charities.gov.sg Applying For Charity or IPC Status Singapore

Organization : Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.
Facility : Applying For Charity or IPC status
Country : Singapore
Website : https://www.charities.gov.sg/Pages/Charities-and-IPCs/Register-as-a-Charity/Before-You-Begin.aspx#

Applying For Charity or IPC status

Applications for charity or IPC status are done through the Charity Portal, which require a valid Singpass Account before any transactions could be carried out on the Portal. Please apply for your Singpass Account if you do not already have one.

Related : Overseas Employment Certificate OEC Singapore : www.statusin.org/7191.html

Applicants are required to submit a list of information/documents for registration purposes :
** Signed copy of the Governing Instrument;
** Certified Statements of Accounts for the last 3 financial years (if applicable); and
** 2-year activities and fund disbursement plan.

Legislative Conditions For Registration

Under the Charities (Registration of Charities) Regulations, organisations will have to comply with the following conditions to get registered as charities :
** Purposes or objects of the organisation must be exclusively charitable;

** Organisation must have at least 3 governing board members, of whom at least two must be Singapore citizens or permanent residents; and
** Purposes or objects of the organisation must be beneficial wholly or substantially to the community in Singapore.

Additional Conditions To Qualify For IPC Status

To apply for the IPC status, the organisation has to be a registered charity or an exempt charity or other charity that is not required to be registered by virtue of section 5(4) of the Charities Act.

In addition, under the Charities (Institutions of a Public Character) Regulations, the activities of an IPC must be beneficial to the community in Singapore as a whole, and not confined to sectional interests or group of persons based on race, creed, belief or religion, unless otherwise approved by the Minister.

These activities must meet the IPC’s objectives under its governing instruments and the objectives of its Sector Administrator. The IPC must also be administered by governing board members, at least half of whom are independent and citizens of Singapore.

Requirements For Registration

Types of Set-up

To apply for registration as a charity, an organisation has to be a legal entity set-up as :
** A society under the Registry of Society (ROS); or
** A company limited by guarantee (CLG) under the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority of Company (ACRA); or
** A trust under the Office of Commisioner of Charities (COC)

Applicants should note the various requirements and obligations under the respective set-up and take these into consideration when deciding how the organisation is to be established.

Governing Board Members

Governing board members form the body which has the general control and management of the charity. Collectively, they are responsible in ensuring that the charity is well-governed and prudently managed in achieving the charitable objects for which it has been set up.

Governing boards of charities are to ensure that persons appointed to be their members must :
** Be at least 18 years old;
** Not be disqualified as a company director;
** Not have been convicted of an offence involving dishonesty or deception;

** Not be an undischarged bankrupt; and
** Not have been disqualified from being a governing board member, key officer or trustee for a charity by an order made by the Commissioner.