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Aussie Helpers working with ACNC to fix governance issues

Aussie Helpers approached the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission in October last year, to confirm it was meeting its reporting obligations and that the goods and funds it received were going to those in need.

This followed a Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) report in August 2018 that found Aussie Helpers had retained large cash reserves from its yearly donations. The report also said that in 2016-2017, more than a third ($354,000) of the $951,000 Rural Aid received in donations was spent on wages.

The ACNC revealed last Friday that Aussie Helpers has entered into a compliance agreement with the commission to address concerns around its governance.

The commission’s investigation found Aussie Helpers did not have appropriate policies and procedures for managing financial controls and conflicts of interest.

It also said the charity’s responsible persons needed greater awareness of their duties under the ACNC Governance Standards.

But while Aussie Helpers dealt with a “nasty social media campaign” following the SMH report, CEO Natasha Kocks said the ACNC has cleared the organisation of inappropriate financial conduct.

To view the ProBono article in full, click here.

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