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In the Commissioner’s Column…

In this fortnight’s column, the Hon Dr Gary Johns discusses the ACNC’s upcoming IT upgrade, giving safely to Australian charities, recent compliance action and more.

As we prepare for the ACNC’s new and improved IT system in the next few weeks, I ask all charities to take two simple steps to ensure they are well-placed for the upcoming changes.

Step 1: Check your charity’s Address for Service

Step 2: Finalise and submit any in-progress forms

Unfortunately, last week we saw a great deal of media coverage about someone taking advantage of the generosity of Australians through social media. Using the recent death of a prominent Australian a person or persons posed as an associate of a charity to request financial donations.

I was appalled by this incredibly low act, and it is disappointing that someone would choose to scam good-natured people for their own personal gain. Unfortunately, well-known charities can be targets for scammers – creating fake sites and fraudulent campaigns to generate donations.

I encourage all donors to protect themselves, and ensure they are giving to a legitimate charity.

If you are looking to donate, I urge you to avoid clicking suspicious links or providing financial information over messaging services – it is best to visit a charity’s website to ensure your donation is made safely and securely, without risk to your personal information.

The ACNC has recently taken compliance action against a charity, revoking the charity status of Lieu Quan Buddhist Association Incorporated.

To view the full Commissioners column, click here.

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