Charity briefs

Former watchdog calls for more transparency

Government-backed charity groups must improve transparency or risk losing donors and public trust, Xinhua News Agency reported, citing a former watchdog official.

Wang Zhenyao, the former head of the department of social welfare and charities under the Ministry of Civil Affairs, also called for a loosening in the requirement for organizations to be registered as public charity foundations. Only public foundations that are affiliated to the government are allowed to raise funds from the public.