[Updated] GSPIC Charity Status Now Approved
[Updated: Status now approved] Gina Spence Productions in Christ [GSPIC] said they will not be able to move ahead with their Back to School Campaign this year as their charity registration has not yet been approved.
A spokesperson said, “Although the campaign was extremely successful last year, we are unable to solicit for donations this year because our charity registration has not yet been approved. Last year, GSPIC raised over $14,000 to help more than 140 children receive school clothes for the new school year.
GSPIC said that their “charity registration expired on March 13, 2013 and will admit to submitting their application on that same day, but with the change in government and the appointment of new Charity Commissioners, the process of renewing for charitable status has become more stringent.
“After months of waiting for approval, GSPIC received a request from the Charity Commissioners for additional information and the organization provided the requested documents within a few days.”
Gina Spence [pictured] said that she “recognizes that the due diligence required by the Charity Commissioners ensures that charities are actually assisting and making a difference in the community.”
She also said that she “supports and respects the process as it can’t be easy to comb through all the various applications to determine if a charity is worthy of being approved. ”
Ms Spence also said that although donors and sponsors, including the BBC, have offered support, and helping agencies have been in contact about support for their clients’ children, they will “have to wait and see if our application is approved.”
“After raising funds for over thirty five years with great public and private support, GSPIC would like to thank the community for their understanding. GSPIC will keep the public/media posted on any further developments,” said a spokesperson.
Earlier this week Minister of Home Affairs Michael Fahy said in July there were 50 registered charities that had not provided their financial statements since 2010. Of the 50 charities that received letters, the Government received the outstanding financials from 23 charities, while 13 requested time extensions and 14 charities will have their registrations cancelled.
The Committee of 25 for Handicapped Children and the African Diaspora Heritage Trail Foundation [ADHT] are among the other charities which have had their charitable status revoked.
Update: GSPIC said that their charitable status has been approved, saying that “late on Wednesday afternoon, she received a call from the office of the Charity Commissioners to inform her that the charity’s status has been approved. It was later confirmed by email.
Ms Spence said she would like to thank the Charity Commission for their diligence in reviewing and approving GSPIC’s application.
A spokesperson said, “It may be too late to organize the various partnerships and mobilize volunteers for the back to school campaign, but with the approval, GSPIC can now focus their efforts on fundraising for the upcoming year to fund the programs they foresee on the horizon.
“GSPIC will continue their community outreach programs through prison fellowship, the 2014 road shows, sponsorships, scholarships and the “Christmas in Bermuda” program in partnership with BBC together with other sponsors and partners. GSPIC also has a program that helps and supports those children left behind by the gun violence.
“To support our programs, please donate to the Gina Spence Productions in Christ Bank Account No. 002-051928-001 at any branch of HSBC or transfer online at www.hsbc.bm. For more information, visit our website www.gspic.org or contact Gina Spence at spencegina@yahoo.com.”
Well done OBA. Add 140 students to the people who your shortsightedness has hurt!
They don’t care about the PLP sheep only about big business.
How is this the OBAs fault? As a Charity they are well aware of what their obligations are and what is required to retain that status.. She admitted to submitting the application AFTER her charitable status expired.
While it is unfortunate – only one person to blame here.
I guess by her being a past UBP candidate didn’t count!
She was doing positive stuff though.
I understand that the authorities have a job to do, but is the Gov’t going to pick up the slack from where they are clamping down on these charities? Charities operate with a small amount of staff and when things don’t always appear kosher, it’s not always because people are dipping in the pot. This new OBA is going overboard with these actions they are taking without even stepping foot inside the charities to even see how they run.
When the Gov’t shuts down charities, the people they serve need to put pressure on the Gov’t to provide the assistance the charity did before Gov’t shut them down. This new Gov’t is proving that they don’t care about poor people and I don’t care who takes issue with that. Big business is clearly ALL they care about!!!
Wrong…the Govt don’t shut down the charities, the charities do but not meeting their obligations. Should be angry at the charities for not getting their …. together.
PLP care about poor people, they made so many of us.
Ditto Mayan. Unless these bloggers are involved in charity work they should not be typing. Yes there may be a few that are suspect, but the majority of the charities are understaffed, underpaid and doing remarkable work for Bermuda. I am involved with 3 charities, and 2 of them are in arrears of accounting work. Why? Because Gov wants audited financials and they tend to cost big money. The firms provide pro bono work for charities, but you are at the mercy of the big firms’ time schedule. So even though a charity is transparent, requests the Registrar of Charities for a meeting, provides correspondence and confirmation from the big firms, the Registrar is not interested in talking about potential solutions or learning more about day to day functions. They are simply black and white by the book, even though the book is causing an inefficient system. No one seems to care about extensions or the human element (putting charitablestaff out of business or cutting of assistance to the underserved). The registrar or a representative doesnt bother to come and site visit or speak to clients. They hide behind the laws and simply point fingers at the charities.
What??? Do your paperwork on time and you wont have any problems. end of story
Exactly! I get fired if i don’t meet MY deadlines. Stop knocking the govt – these charities knew what was due and when it was due. And don’t tell me they didn’t have time or fair warning because lots of the charities did, in fact, meet the deadline!!!
