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In her first Commissioner's Column, Sue Woodward AM thanks everyone for the warm welcome to her new role and reflects on the important role the Charity Register plays in enhancing public trust and confidence in the charity sector.

The ACNC is urging charities to fully consider the risks and benefits before accepting donations of crypto-assets, or investing in crypto-assets.

In her final Commissioner's Column as acting Commissioner, Deborah Jenkins talks about what she's learnt in her time in the role, the importance of purpose and conveys her best wishes for the future.

The ACNC is urging everyone to be generous but cautious before they donate to charity this Christmas and festive season. Acting Commissioner Deborah Jenkins said data breaches and fake charities are on the rise, making it more important than ever to do a quick check of the Charity Register before giving.

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.