Happy New Year ─ I hope you had the chance to relax and do things you love as we step into 2025.
With the start of a new year, I want to remind you of the upcoming deadline for lodging your Annual Information Statement. If your charity has a 30 June financial year, this statement is due by 31 January 2025.
Timely submission is important because the data you provide helps us update the ACNC Charity Register. The public uses the register to verify which groups are real, registered charities and to get any extra information they might want before they decide who to donate to.
The Charity Register is being used more and more, with 19 million interactions in the last financial year.
Reporting season is also an ideal time to update us about any changes in your charity. This includes changes to members of your governing body (e.g., directors, trustees or committee of management), changes that have been made to your constitution, or (importantly) updates to your contact details and address. Keeping this information current ensures the Charity Register shows the most accurate information, which supports transparency and public trust in the sector.
We, as the national charities regulator, work hard to maintain the integrity of the Charity Register; it’s a key priority for the ACNC. We have campaigns to remind charities to do their reporting and for donors, funders, and government to use the register (often to reduce the number of times you need to provide the same information, reducing red tape). We review the entitlement of those charities that are registered to make sure they remain eligible and in the right category, including if they are still entitled to accept tax deductible donations. We look at the information provided including reviewing financial reports.
We don’t like doing it, but we also revoke charities who persistently fail to submit their Annual Information Statements despite repeated reminders.
The ACNC is dedicated to enhancing public trust and confidence in the sector and the Charity Register is key to this. Our annual safe giving campaign in December plays a significant role by encouraging people to check the Register for legitimate causes before making a donation, helping to prevent people from getting scammed. If you help us with reporting on time, it means when we are in the media, we are directing people to up to date information.
And we did quite of bit of media ─ before Christmas I gave many interviews across a wide range of media outlets, including Nine TV News Sydney, ABC Radio and The Wire (community radio’s national current affairs program). This was to get the word out there as much as possible in peak giving season and to support the Giving Tuesday global movement.
This extensive coverage was amplified through our social media channels and in the December edition of The Charitable Purpose (if you know someone who hasn’t signed up, they can do so here).
Back at work I feel energised and ready for what is ahead, as optimistic and grateful as ever for the sector’s continued impact. Here at the ACNC, we are committed to ensuring our regulatory efforts support and enhance the valuable work you do in the community. Let’s continue to strive for timely reporting, transparency in our operations, and a commitment to building and maintaining the trust the public places in us.
Warm regards,
Sue Woodward AM