Charities Help Others, but Also Need Assistance From Time to Time
Charities Help Others, but Also Need Assistance From Time to Time
Smaller charities often look for guidance on operational matters, but struggle to set up consultations with partners who can help due to inconvenient locations. Temasek Shophouse offers a solution, enabling them to attend free business consultation clinics in a conducive environment.
The space at Temasek Shophouse allows consultations for smaller charities like Civilians Association of Singapore to be held at a regular schedule and at a centralised location. Photo: Temasek.
As a machining engineering manager, Mr Jayachandran Nettor knows how to keep mechanical systems at optimal levels. But when it comes to running a charity, he requires some guidance.
The honorary treasurer of Civilians Association of Singapore (CAS) had no prior knowledge of administrative work such as filing annual reports and account keeping.
So he was a little lost when CAS, which was formed in 1964 as a club for family bonding, youth development, and community activities, officially registered as a charity in March this year.
“I wasn’t sure how a charity should be run, and I didn’t know where I could find such information,” he said.
Smaller charities like CAS, which comprise more than half of the charity sector, may face administrative difficulties due to their limited resources and manpower. This led to the creation of the shared services initiative in May 2018 to assist charities strengthening their compliance and governance capabilities.
While organisations like Centre for Non-Profit Leadership (CNPL) and Chartered Secretaries Institute of Singapore (CSIS) offer advisory services, meetings may be cancelled due to inconvenient locations or unforeseen circumstances.
CNPL is the leadership consulting arm of the National Volunteer and Philanthropy Centre, while CSIS promotes effective governance and administration of organisations in the corporate and not-for-profit sectors.
So when Temasek Shophouse offered a free and convenient space for shared services partners to hold consultations in June, Mr Jayachandran jumped at the chance to learn from them.
The space at the Shophouse allows consultations to be held at a regular schedule and centralised location. This allows charities to easily obtain assistance to strengthen their operations and governance capabilities.
The session at Temasek Shophouse helped me to better understand my role.
Mr Jayachandran Nettor, Machining Engineering Manager
This is offered in collaboration with the Commissioner of Charities under the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth and the efforts have paid off.
The Commissioner of Charities mooted the initiative as charities cultivate a culture of care and consideration, and it is important for them to be effective and efficient.
Since the launch of the shared services initiative, more than 600 charity representatives have benefitted from the services. As of August 2019, 10 charities have attended the clinics at Temasek Shophouse, which are conducted once a month.
“The co-sharing space at Temasek Shophouse provides a conducive environment with the right ambience for a strategic and confidential conversation,” noted Mr Janssen Ong, CNPL’s Deputy Director.
Consultation clinics are held from 6pm to 8pm – charities reserve a one-hour slot online and attend one-to-one sessions with the shared services partners.
CSIS training executive Azian Bakar said: “We believe that after the walk-in session, charities have a better understanding of things like board and staff recruitment, and submission of annual returns.”
A new, free space at Temasek Shophouse, in collaboration with the Commissioner of Charities, allows charities to get guidance through free consultation clinics. Photo: Temasek.
