The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) is urging the public to do a quick online check of a charity’s credentials before donating money this festive season.
Commissioner of the ACNC, Gary Johns says many legitimate Australian charities had been hit hard by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and were counting on the traditional generosity of the season.
“We know the loss of income for some charities is significant, particularly for those that relied heavily on public fundraising events, although official data is yet to be reported,” Dr Johns said.
“It takes a minute to check the ACNC online Charity Register to see if an organisation you would like to donate to is a legitimate charity,” he said.
“You simply enter an organisation’s name into the Register to find a snapshot of its activities, its purpose, who it helps, where it operates and some key financial details.”
Dr Johns said fraudsters had been known to masquerade as charities and exploit people’s goodwill.
“It is crucial to do at least a quick online check before giving to be confident your donation is going to an organisation that genuinely does good work,” the Commissioner said.
“If you are donating to a charity via a third-party crowdfunding campaign, be mindful that a nominated charity is bound to use donations according to the rules set out in its governing documents,” he said.
Dr Johns said it was important to donate with confidence and people should look for established and registered charities; avoid clicking on links in unsolicited emails and social media posts, instead visit the charity’s website; always ask for identification from door-to-door and street fundraising collectors; and avoid giving out credit card and bank account details on social media.
He said that if people received a call from someone claiming to be from a charity they should ask to call the charity back, search the Charity Register and call back using the phone number published there.
The ACNC’s Charity Register can be accessed at this PS News link.