End of story.
Do charities declare what percentage of donations go to paying their executives?
exactly! all except these three!
Most charities are full of volunteers. Or professionals that do not receive market rates for their salaries. There are a few on island that rake in the bucks, but not many.
Boy, some of these people posting sound like the criminal I worked with who blamed the judge, the jury, and the police for his prison sentence. He took NO responsibility whatsoever for the actions HE committed that resulted in his arrest and imprisonment.
Hey, are you a REAL pastor?
Just wondering…
The PLP made all of us dependent on charity!
Charities should do their biggest work when the economy restricts. OBA came into power and instead of allowing many charities to continue to do their work, they did a stop everything till each one is approved. GSPIC and Committee of 25 do incredible social and economical things for our community, an extension should have at least been granted. These 2 actually don’t depend on a government grant to do good!
Many of the people posting here have obviously never had to rely on charities. While I understand the charities have to do their due diligience, now is not the time to be heavy handed with them. Like somebody mentioned, they are picking up the slack and need all the help they can get. It is also very ignorant to say, “well blame the PLP.” This tells me that you are assuming that all poor, black people voted for the PLP and thus are getting what they deserve. What an absolutely racist sentiment!!!
A lot of the people running these charities, like Gina, are doing it out of the goodness of their hearts and don’t make a dime. It is wrong to talk about “big, executive salaries” since most of the charity workers make little or no money for the work that they do. Have a little compassion, there are people out there that never imagined they would have to ask for help. You never know when it could be YOU.
Friends n Family thing running low?
Be careful what you vote for. Most of you don’t know whay you are commenting about and don’t know the real story behind some of these charities operation many of them don’t have full time accountants I know of one charity that has lost its charity status is still waiting for their audit to be finished. THis and mamy other cases is a knee jerk reaction by Minister Fahy. He hasn’t even done a full investigation into some of these charities
so it appears going to the media and sharing her matter helped. gs continue to step out and help, you do a good job. God Bless you.
Hey fools…..read the Act!!! Commissioners make the decisions based on the LAW….unlike PLP!!
Registration of charitable organizations
The Registrar shall maintain a register in which shall be entered the name and
address of every charitable organization approved by the Commissioners together with such
other particulars as may be prescribed.
Every charitable organization in Bermuda wishing to undertake any moneyraising
activities shall apply to the Registrar to be registered as a charitable organization
and the Registrar shall cause every such application to be placed before the Commissioners
for their consideration.
In considering any application for registration submitted by a charitable
organization, the Commissioners shall have regard to the declared purposes of the
organization, the character and reputation of the persons connected with such organization
and any other matter which the Commissioners may consider relevant.
If the Commissioners are satisfied that any applicant for registration is a fit and
proper charitable organization, they shall direct the Registrar to enter in the register its
name and address and any other prescribed particulars thereof; and in any other case, they
shall refuse to register the charitable organization. The Commissioners may direct either
that the registration of a charitable organization shall have effect indefinitely or that it shall
have effect for a period of twelve months at a time.
The Minister may give general directions of a policy nature to the
Commissioners, relating to the exercise of their functions under this section, and the
Commissioners shall give effect to any such directions.
Submission of accounts
Every registered charitable organization shall maintain accounts containing a
statement of all moneys received for charitable purposes and the expenditure thereof and
containing such other information as may be prescribed.
The treasurer or other person having supervision of the accounts of any
registered charitable organization shall submit a true copy of such accounts to the Registrar
within six months of the end of each financial year.
The Commissioners may, where they consider it desirable to do so, require that
the accounts of any charitable organization for the preceding financial year shall be audited
by a person approved by the Minister and the treasurer or other person having the
supervision of the accounts of that charitable organization shall comply with any such
requirement.
Any neglect or failure of any registered charitable organization to comply with
any provision of this section or with any requirement made thereunder shall be an
additional ground upon which the Commissioners may proceed to cancel the registration
of that organization under section 5.
Any accounts submitted to the Registrar pursuant to subsection (2) and any
written report on or any written results of any audit required pursuant to subsection (3)
shall be available for inspection by members of the public during normal working hours.
[section 8 amended by 1998:2 effective 18 March 1998]
Minister may make regulations
The Minister may, after consultation with the Commissioners, make
regulations for carrying into effect this Part, and without prejudice to the generality of the
foregoing, such Regulations may provide—
for the particulars to be submitted by a charitable organization applying to
be registered under section 4;
for the notification of any subsequent change in any of the material
particulars contained in an application for registration;
for the particulars to be entered in the register and for the rectification
thereof;
for the information and particulars to be included in the accounts
maintained under section 8.
(2)
8 (1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
9 (1)
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
5
Someone has taken my name I did not write this. Bernews can you rectify this as stated I was not even near a cpu today until now.
LOL I am the original and always sign my name this person is not me and I do not call people fools.
Better a witty fool than a foolish witt.
“If one does not understand a person, one tends to regard him as a fool”. Carl Jung.