ESG – Governance

1. The Board assumes the overall responsibility for setting the direction and strategy of BCS to ensure proper stewardship and the fulfilment of its vision and mission. The Board provides the strategic direction and workplan, as well as the pertaining policies to the Executive Management Team, who is delegated with day-to-day management. The Board also forms Sub-Committees with specific functions to assist in the discharge of its duties.
2. The term of office of the Board is two (2) years. The Board members are to be elected at alternate Annual General Meetings. All office-bearers of the Board shall hold office for a term of two (2) years upon election and shall be eligible for re-election to the same or related post for consecutive terms, except the Honorary Treasurer who may not be re- elected to the same or related post for more than two (2) consecutive terms of office.
3. All new members are given an induction kit which contains key organisational information (i.e., Constitution), Board Member’s Code of Conduct, Terms of Reference of the Sub- Committees and key appointed holders (Secretary and Treasurer), and various policies such as Conflict of Interest Policy, Whistle-Blowing Policy, Media and Corporate Communications Policy, Financial Policy, Risk Management Policy, Anti-Money Laundering amongst others.
4. The Vice-Chairman holds a dual role as a Board member and Acting CEO. He does not chair the Board meeting as outlined within the BCS Constitution. He did not receive any remuneration from the Society during the Financial Year.
5. The Board did not receive any remuneration from the Society during the Financial Year. As such, no Board member is involved in setting his or her own remuneration.
6. The Board has conducted an annual self-evaluation during its retreat on 02 September 2023, to assess its performance, including a review of key office bearers and Board Member(s) finishing their terms of office for succession planning purpose. The self- evaluation covers the Board’s effectiveness such as accountability, governance, roles and responsibilities, fundraising, strategic direction and model of care for the respective programmes.
7. There are no paid staff (employees) who are close members of the family of the CEO or Board Members, who receive more than $50,000 during the year.
8. There are no paid staff who receives remuneration exceeding $100,000 during the year.
9. The Board meets regularly with a quorum of at least more than half (1/2) for its proceedings to be valid.
10. Staff members are not permitted to chair Board meetings.
11. In the Financial Year 2023/2024, no Board Members have served for more than 10 consecutive years, as was indicated by the Society’s Constitution. Re-appointment to the Board will only be considered after a lapse of at least two years.

Sub-committees are established to assist the Board in making better decisions and improve its oversight over management and its accountability to stakeholders. All sub-committees have written Terms of Reference (TOR) which were approved by the Board.

Finance Committee

The Finance Committee works with the Chairman and the financial staff to monitor the finances of BCS. The Board Treasurer chairs the committee. The Committee meets at least once every year and as needed. The Committee’s responsibilities include the following:

• Work with different stakeholders to prepare annual budget for Board’s Approval.
• Develop and improve appropriate procedures for budget preparations, and on a consistency between the budget and the organisation’s plans.
• Monitor BCS’s financial status regularly to ensure fiscal discipline and report on BCS’s balance sheet at every Board meeting.
• Ensure regular and accurate monitoring and accountability for funds and report to the Board on any financial irregularities and concerns (to refer to BCS Financial Policies).
• Work with appropriate staff (e.g., book keeper, finance admin) to design financial reports and ensure that reports are accurate and timely.
• Ensure the organization has sufficient cash reserves and investments necessary for long-term success.
• To recommend financial guidelines to the Board (such as to establish a reserve fund or to obtain a line of credit for a specified amount).
• To oversee short and long-term investments, unless there is a separate investments committee.

Personnel Committee

The Personnel Committee facilitates the organisation on Board renewal; staff recruitment, renumeration, and welfare policies. The Board Chairman chairs the committee. The committee meets once every year and as needed.

The Committee’s responsibilities include the following:

• Reviews the composition of the Board annually to ensure that the Board has an appropriate balance of independent Board members and to ensure an appropriate balance of expertise, skills, attributes and ability among the Board members.
• Identifies potential board member candidates and explores their interest and availability for board service; Nominates board members for election as board officers.
• Oversees the process of board orientation for new board members.
• Draft staff personnel and welfare policies and revising it periodically to keep them up-to-date and comparable with the social service industry.
• Guides development, review and authorisation of HR policies and procedures.
• Establishes a salary structure, and annually reviewing staff salaries.
• Acts as a grievance Board to address employee complaints.

