A reminder was issued to residents today about the need to follow due process when fundraising.

The Ministry of Youth, Social Development and Seniors said that there is a 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.

It added: “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.”

Tinée Furbert, the youth, social development and seniors minister, noted: “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, support our youth to compete in international sports, or assist someone during a difficult point in their life.”

However, she said that members of the public also need to be confident that people who are soliciting funds for charitable purposes are operating honestly and that any donations are used legitimately.

The Charities Act 2014 required that anyone who wishes to raise funds from the public in this way must apply for a temporary fundraising licence through the Registry General.

Anyone who would like to initiate a temporary fundraiser was encouraged to visit the Registry General’s website at gov.bm/online-services/register-charity.

The temporary fundraising licence application must be signed by two people and approved by the Registrar General before any fundraising can begin, the ministry said.

It added: “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.”

Ms Furbert highlighted that fundraising without a temporary licence is a criminal offence under the Act and failure to obtain a licence or provide a correct accounting of the funds raised could result in a fine, imprisonment or both.

• For more information, contact Matthew Nester, the legal and compliance officer of the Registry General, on 444-1947 or at mtnester@gov.bm