It’s hard to believe the year is almost at an end, with December just around the corner and many charities preparing to host Annual General Meetings in the weeks ahead.
From my experience as a volunteer with a range of charities over the years, I know there are several things you can do to help your organisation run a successful AGM and prepare for a smooth handover if committee or board members are moving on.
Our website has a range of resources to support you through this process — from AGM meeting templates and handover guidance, to a checklist for new leaders to help them hit the ground running.
AGMs can be times of transition, and it’s important to be ready for change while remaining mindful of your ongoing obligations to the ACNC.
Charities must notify the ACNC of changes to board or committee members —their Responsible People. Smaller organisations have up to 60 days to notify us of any changes, while larger ones have up to 28 days.
It’s also important that new Responsible People understand their broader obligations, including those set out in the ACNC Governance Standards.
I encourage charities to make use of resources on our website. They are designed to support good governance and help charities meet obligations with confidence.
Equally important is the accuracy of the information on the Charity Register.
The Register plays a vital role in supporting public trust, confidence and awareness in the sector. It helps prospective donors understand a charity’s purpose and whether its activities align with the causes they want to support.
During December, we run a media campaign to warn donors to beware of festive season fake charity scams, directing people to the Register to find out more about a charity they would like to support.
Ensuring your charity’s Register details are up to date is critically important — it helps connect you with potential donors and supporters.
Charities that keep their Register data current help build a strong sector, and one that’s grounded in integrity.
Accountability and integrity are a shared responsibility between charities and the ACNC as the regulator.
One way we uphold this is through annual compliance reviews. They shine a light on practices that demonstrate how charities are managing risks and help us identify areas of concern where we may need to act.
Recently we published details of our compliance review focused on charities operating within a complex structure.
The term ‘complex structure’ generally refers to charities operating as a group — with multiple entities, potentially more than one legal structure, and a mix of charitable and for-profit purposes. We’ve included examples in our guidance.
Charities with complex structures often face more intricate governance challenges, and it’s important they are aware of and equipped to manage these.
Our review found most charities do an excellent job of navigating the challenges. These insights help us understand current ways of working which also informs the guidance we can provide back to the sector. Thank you to those charities that participated in the reviews.
Through our sector engagement, we stay across current issues for the sector so we can keep our regulatory approach contemporary and relevant.
Right now, we’re asking for feedback on an update to our Commissioner’s Interpretation Statement: Provision of housing by charities.
The statement outlines how we understand and apply the law relating to charities that provide housing.
Feedback will help ensure our updated statement reflects the realities and challenges these charities are working to address, including the shortage of social housing, rising homelessness, and the lack of affordable housing for vulnerable clients (to name a few).
Our 2024-2025 Annual Report was recently tabled in Parliament, and details some of our achievements throughout the financial year. It demonstrates our accountability and transparency to the sector by showing how resources were used.
So as the year winds down, I encourage you to stay informed, stay involved, and help us continue to build a sector that is resilient, transparent and trusted.
Warm regards
Sue Woodward AM