The Governing Charities online learning program is designed to support leadership and accountability in the charity sector. If you are on the board or committee of a charity, or in another leadership role, it will boost the skills and expertise you need to effectively perform the role.
You can choose to do just a few steps of a course, one of the courses, or as many as you need. Each course takes one to two hours to complete.
The program is entirely free of charge. To start a course, click on the links below.
Becoming a charity board member: What you should know
Joining a charity board can be a fantastic way to channel your specific skills and connections into a worthy cause. This course aims to help you understand your duties as a board member and evaluate whether a registered charity is a good fit for you.
The ACNC: How we help you
This course provides an introduction to the ACNC – Australia's national charity regulator – and details how we help the charity sector as well what we are responsible for and what we oversee. The course also looks at the benefits of being a registered charity with the ACNC.
How to become an ACNC registered charity
This course provides a detailed look at the requirements your organisation needs to fulfil to gain ACNC registration, as well as common issues that could prevent it from doing so. This course will also examine the 14 charity subtypes to help you assess which is the best fit for your organisation.
Governing a registered charity in Australia
Good governance is a key component to charity effectiveness, as well as to ensure your charity remains eligible for registration with the ACNC. This course will provide practical advice and information to help you embed good governance into your charity’s structure.
Governance Standards Part A: Introduction and Governance Standards 1-3
The ACNC Governance Standards are a set of six core minimum standards that deal with how a charity is run. This course offers practical guidance on how your charity can meet the Standards, with a particular focus on Governance Standards 1-3.
Governance Standards Part B: Governance Standards 4-6 and winding up
The Governance Standards are a set of six core minimum standards that deal with how a charity is run. This course offers practical guidance on how your charity can meet the Standards, with a focus on Governance Standards 4-6, as well as information on properly winding up your charity.
Reporting obligations of your charity Part A: Overview and basic financial skills
This course aims to provide an overview of the reporting obligations Australia's registered charities have, as well as help develop the basic financial skills of charity board members.
Reporting obligations of your charity Part B: Financial skills for ACNC reporting requirements
This course aims to provide more depth about the different aspects of charity financial reporting to the ACNC, including annual financial reports, audits and more.
External Conduct Standards
Around 10% of Australia’s registered charities operate overseas, and those charities must adhere to the ACNC's External Conduct Standards. This course details the four Standards, as well as the reasonable steps charities and the Responsible People can take to ensure they comply with them.
Fraud prevention in the charity sector
Fraud and financial mismanagement are ever-present issues for charities and their Responsible People. This course examines how to keep charity finances safe and to guard against fraud, as well as providing a series of useful fraud prevention tips and resources.
The Annual Information Statement
This course provides information on completing the 2022 Annual Information Statement, with videos, instructions and useful links.
Safeguarding: A guide for charities
Safeguarding ensures that all people who are in some way connected to our charity have their welfare and human rights protected. This course covers charity legal obligations to safeguarding and how to satisfy them; not just because it is the law, but because it is the right thing to do.