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The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) is inviting charities that operate overseas to participate in a short survey exploring their experiences with banking services.
The survey aims to build a clearer picture of the banking experiences of charities working internationally. It will help identify common issues and inform future engagement with charities, financial institutions, regulators and policy makers.
Feedback is sought by Wednesday 3 December 2025.
Charities play a vital role in delivering aid, development and humanitarian support across borders, however, some charities have reported difficulties accessing or maintaining banking services, particularly when transferring funds internationally.
Some of the challenges reported range from poor service and lost records to account freezes and difficulties meeting identity requirements.
The ACNC understand these issues can make basic tasks—like updating signatories or opening accounts—complex and time-consuming, and that financial institutions need to mitigate risks associated with transferring money overseas.
Feedback from this survey will help the ACNC understand these challenges and develop an appropriate response that reflects the needs of the charity sector.
Over the past year, the ACNC has undertaken a range of initiatives to support charities to understand risks associated with sending money overseas. This includes working with other key agencies and updating our guidance on terrorism financing risks.
Many charities have been sent a direct email invitation to take part in the survey, which is also available via this link.
If your charity operates overseas and you would like to learn more, contact consultations@acnc.gov.au.