Singapore’s Commissioner of Charities (COC) has launched a new SMS verification service, which allows people to check whether an organisation has a permit to solicit donations in public. The idea is part of the key new initiatives introduced this year to improve charity governance and regulatory compliance to maintain public confidence in charitable giving.
The COC office has previously received complaints by members of the public that they were approached for donations by dubious charities. With the new service both parties benefit – people know their money goes for the right cause, while charities run a lower risk of their names being used for donation scams.
According to COC’s annual report, Singaporeans continue to show their care and confidence in the charity sector despite the financial crisis. The total value of tax-deductible donations received remained the same as 2008 at $687 million. Corporate donations fell from $476 million to $447 million, but that was offset by a 14% increase in individual donations, from $211 million to $240 million.
Again this is a great use of mobile technology that combines both the benefit and convenience and again I love it. 🙂
[Via: AsiaOne]