The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) is an Australian statutory body and the national regulator of the voluntary sector, including charities and other not for profits. It was announced in the 2011 Australian federal budget and has operated from 3 December 2012.
Approximately 56,000 charities and non-profit organisations are registered with ACNC, of a total of about 600,000 such organisations. Charities need to be registered with ACNC to be entitled to tax exempt status as well as certain other exemptions and benefits, such as an ability to give tax deductible receipts. The ACNC seeks to harmonise state fundraising laws. Registered organisations are required to file an Annual Information Statement.
The appointment in 2017 of Gary Johns, an outspoken critic of Australian charities, by the Turnbull government as Chair of the Commission, elicited significant criticism
Video Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission
Commissioners
- Susan Pascoe, 2016-2017
- Gary Johns, 2017-present
Maps Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission
Role
The ACNC's objectives, set out in section 15-5 of the ACNC Act, are to:
- maintain, protect and enhance public trust and confidence in charities through increased accountability and transparency
- support and sustain a robust, vibrant, independent and innovative not-for-profit sector
- promote the reduction of unnecessary regulatory obligations on the sector.
The ACNC:
- registers organisations as charities
- helps charities understand and meet their obligations through information, guidance, advice and other support
- maintains a free and searchable, online public register of information on registered charities
- promotes red tape reduction and aims to reach agreements with state and territory governments (as well as individual federal, state and territory government agencies) to streamline reporting requirements for charities.
History
The decision to establish an independent charities regulator was based on demands from the charities sector supported by reviews, reports and inquiries spanning 17 years, most notably the 2010 report by the Productivity Commission Contribution of the Not-for-profit Sector. followed by an Australian Treasury consultation process leading to the Final Report on the Scoping Study for a NFP Regulator in 2011. with a taskforce, chaired by Susan Pascoe, AM. and three Australian Parliamentary enquiries.
The ACNC was established under section 105-5 of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission Act 2012 (Cth), with an official launch on 10 December.
On 16 June 2014 a parliamentary report of the Australian Senate Economics Legislation Committee recommended (with dissent from the ALP and Greens senators) that legislation to abolish the ACNC be passed. The government is not proceeding with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (Repeal) (No. 1) Bill 2014.
On 4 March 2016, Minister of Social Services Christian Porter and Minister for Small Business and Assistant Treasurer Kelly O'Dwyer announced that the ACNC would be retained.
In March 2017, two Christian charities were granted permission for their board members' identities to remain secret on public safety grounds. Such permission is rarely granted and usually limited to the likes of women's shelters which fear violence.
A review of ACNC legislation by Treasury was commenced in December 2017, as mandated by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (Consequential and Transitional) Act 2012 (Cth). The Terms of Reference were released on 20 December 2017, with submissions by interested parties closing on 28 February 2018.
Fundraising guidelines
In November 2016, ACNC in conjunction with the Fundraising Institute of Australia (FIA) and the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association (PFRA) produced fundraising guidelines for registered charities. ACNC notes that "While some charities manage their own fundraising, many contract professional agencies to conduct activities on their behalf. This is often the most efficient and cost effective way for charities to raise funds. Recently we have seen media reports that allege that some of these agencies have been engaging in inappropriate work place practices, and may have also broken Australian employment laws." and "Charity boards cannot outsource their responsibilities."
See also
- List of charities established by Australian athletes
References
External links
- Official website
- National Compact: Working Together, Australian Government
- Office of the Not-For-Profit sector
- ACNC Find A Charity Register
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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