Absence of receipts - or if you're given a receipt without the charity's details.Pressure tactics - be wary if you're put under pressure or made to feel guilty or selfish if you don't want to donate.Fake websites - they may look almost identical to legitimate charity websites, and change only the details of where to send donations.Australians lost almost $200,000 to fake charity scams in 2021, according to the ACCC's Scamwatch website. The other risk is falling for scammers posing as charities. In some cases, the scams involved people "impersonating relatives of real bushfire victims". You just don't know who that person is," he says.įor example, there was a spike in scam activity during the bushfires of 2020. "If you Joe Bloggs comes up on Facebook, they may be a very genuine person trying to raise funds for the relief of flood victims or people in Ukraine. While some people are sincere and legitimate, it's always risky donating to someone directly, Dr Johns says. Whenever there's a crisis, you find people asking for money. The risk in donating money on social media "The donor has to make their own judgement here as to the likelihood their money will end up where they want it to go," Dr John says. The size of the charity - very small charities may have limitations that large charities don't.Whether the charity has experience operating during a humanitarian crisis (such as that in Ukraine) or with flood victims.Other factors that are worth considering are: "It's the same as if you want to invest in a business or buy something: you want to look at the track record," Dr Johns says. Many of these organisations have long histories of working in Ukraine. You could consider donating to charities that are part of the Emergency Action Alliance, a collective of Australian-based aid organisations. These organisations have been independently evaluated to ensure they are "professional, well managed, community-based organisations … capable of delivering quality development outcomes." If you're hoping to donate to humanitarian efforts in Ukraine, it's worth considering donating to a charity or non-government organisation accredited by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs.
If you can't find a listing, it means the charity is not registered and regulated in Australia. The best way to find information about an Australian charity is to search on the ACNC's register.
You've got some record of who the principals are … usually an annual report or some sort of statement," Dr Johns says. "Your best guarantee … is to go with a registered charity. These organisations are regulated by the ACNC and are required to report information about their activities. Why it can be helpful to donate to registered charitiesĭr Johns says it's a good idea to think about donating to a registered charity. Here are some important things to keep in mind if you're thinking of donating money yourself. "The key is to think about whether your money is going to end up where you want it to," says Dr Gary Johns, commissioner of the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC). But choosing where to send money isn't easy. As the crisis in Ukraine unfolds and floods wreak havoc across Australia's east coast, many Australians are looking for ways to help.
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