12/31/2005

when must charities be closely watched?

when should we be concerned or start to worry? when a charity or organisation tells us that it is ok not to disclose their financial data or reveal what they are doing. or when an organisation says transparency is not necessary. or when an organisation says they are managed professionally, so trust them. or when they say they cannot find suitable people or qualified people to join them. or when they say they cannot find any volunteers. or when they say they have powerful patrons. or when they say it will take time for them to produce the data. or when they say the data are unavailable. or when they say it is on a need to know basis. or when they refuse to let in new members into the organisation. it was reported in the straits times today and i quote, 'ms maureen sung of asian women's welfare association thought it would be tough to find donors who are also experts on charity work. "we can't just pull anyone to be a board member. whether the person donates money is irrelevant." " what is needed is not people who are expert in charity work. there are enough experts in the organisation doing charity works. but people who can be the watchdog, to keep a check on these organisations. to make sure there is not going to be another case like nkf. you do not need someone to be an expert in charity to be in a charitable organisation. you need an honest and decent man to watch out for wrong doings. and when an organisation finds all sorts of excuses not to bring in independent people, the more it is necessary to bring in independent people.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I thought the Board of Directors were supposed to be the watchdogs of the NKF? or was I wrong?

Who act as watchdogs of the watchdods?

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

hi anonymous,

if i am the ceo of a public listed company, and i invited all my friends to the board of directors. i handpicked them to make sure they are damn nice to me. and i treat them especially well. and they know that their tenure and director's fee depends on whether i am happy with them, what do you think they will do?

better still, i tell them that if they approve my salary by $10 mil i will give them a big angpow of $1 mil each, what do you think?

or better still, we set up companies under each other's names and award all kinds of fictitious contracts to the companies and keep paying the companies even if the companies did not deliver.

that is the best kind of corporate governance that i want to have.

Anonymous said...

OK, then Mr Redbean, you will be rich, all the members of the board of directors will also be rich and all will be one big happy rich family.

Oh, we forgot the patrons. Invited famous patrons and and I wonder if you should also give them a slice of the cake?

Chua Chin Leng aka redbean said...

hi anonymous,

happy new year. i never forget the patron. the best position is to be the patron. enjoy the goodies, and stay out of the fray. no need to act stupid and try to defend the good name of the management. let them take care of themselves.

nightfalc said...

I hereby acknowledge that I had published defamatory statements about Clemen Chiang's character. I apologize unreservedly for any damage, hurt and injury which I may have caused to Clemen Chiang. I hereby declare that I withdraw and retract all my said statements about Clemen Chiang's character.