Audit Committee

The BCS Audit Committee facilitates the external and internal audit of the organisation for the Board to obtain independent information about the organisation’s activities. The Committee comprise of at least one Board member and the Board Treasurer will be part of this Committee. The Committee meets at least twice a year to review the risk management policy.

The Committee’s responsibilities include the following:

• To oversee the financial reporting and disclosure process, and monitor the choice of accounting policies and principles.
• To review the audit plans and reports of the external auditors and internal auditors, and considers the effectiveness of the actions taken by management on the auditors’ recommendations.
• To report to the Board of any financial irregularities, concerns and opportunities.
• To liaise with auditors on any significant matters arising.
• To conduct periodic internal checks on key processes to ensure compliance with the established procedures, and report to the Board on the findings and recommendations for improvements.
• To analyse and address the risks that are associated with the key processes (to refer to BCS Risk Management Policy and BCS PDPA Policy).
• To oversee regulatory compliance (to refer to Government Evaluation Checklist) and whistleblower guidelines (to refer to BCS Whistleblowing Policy).

Fund-Raising Committee

The purpose of the Fundraising Committee is to assist the Board in overseeing the overall fundraising effort of BCS. This includes strategizing, planning, implementation and review of annual fund-raising activities of BCS.

The Committee’s responsibilities include the following:

• Develop an annual fundraising strategy and budget for BCS to be presented to the Board for Approval.
• Oversee the implementation of the approved fundraising strategy.
• Ensure all fundraising activities are done cost-effectively, ethically, legally and with transparency and financial accountability.
• Work with Treasurer (Financial Committee) to meet contingencies that may arise from fundraising events.
• Work with the Ops Team (Corp Comms Department)
• Review the fundraising efforts to ensure progress towards annual and long-term funding objectives.

• BCS employs paid staff.
• No staff is involved in setting his or her own remuneration.
• There are no paid staff(s) (employees) who are close members of the family of the CEO or Board Members, and whose remuneration each exceeds $50,000 during the year.
• The Personnel Sub-Committee writes and reviews the documented Employee Handbook for staff.
• There are HR policies for regular supervision, appraisal and professional development of staff.
• The Board together with the Personnel Sub-Committee approves and reviews annual manpower planning to ensure the recruitment and retention policies are relevant to market conditions and overall organisational objectives.

• Volunteers (individuals) are key partners in our service delivery and fulfilment of the programme requirements.
• New volunteers are introduced to the Volunteers Handbook and required to abide by a Code of Conduct to maintain confidentiality and comply with our PDPA Policy.
• Trainings are conducted for volunteers to ensure that they are able to contribute effectively and ensure the wellbeing and safety of our beneficiaries and also our volunteers.

• BCS has established guidelines for fund-raising based on best practices set out by the National Council of Social Service and the Charity Council.
• Donor’s intent with regards to funds received (donations) made for specific or identified designated purposes are strictly observed. Funds in designated accounts will be used for the sole intention of which the designated funds had been established. Any change of use of such funds will only be administered after attaining the consent of the donor who had stipulated the original intention of that donated sum.
• BCS held 3 fundraising activities in FY 2023/2024: SWEE & GRIT Soft Launch, Fun Walk & Mini Carnival, and BCS Thanksgiving Dinner.
• The Fundraising Efficiency Ratio is 21% for FY 2023/2024.
• BCS did not engage the services of commercial fundraisers in the FY 2023/2024.

All Board members and staff of BCS are required to comply with the BCS Conflict of Interest Policy and operating procedures are in place to avoid and manage situations of actual or perceived conflicts of interest. The Policy is read and acknowledged by each member of the Board and Staff, annually and on a need-to basis. In the event that a conflict-of-interest situation arises, whether direct or indirect, full disclosure must be made and the involved members must abstain and do not vote or participate in decision-making.

BCS risk management strategy includes a policy set out to regularly identify, evaluate and manage risks to reduce the adverse scenarios associated with our organisational strategies, programmes and services. The policy articulates our risk management framework which includes establishing the governance structure for managing risks, explaining our risk philosophy, risk appetite and tolerance levels and risk management approaches with charity continuity plans.

BCS has a reserve policy for long-term stability of the operations, which ensures that there are sufficient resources to support the charity in the event of unforeseen circumstances. Reserves refer to a part of the income funds (excluding endowment funds and restricted funds and designated funds) that is freely available for its operating purposes not subject to commitment. The charity shall keep a minimum $50,000 or at least 30% of the current year’s operating expenditure budget, whichever is higher, in the bank current accounts and/or fixed deposits as reserves for contingency use in the event that donations are insufficient to meet both the operating expenses and the capital expenditure of the charity. This is to ensure that the charity has sufficient funds that can be made available for its operating purposes in case of emergency or temporary budget shortfall, especially during a prolonged severe economic downturn.

