The national charity regulator, the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), has revoked the registration of 86 charities for twice failing to submit their Annual Information Statements. These organisations will now lose access to Commonwealth charity tax concessions. In early August 2017, the ACNC notified 190 charities that they risked losing their charity status. “The organisations that have lost their…

RSL NSW will not charge for red poppies this Remembrance Day as an inquiry into its charitable fundraising is heard. RSL’s state president James Brown told AAP the organisation was not ready to resume fundraising activities because it was still not meeting the law. The organisation suspended fundraising earlier this year before the inquiry set up by the NSW government,…

Can or should we pay a board member? It’s a common question not-for-profit organisations ask our legal advice team. Only 15 per cent of board members are paid, meaning over 80 per cent of board members give their time, skills and expertise voluntarily, according to a report of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). There are important matters that…

Australian charities make up a significant sector of Australia’s society and economy, managing net assets of over $180 billion and generating $134 billion total income. They provide essential social, cultural, community, education, health and other charitable services, employing 1.2 million people and an estimated 3 million volunteers to do so. Accountability for the assets these charities control and the services…

The Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) has weighed in on the complexity of the financial reporting regime for Australian charities in a new report, describing it as “overly complex and inconsistent” and saying it “fails to promote the sector’s accountability or efficiency”. The research, Financial Reporting Requirements Applicable to Charities, found that despite ongoing simplification efforts, serious issues with the…

Humanitarian aid agency, Australian Red Cross has moved all of its third party fundraising to an employment model. The charity said the move would ensure all face-to-face and door-to-door fundraisers working on their behalf “receive at least the minimum wage and other legal entitlements ‰ÛÒ rather than working on a solely commission basis”. Red Cross said that since July, it…

Community support is vital to the charity sector; each year Australians donate $11 billion and three million of us volunteer. Access to reliable, accurate, and up-to-date information about registered charities underpins this generosity. The financial information provided by registered charities is the cornerstone of the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC’s) regulation of the charity sector. This information significantly increases…

Consultation has begun over government funding contracts for all not-for-profit organisations in South Australia ‰ÛÒ the first changes to terms and conditions in nearly a decade. The contracts cover hundreds of millions of dollars in government funding across arts, sport, environment, child protection, family welfare, low income support, drug and alcohol and gambling rehabilitation and other social services. SACOSS CEO…

Access Canberra will take no action against an international charity after it held a fundraiser in the capital without a valid licence. Sunrise Cambodia apologised for the fault, saying an “administrative oversight” had been the cause. An online search of Access Canberra’s records showed The Australia Cambodia Foundation Incorporated, trading as Sunrise Cambodia, held a Charitable Collection Licence (ACT) from…