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A celebration marking the 10th anniversary of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) was held at the Koorie Heritage Trust in Melbourne on Friday. Acting Commissioner, Deborah Jenkins recognised the vital contribution of charities to the Australian community and described the anniversary as a significant milestone.  

Charities make a significant financial and social contribution to communities in Australia and overseas. The charity sector is also complex and data about the work that charities do can provide insights to help charities, donors, governments, researchers, and the community better understand the sectors diversity, work, financial status, and sustainability.

Sue Woodward AM has been appointed as Commissioner of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) for a five-year period commencing on 12 December, 2022. Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury the Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP announced the appointment.  

Disappointingly, the ACNC has had to revoke the registration of over 550 charities in the past week because they failed over successive years to complete their annual reporting to ACNC. 

I have had the privilege to lead the ACNC as acting Commissioner from 1 August this year, until the permanent Commissioner is appointed.
I would like to take this opportunity to outline for the new Committee the scope of the ACNC’s work and the scale of the sector it oversees.

Acting Commissioner Deborah Jenkins is urging the public to beware of fake charity scams, as new Scamwatch data shows more than 600 reports of such scams have been received in 2022 so far.  

As floods and storms impact communities in parts of New South Wales, Tasmania and Victoria, Australians are being urged to check the Charity Register before donating to a charity or appeal.

Significant red tape cuts for thousands of Australian charities are highlighted in the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) annual report.

This week is Charity Fraud Awareness Week, and it is an excellent opportunity for everyone involved in the sector to stop and think about preventing fraud.

In this month's Commissioners Column, acting Commissioner Deborah Jenkins discusses meeting with charities and sector stakeholders at the Philanthropy Australia National Conference in Sydney.