The Society adopts a conservative approach towards investments and place our funds in safe, low-risk options. Any non-interest bearing current account balance exceeding the normal needs of the Society plus an excess amount of cash reserves may be placed in interest bearing current accounts and/or time deposit accounts.

If the Board decides to make investments outside of demand deposit and time deposit, the following principle shall apply:

• The Society’s investments should not distract the Society from its core charitable purpose.
• ⁠⁠Investments should not expose the Society’s assets to significant. The Board should consider all potential risks and returns prior to making an investment decision.
• ⁠⁠The Board should consider seeking professional investment advice where necessary.
• ⁠⁠There should be a suitable balance between highly liquid and less liquid investments so that investments can be easily and quickly liquidated to meet operating needs of the Society.
• ⁠⁠AAA-rated securities or Singapore government securities are preferred.
• ⁠The Society should not make investments which are deemed to be contrary to ethical values and the Society’s objects, principles and values or which may damage the Society’s reputation. These may include e.g. tobacco, weapons and arms, and sanctioned businesses.

BCS’s media and corporate communications policy provides a framework for BCS’s communications with our stakeholders (donors, members, clients, volunteers, and the general public). As a professional social service agency, BCS seeks to communicate accurately, consistently, promptly, professionally, and in accordance with BCS’s mission, goals, and needs. The policy set out best practices for Board members and staff in handling information and communications.

The Society endeavours to have a high standard of accountability, transparency and compliance. The Whistle-blowing Policy aims to provide an avenue for staff, volunteers and external parties (e.g., clients, contractors, members of the public) to confidentially whistle-blow and raise concerns about possible wrongdoing or improprieties in matters within the Society, without fear of reprisals or victimisation.�

You may report your concerns or issues to the Feedback Committee which is chaired by the Board Chairman, comprising of members of the Society.�

Private & Confidential
For the Attention of BCS Chairman / Feedback Committee*
Bless Community Services
Post Address: 242, Yio Chu Kang Road, S545671
Email Address: feedback@bless.org.sg
[*As appropriate]

You should make your report in a letter or email, setting out in detail the background, history of events, reason(s) for concern, and any supporting documents. You may make your report anonymously but that will affect the weight to be placed on the report.

More info on https://bless.org.sg/whistle-blowing-policy/.�

BCS has implemented a Personal Data Protection Policy and related processes to comply with the Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (the “PDPA”). This policy applies to personal data collected from all individuals who are our clients, beneficiaries, members of the families of our clients or beneficiaries, employees, volunteers, donors, participants in our events, and anyone whose personal data we have possession of.

Unless otherwise permitted by law, BCS is required to obtain consent for the collection, use, disclosure and processing of personal data. Data will only be used for the purposes disclosed and consent obtained, unless otherwise permitted under the law. Reasonable arrangements are in place to prevent unauthorised access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification or disposal of the personal data.

The Policy is read and acknowledged by each member of the Board and Staff annually and on a need-to basis.

More info on https://bless.org.sg/pdpa-2/.

All members of the Board, staff and key volunteers abide by a code of conduct throughout their employment or engagement with BCS. This code of conduct is aligned to BCS core values of Integrity, Respect, Compassion, Responsibility and Excellence.

BCS has a reserve policy for long-term stability of the operations and it ensures that there are sufficient resources to support the charity in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

Reserves refer to that part of the income funds (excluding endowment funds and restricted funds and designated funds) that is freely available for its operating purposes not subject to commitment. The charity shall keep a minimum $50,000 or at least 30% of the current year’s operating expenditure budget, whichever is higher, in the bank current accounts and/or fixed deposits as reserves for contingency use in the event that donations are insufficient to meet both the operating expenses and the capital expenditure of the charity. This is to ensure that the charity has sufficient funds that can be made available for its operating purposes in case of emergency or temporary budget shortfall, especially during a prolonged severe economic downturn.

The Governance Evaluation Checklist (GEC) covers the key guidelines in the Code of Governance for Charities and IPCs (“the Code”). The checklist can be found on the Charity Portal website, under Advanced Search for Charities, at https://www.charities.gov.sg/