Jul 3, 2023 Matthew Hung

Fixing Fundraising

For decades organisations seeking donations have had to negotiate the fundraising requirements in each state or territory.  For nearly just as long, there have been calls to reduce the red-tape burden this places on charities in particular.

Developments such as removing the requirement for charities to register for fundraising in some jurisdictions, has started to reduce this burden, but there has been little movement in harmonising the inconsistent and, often outdated, rules across the Australia.

Now there is long-awaited progress on that front.  The various state and territory Treasurers have recently agreed to a set of nationally consistent fundraising principles to streamline and harmonise charitable fundraising requirements.  They now have until July 2023 to release implementation plans indicating how the principles will be applied, including changes to regulation as applicable.

The 16 principles include:

• Always explaining the purpose of the charity and how any funds raised will be applied;
• Always being clearly identifiable
• Always keeping written records of the total funds raised and how they are applied.
• Always complying with instructions to cease solicitations
• Never exploiting vulnerable donors
• Always disclosing how commercial fundraisers are paid.

We will provide more details to our charity clients as they become available.