The NSW Department of Fair Trading has warned residents to stick with well-known and trusted charities when donating to bushfire recovery funds.
The Department has released a list of registered charities and tips to help residents and charity organisers ensure their money is going where it’s needed.
“The community is doing an extraordinary job fundraising for victims of the bushfire emergency,” Fair Trading said.
“With large amounts of money being raised, it’s vital there are appropriate protections in place,” it said.
“When making donations, we recommend you stick with well-known and trusted charities.”
The Department recommended people check the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) for information about charities, and the Australian Business Number (ABN) Look Up website to confirm that the charity was an endorsed Deductable Gift Receipt (DGR) and eligible to receive tax deductible donations.
It said people should also donate to licensed charities as the fundraising was audited and reported to either State or Federal regulators to ensure the money was used appropriately.
“We want to make it as quick and easy as possible to get authority, so we’ve set up the Charitable Fundraising Bushfire Appeals Hotline,” Fair Trading said.
Further information including a list of registered charities with bushfire related activities can be accessed at this PS News link.
