The Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors wishes to remind the Bermuda public of the requirement to apply for and register a temporary fundraising licence with the Office of the Registry General when soliciting funding or donations from members of the public. These include campaigns run by individuals or entities that are not registered as charities and can be events like bake sales, charity dinners and sports events, or crowdfunding through platforms like GoFundMe. This requirement also applies to crowdfunding based overseas, where the target audience includes the Bermuda public or the beneficiary of the fundraiser is a Bermudian resident.
The Minister of Youth, Social Development and Seniors, the Hon. Tinee Furbert, JP, MP, noted that “Bermudians have a reputation of being incredibly generous and are always willing to assist those in their community, whether it’s to help with unexpected medical costs, supporting our youth, or assisting someone during a difficult point in their life.”
However, Minister Furbert stated that the public also needs to be confident that those who are soliciting funds for charitable purposes are following the proper process so that the Office of the Registry General can verify that the donations are being used legitimately. For this reason, the Charities Act 2014 requires that anyone who wishes to raise funds from the public in this manner must apply for a Temporary Fundraising Licence through the Registry General.
Any member of the public who wishes to start a temporary fundraiser is encouraged to visit the Registry General’s website at https://www.gov.bm/online-services/register-charity where they can find details on the temporary fundraising procedures and the Application for a Temporary Fundraising License. This application needs to be signed by two individuals and approved by the Registrar General before any fundraising can begin. Once approved, the applicants will receive a licence with a temporary fundraising number which should be quoted in any publications promoting their fundraising. This includes posters, flyers, and anything on social media or crowdfunding websites.
If any member of the public has a concern about whether a fundraiser has been properly registered, they are invited to contact the Registry General at charityinfo@gov.bm.
Temporary Fundraising Licences are granted for a three-month period and may be renewed for a further three months, by application, at the discretion of the Registrar General. No later than two months after the expiry of the Temporary Licence, the applicants are required by law to provide a statement of income and expenditure on the funds that were raised and must demonstrate that they were applied correctly for the stated purposes of the fundraiser.
Minster Furbert cautioned that carrying out a fundraiser without a temporary licence is a criminal offense under the terms of the Charities Act 2014 and failure to obtain a licence or provide a correct accounting of the funds raised could result in a fine, imprisonment, or both. Any individuals who are currently engaged in fundraising without a temporary licence are encouraged to contact the Registry General urgently to bring themselves into compliance.
For more information, please contact the Legal & Compliance Officer of the Registry General, Matthew Nester, at 444-1947 or mtnester@gov.bm or visit https://www.gov.bm/online-services/register-charity.