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The ACNC has a range of policies and procedures to support us in achieving our objects. The following policies and procedures are provided to guide charities and the public on how we make important decisions. Please note that these policies and procedures will be reviewed to take into account future developments.

We also publish Commissioner's Interpretation Statements, which explain how we understand the law that applies to charities, and Decision Impact Statements, which advise the sector of our view of court or tribunal decisions where we are a party.

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Commissioner's Policy Statement: Accepting other government reports

This Commissioner’s Policy Statement sets out the principles the Commissioner will consider when exercising the transitional discretion to accept reports given by a charity to another Australian government agency under an Australian law in place of the Annual Information Statements and/or annual financial reports required under the ACNC Act.
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Commissioner's Policy Statement: Applying to keep charity size

This Commissioner's Policy Statement sets out the ACNC's policy in relation to applications by charities under section 205–25 of the ACNC Act to continue to be classified as a certain size if a charity moves into a higher reporting tier for just one reporting period.
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Commissioner's Policy Statement: Duty to notify

This Commissioner's Policy Statement sets out the obligation of charities to notify the ACNC of certain matters, in particular certain changes to the charity’s details or matters that may affect its entitlement to registration under the ACNC Act.
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Commissioner's Policy Statement: Group reporting - Joint and Collective

Commissioner's Policy Statement CPS 2013/05 covers Group Reporting - Joint and Collective, and sets out the ACNC's policy for applications by two or more registered charities to form a reporting group. It is intended to guide the public in determining the most relevant principles the Commissioner will consider when reviewing such an application.
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Commissioner’s Policy Statement: Recognising third party standards

This Commissioner’s Policy Statement sets out how the ACNC considers requests to recognise third party standards as meeting the ACNC Governance Standards and/or External Conduct Standards set out in the Australian Charities and Not‑for‑profits Commission Regulations 2022 (Cth), and the scope and meaning of that recognition.
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Commissioner’s Policy Statement: Registration

This Commissioner’s Policy Statement gives guidance on entitlement to registration under Division 25 of the ACNC Act. It provides information about, when a charity is entitled to registration, and the process of registration.
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Commissioner's Policy Statement: Voluntary revocation

This Commissioner's Policy Statement gives guidance on the circumstances in which registered charities can request to have their registration revoked, as well as when registered charities can request revocation of registration as a subtype of charity.

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Corporate Policy: ACNC Information Management

This Corporate Policy provides fit-for-purpose and accountable information management practices and systems to ensure the creation, maintenance, and protection of reliable information. It defines the requirements for managing all formats of ACNC data, information, and records in line with business needs, legislative obligations, and whole-of-government policy.
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Corporate policy: ACNC Policy Framework

This Corporate Policy is issued under the authority of the Commissioner and sets out the ACNC’s framework for developing, categorising, approving and reviewing policies, operational procedures and other ACNC documents.
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Corporate Policy: ACNC Privacy Policy

This policy outlines how the ACNC will manage personal information, as well as how we comply with the Australian Privacy Principles and the Privacy Act.
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Corporate Policy: Child Safety and Wellbeing

This policy sets out how the ACNC will meet its obligations regarding the safety and wellbeing of children and young people, the National Principles for Child Safe Organisations, and the Commonwealth Child Safe Framework.
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Corporate Policy: Conflicts of interest

This Corporate Policy sets out guidance to ACNC staff on how to identify and manage personal, financial or other conflicts of interest that are real, potential or perceived while performing their functions under the ACNC Act.
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Corporate Policy: Delegation, authorisation and signing

ACNC Corporate Policy that sets out the delegation and authorisation powers provided by the ACNC Act, the instruments of delegation and authorisation, and instructions for authorised officers on the proper method of signing and executing documents that evidence the exercise of a statutory power.
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Corporate Policy: Feedback and complaints about the ACNC

This policy sets out the ACNC’s approach to feedback and complaints about our services from members of the public, including from people involved in charities and the not-for-profit sector (referred to in this policy as “customers”).
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Corporate Policy: Media

Our media policy recognises that engaging with the media can help the ACNC meet its object to maintain, protect and enhance public trust and confidence in the not-for-profit sector through accountability and transparency. This policy sets out how the ACNC will engage with the media and defines which staff can be designated authorised ACNC spokespeople.
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Corporate Policy: Use of ACNC Data

This policy sets out how the ACNC will handle the data that it holds in order to facilitate access and reuse while protecting individuals' privacy and respecting the secrecy provisions of the ACNC Act.
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Corporate Policy: Use of Social media

This policy sets out how the ACNC will use social media to engage with charities and other stakeholders. This policy will guide Education and Public Affairs staff responsible for monitoring ACNC social media platforms (such as Facebook, X, LinkedIn and YouTube).

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Operational Procedure: Completing a Privacy Impact Assessment

This operational procedure sets out how the ACNC will comply with its obligation under the Privacy (Australian Government Agencies – Governance) Australian Privacy Principles Code 2017 (Cth) to conduct a Privacy Impact Assessment for all high privacy risk projects.
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Operational Procedure: Staff use of Social Media

This Operational Procedure is issued under the authority of the Commissioner and should be read together with the ACNC Policy Framework which sets out the scope, context and definitions common to our Policy Documents.