Singapore Charity Gives Donors 24/7 Access to Financial Records

A Singapore charity has come up with a way to be more accountable to its most-generous donors: giving them online access to its daily accounts, notes The Straits Times.

Starting this month, donors who give at least $67,584 to the Heartware Network, which promotes community service among young people, will receive a password that enables them to with a few keystrokes to see the charity’s daily revenue and spending—as well as the salaries and bonuses of all of its employees.

Board members and selected other supporters will receive the same access to Heartware’s accounts.

And in an effort to persuade more people to give regularly to the charity, donors who make monthly gifts of $67 or more will receive profit and loss reports generated by the charity’s online accounting system every 30 days, the newspaper said.

Keven Wong, a 35-year-old program manager with Heartware, said that he does not mind his salary being disclosed to the charity’s supporters. “At the end of the day,” he said, “we’re not a commercial entity. At least they know we are not paid highly to work in a volunteer organization.”

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