Issues of risks management, internal controls, and due processes apply equally to all public charitable organisations, including faith-based charities. How does a religious charity strike the proverbial balance between religiosity on the one hand, and secular compliance with the applicable laws and regulations?

It is not sensible to have a one-size fits all prescriptive set of rules and regulations imposed on charities, particularly faith-based organisations. The organisation’s ethos, culture and tenets of faith must be sensitively respected. The application of any set of rules or any code of governance must be nuanced and fine-tuned to take into consideration the beliefs and values of each religious charity.

There must however be certain guardrails on good governance, public accountability, and proper checks and balances to ensure that every charity is in compliance with basic ethical standards of conduct and integrity.

At the end of the day, the governing board or management committee must exercise proper oversight of the charity. A faith-based charity cannot be managed purely on blind faith, adulation or absolute trust in the founder(s) or religious leader(s). The managing board or committee must not abdicate its legal responsibilities to the public and the stakeholders of the charity, and be a mere rubber stamp of the decisions of the founder or religious leader.

I am delighted to be on the panel on the topic, “Leading with Faith : Effective Board Governance”, addressing issues on the above, at this morning’s Charity Governance Conference 2023. The event was organised by the Singapore Charity Council and the Securities Industry Association (Singapore). Minister for Culture, Community & Youth, Mr Edwin Tong, was the Guest of Honour and the keynote speaker.

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