The Australian Senate has agreed to establish a select committee to undertake an inquiry into charity fundraising in the 21st century.
It aims to establish a Select Committee on Charity Fundraising in the 21st Century to report on the current framework of charity fundraising regulation and options for reform.
The move has been warmly welcomed by the charity sector, which has long campaigned to improve the state of fundraising regulation in Australia.
Sue Woodward, director of national projects at Justice Connect, which has been working in collaboration with some of Australia’s leading professional and peak bodies as part of the #fixfundraising campaign, told Pro Bono News they were excited by the news.
“The hope is that they shine a light on this issue,” Woodward said.
“It hasn’t been one that’s been seen as a priority and I think a Senate Select Committee helps us elevate it to the level that it deserves.”
Included in the terms of reference, the committee will explore how federal, state and territory governments could “work together to provide charities with a nationally-consistent, contemporary and fit-for-purpose fundraising regime”.
It will also consider whether the current framework of fundraising regulation creates “unnecessary problems for charities and organisations” who rely on donations and how Australian consumer law should apply to not-for-profit fundraising activities.
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