The Charitable Purpose

ACNC monthly e-newsletter

May 2023

Commissioner's Column

National Volunteer Week is being celebrated this week so it’s timely for me to reflect on the vital role volunteers play in the charity sector.

I am sure, as readers of this column, you understand the extensive contributions volunteers make to our communities and you won’t be surprised that our upcoming Australian Charities Report will show over 50% of charities are entirely volunteer run. Remembering that half of all registered charities have no paid staff is front of mind for us when we think about how we do our work.

Read the full Commissioner's Column

Charity news and updates

A photo of a chalk board with the word "budget" written on it in white chalk with a magnifying glass and glasses sitting on top of the chalk board with the words "ACNC welcomes new funding to enhance regulatory transparency in the Federal Budget" on the left hand side.

A red cross inside a circle made by a red pencil with the words "ACNC revokes registration of charities for repeatedly failing to report"

An image of a checklist with some boxes ticked with green pen and the words 'New Australian Electoral Commission requirements for charities'

Four images depicting elements of charity - animals, cleaning up the environment, clothing drive and health with the words "New Charity Register features make it even easier to find a cause close to your heart".

Guidance and resources for charities

An image of papers, a calendar and laptop on a table.

Annual Information Statement Hub

The 2022 AIS Hub contains all the information you need to complete the 2022 AIS. It has helpful guides, checklists and other resources to help you submit your charity's AIS.

Visit the 2022 AIS hub

New Charity Chat podcast episode

Commissioner Sue Woodward AM joins us on the latest episode of Charity Chat to discuss all things advocacy, the upcoming referendum and what charities need to be aware of.

Listen to Charity Chat

2022 Annual Information Statement

Charities that operate on a calendar financial year (1 Jan to 31 Dec) must submit their 2022 Annual Information Statement before 30 June 2023.

Time is running out.

Beat the last minute rush, submit now.

Submit via the Charity Portal now

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Answering your questions

A few of the most common questions we have been hearing from charities recently...

Q. I’ve read that charities will have to report on their related party transactions in their next Annual Information Statement. How do I know what our charity needs to report on?

A: Our guidance on related party transactions provides a great rundown on the different obligations registered charities have when it comes to reporting on their related party transactions.

The definition of a related party, as well as the transactions charities need to report on, will depend on whether they are classed as small, medium or large in the period covered by the 2023 Annual Information Statement.

Small charities need to provide details on what are known as ‘reportable related party transactions’. In their 2023 Annual Information Statements, these charities will be asked if they have any reportable related party transactions in the 2023 reporting period.

If they do, they will be presented with a series of different transaction types they can select from.

For medium and large charities, the definition of a related party and a related party transaction differs from that which applies to small charities.

When it comes to reporting, medium and large charities must disclose ‘material related party transactions’.

Again, if these charities do have these types of transactions, they will be presented with a series of different transaction types in their 2023 Annual Information Statements they can select from.

The ACNC has detailed guidance on related party transactions and how charities should report them.

Q. There’s been a few stories in the news recently about organisations falling victim to cyberattacks. What can my charity do to ensure this doesn’t happen to us?

A. For charities, cyber security means protecting your electronic information from unauthorised access.

Often, when we think of cyber security, we think of protecting ourselves against people gaining information by hacking into networks.

But for many charities, a more common cyber security risk might be someone gaining unauthorised access to a laptop containing personal or sensitive information, or falling victim to scams through emails or fake websites.

Responsible People must look at the cyber security risks relevant to their charity and then take steps to manage them.

The ACNC’s Governance Toolkit contains a guide on cyber security for charities, which outlines exactly what steps charities and their Responsible People should take. The guide also features a helpful checklist for charities to work through.

We register hundreds of new charities every month. You can view the list of newly registered charities by clicking on the button below.

View the list

Welcome to the new charities that were registered with the ACNC in April 2023.

photo of documents with text that says 'resources for newly registered charities'

To remain eligible for registration, charities must meet ongoing obligations.

Each time a Responsible Person (a committee or board member or trustee) commences or resigns from their position, you must notify us. Learn more about notifying the ACNC.

Holding an Annual General Meeting is a good way to be accountable to your members. Read more about AGMs and view our free resources.

The ACNC acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to them and their cultures and elders past and present.