it is important to chalk out your publicity goals. Some possible reasons for seeking publicity are a) to increase visibility to raise more funds; b) to raise public awareness about an issue; c) to increase public education about a social cause; d) to influence behavior or attitudes, or to increase participation in an activity.
You next step will be to determine which tools and strategies will have the most impact on your goals. There are several cost effective publicity channels you can adopt to get your organisation seen and heard by people. You might want to consider any or all of the following:
An NVPC’s Volunteerism Survey showed that 16.9% of Singapore’s population engaged in volunteer work in Singapore in the year 2008. The volunteerism rate is lower than some developed countries, such as the UK (48%), the US (44%) and Canada (27%).
In Singapore, more people today prefer to volunteer on an ad hoc basis, rather than take on long-term commitments. This need not necessarily be a disadvantage as ad hoc volunteers help to get more work done, more quickly and effectively. They can sometimes be strong advocates of volunteerism and philanthropy and may even choose to volunteer with you on a long term basis.
Today’s volunteers want their contributions to count. They want to know exactly what is expected of them, how long it will take, and what kind of outcome the association seeks. Detailed below are certain pointers that will help you attract and manage volunteers.
Volunteers are more motivated and committed when there is a comprehensive volunteer management framework in place. Such a framework has four stages.
Established in 1999, the National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC) is the national body that promotes and develops volunteerism and philanthropy across all sectors, functioning as a first-stop centre, catalyst and networking agency to foster the giving spirit in Singapore, whether of time, money or in kind.
NCSS leads and coordinates the social service sector in Singapore. It serves to enhance the capabilities of social service organisations, identify service gaps, pioneer new programmes and set best practice guidelines. Voluntary Welfare Organisations (VWOs) are its members. Together they strive to provide training, funding and other essential services in Singapore’s social service sector.
If you are interested in setting up a non-profit entity in Singapore, you should seek the services of a professional services firm that can assist you with the registration as well as on-going statutory compliance matters of the entity.
Let our experts guide you.
Hawksford's experienced and professional staff will be able to guide you through moving or setting-up your business in Singapore.
With our expertise, we can assist you in setting-up your business structure right the first time.
Reach out to Hawksford todayBack to top