About the organisation
An organisation that delivered and advocated for environmental sustainability initiatives applied to the ACNC for registration as a charity.
About the application
The organisation sought registration with the subtypes of ‘advancing the natural environment’ and ‘advancing public debate (promoting or opposing a change to any matter established by law, policy or practice in the Commonwealth, a state, territory or another country)’.
Advancing public debate (promoting or opposing a change to any matter established by law, policy or practice in the Commonwealth, a state, a territory or another country) is one of the charity subtypes under which the ACNC can register a charity.
Where the organisation's purpose is to promote a change, that change must further, or be in aid of, one of the 11 other purposes listed in the Charities Act.
If the organisation's purpose is to oppose a change, that change must not oppose or hinder one or more of the purposes listed in the Charities Act.
Some examples of charities that advance public debate include:
- human rights research bodies that provide law reform submissions to government
- education research institutes that develop public policy position papers.
The organisation’s application contained a detailed description of its purpose to protect and enhance the natural environment.
It also included information about the organisation’s vision and strategy, a business plan, and an advocacy document where the organisation campaigned for environmentally sustainable initiatives.
About the registration process
After receiving the application and reviewing the supporting documents, the ACNC established that the organisation’s objects aligned with the charity subtypes of advancing the natural environment and advancing public debate. The ACNC still needed to understand if the organisation’s activities were to further those charitable purposes.
The organisation provided detailed descriptions of its current and intended activities that demonstrated its purpose of advancing the natural environment. This included evidence of its program of planned activities, research, community engagement and stakeholder events – all of which were aimed at developing greater understanding of, and fostering education about, the importance of the natural environment.
In considering the organisation’s request to be registered with the charity subtype of advancing public debate, the ACNC required evidence of how the organisation’s work would further, or be in aid of, one of the 11 other purposes listed in the Charities Act.
Through its objects and planned activities, the organisation outlined the following activities that would further, or be in aid of, the charitable purpose of advancing the natural environment:
- its proposed approach to advocacy and government engagement
- potential future policy submissions.
Outcome
In analysing the application, the ACNC was satisfied that the organisation’s work was consistent with the charitable purposes of advancing the natural environment and advancing public debate.
The ACNC registered the charity with both subtypes.