Australian Charities and Not-for Profits Commission – the six month report card

Catholic Health Australia 17 July 2013 Murray Baird Assistant Commissioner General Counsel Australian Charities and Not-for Profits Commission

An Australian Charities Commission a new

independent statutory agency, the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) Federal Budget May 2011

Charity sector: Who is in?

• Welfare and disability; • (Non Government) Schools, Universities etc; • Churches, Religious organisations • Conservation, Arts, Childcare, Community

infrastructure

Charities Commission

What will ACNC Do? Registration

Information

Compliance

Education and guidance

Guidance

Assistance

Investigation

Graduated Sanctions

Deregistration

The Vital Signs • 1 million hits on website; • 52 guides and fact sheets; • 57,000 charities from ATO; • 740 new charities; • 11.4 days to register a charity; • 14,500 calls answered; • 6,900 written queries answered • 4,000 face to face presentations and consultation

attendees; • 119 complaints about charities

What does a charity need to do? • Keep records; • Report annually; • Notify changes.

Report Once, Use Often

• If you already report and the information covers ACNC needs, we will work with other agencies to exchange reports

• 2013 AIS has no financial data; • 2014 AIS has limited data fields with accounts

attached for medium and large.

Ducks in a row

Governance Standards

A set of principle based minimum governance standards;

Charities must comply to be registered

Ensure a minimum level of accountability

Basic Religious charities are exempt

PRESENTATION TITLE | DATE

Basic Religious Charities • A Registered charity • For advancement of religion • Not in another category (such as education or

welfare) • Not incorporated under Association or Corporations

Acts • Not a deductible gift recipient (except operating a

DGR with annual revenue of less than $250K) • Not part of a reporting group; • Not receiving more than $100k in government grants.

Members, Donors, Volunteers, Public

Confidence that the Charity is acting openly, accountably and transparently

For its stated purpose

In an effective and efficient manner

Sunlight is said to be one of the best

Sunlight is said to be one of the best disinfectants.. Louis Brandeis

Why?

Five Governance Standards

• Purposes and character of an NFP entity

• Accountability to members

• Compliance with Australian laws

• Suitability of responsible entities

• Duties of responsible entities

Charities Act 2013 • Advancing health; • Advancing education; • Advancing social or public welfare; • Advancing religion; • Advancing culture; • Promoting reconciliation/mutual respect/tolerance; • Human rights; • safety of general public; • Suffering of animals; • natural environment; • Analogous purposes; • Change or opposing change in the law to aid the above

purposes

Advancing social or public welfare

• Relieving poverty, distress or disadvantage; • Caring for and supporting the aged, including

residential and non-residential care; • Caring and supporting people with disability; • Assisting Australia’s disadvantaged Indigenous people • Refugees; • Unemployed; • Housing for special needs or housing disadvantage; • Distress in natural disasters or sudden catastrphes; • Overseas aid

Finding out more: www.acnc.gov.au Providing you with access to information is a priority for us • Weekly Commissioner Column (sent to 6,193 subscribers) • Media alerts and releases and newsflashes • Aboriginal Liaison officers • podcasts and videos – coming soon • Phone: 13 ACNC (13 22 62) 8 am to 8 pm AEDST • Email: advice@acnc.gov.au • Social media:

facebook.com/acnc.gov.au twitter.com/acnc_gov_au

youtube.com/ACNCvideos