Money-Mad Singapore Aims To Become Non-Profit Hub

Singapore has attracted more than 130 “international non-profit organisations” such as the charities Mercy Relief and World Vision International, and the International Air Transport Association, an aviation lobby group.

This is triple the number of regional or global non-profits that were based in Singapore when a campaign to lure them with tax breaks and other incentives started in 2007.

The government says it is keen to broaden Singapore’s international appeal and tap into a growing environmental and charitable consciousness among its wealthy populace.

But the welcome does not extend to every campaigning organisation that has attempted to set up shop in Singapore, whose no-nonsense government is routinely accused by foreign and local activists of squelching dissent.

Those who have made it in include the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), one of a clutch of non-profits housed in a dedicated three-building complex called the Tanglin International Centre.

Elaine Tan, chief executive of the Singapore branch of WWF, said the group appreciates the generous allocation of office space in the complex, a luxury hard to find in Singapore’s costly business districts.

“The greenery and occasional horn bills and monitor lizards were a bonus! It also offers us a lot more room for future growth,” she said.

Tan said companies were increasingly incorporating sustainability and other environmental measures into their business practices.