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Giving to Charity
Donating or direct giving is possibly the most common form of charitable donation in Australia, with over 4.6 million Australian taxpayers making a tax deductible donation in the 2008/09 financial year. Its greatest advantage is that it is simple; the donor has merely to choose a charity, make the donation and receive the receipt, which is vital if the donor wishes to claim a tax deduction. If the organisation to which the money is donated is a Deductible Gift Recipient, the donor will receive a tax deduction. The donation is usually "no strings" and the charity can therefore use the money wherever it is most needed, to assist with immediate costs.
With most direct donations, unless the sum is very large, the donor will have no say over where the funds will be allocated. Since individual sums are generally not large, the recipient organisation will not have the means to keep track of the purpose to which a particular donation was allocated.
Choosing a Charity
Here are some ways of choosing a charity to give to. There may be a number of motivations here. What are you passionate about? What do you feel most strongly about? What is the problem you feel you would like to fix - or who are the people you want to help? You might also like to think about whether there is a geographic basis to your giving. Do you want to donate to an area which you know well and are fond of, perhaps a community in which you live or grew up? Do you want to give to more remote communities, to people in rural Australia, to small or large towns - or to urban areas?
Community foundations are a useful resource for individuals, companies or other foundations seeking to fund worthy projects rather than make general donations, particularly if dealing with a particular geographic area. As community foundations are receiving many applications for funding, they may be willing to share those which they deem worthwhile but are unable to fund themselves with other funders.
Listed below are some further resources to assist you.
Associates of Philanthropy Australia
The following is a list of Associate Members of Philanthropy Australia who are also charities and/or Deductible Gift Recipients. Where an organisation is an Item 2 DGR (Ancillary Fund) and therefore not eligible recipients for grants from Private Ancillary Funds (PAFs), this has been noted. For a complete list of Associates, see our Members List.
- 1 Million Women
- Achieve Australia Limited
- Action on Disability within Ethnic Communities
- ActionAid
- The Alfred Foundation (DGR Item 2)
- Alzheimer's Australia NSW
- Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine Foundation
- Animal Welfare League NSW
- Asia-Pacific Centre for Social Investment & Philanthropy
- Austin Health
- Australian Cancer Research Foundation
- The Australian Charities Fund (DGR Item 1 & 4)
- Australian Conservation Foundation
- Australian Diabetes Council
- Australian Indigenous Leadership Centre Ltd
- Australian Museum (DGR Item 1 & 4)
- Australian National University
- Australian Overseas Foundation
- Australian Red Cross
- Australian Rotary Health Research Fund
- Australian Rural Leadership Foundation
- Australian Scholarships Foundation
- Australian Sports Foundation (DGR Item 1 only; not ITEC or TCC)
- Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute
- Baptist Community Services - NSW & ACT
- Barnardos Australia
- Barwon Health Foundation (DGR Item 1 only; not ITEC or TCC)
- Believe Foundation Incorporated
- Benetas
- The Benevolent Society
- Berry Street Victoria
- Biennale of Sydney
- The Brotherhood of St Laurence
- Burnet Institute
- Campbell Page
- Can Assist
- Cancer Council NSW
- The Cancer Council Victoria
- Caritas Australia
- Caroline Chisholm Education Foundation (TCC only; not DGR)
- Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne (DGR Item 2)
- Catholic Care - Melbourne
- Catholic Care - Sydney
- The Centenary Institute
- Centennial Parklands Foundation
- The Centre for Social Impact
- Cerebral Palsy Alliance
- The Charitable Foundation for Books in Homes Australia
- Charles Darwin University
- Children First Foundation
- Children's Cancer Institute Australia
- Children's Ground
- Children's Medical Research Institute
- Children's Protection Society
- The Climate Institute
- Conservation Volunteers Australia
- Country Education Foundation
- Curtin University of Technology - Office of Advancement
- Diabetes Queensland
- Documentary Australia Foundation
- Doutta Galla Aged Services
- DOXA Youth Foundation
- Dusseldorp Skills Forum
- Dymocks Children's Charities
- E. W. Tipping Foundation
- Eastern Health (DGR Item 1 only; not ITEC or TCC)
- Fire Foundation Limited
- Garvan Research Foundation
- The George Institute for International Health
- Gold Coast Hospital Foundation (DGR Item 2)
- Gold Coast Institute of TAFE
- Greenpeace Australia Pacific
- Griffith University
- Half The Sky Foundation Australia Ltd (TCC only; not DGR)
- Heart Research Centre
- Heide Museum of Modern Art (DGR Item 1 & 4)
- Inspire Foundation
- The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia
- The Jean Hailes Foundation
- Julian Burton Burns Trust
- Kids Under Cover
- Leadership Victoria (ITEC only; not DGR)
- Lifeline Australia
- Lifestart Co-operative
- Lighthouse Foundation
- Macquarie University
- Mater Foundation (Item 2 DGR)
- Medecins Sans Frontieres
- Melbourne Business School
- Mercy Health Foundation
- Mission Australia
- MJD Foundation
- Monash University, Advancement Portfolio
- MS Research Australia
- MS Society NSW/VIC
- Murdoch University
- NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet
- National Ageing Research Institute
- National Breast Cancer Foundation
- National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA)
- The Nature Conservancy
- Northcott Disability Services
- Oncology Children's Foundation
- Opportunity International Australia
- Oxfam Australia
- Peninsula Health
- Peter MacCallum Cancer Foundation (Item 2 DGR)
- Plan International Australia
- Planet Ark Environmental Foundation
- Prince of Wales Hospital Foundation
- The Queen Elizabeth Centre Foundation
- Queensland Art Gallery Foundation (TCC only; not DGR)
- Queensland Library Foundation (DGR Item 1 only; not ITEC or TCC)
- Rainforest Rescue
- The Reach Foundation
- Reconciliation Australia
- Research Australia Philanthropy
- Room To Read Australia Foundation
- Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne (DGR Item 1 only; not ITEC or TCC)
- Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney (DGR Item 2)
- The Royal Children's Hospital Foundation (Vic)
- Royal Flying Doctor Service - South Eastern Section
- The Royal Melbourne Hospital Foundation (DGR Item 2)
- Royal Rehabilitation Centre Sydney
- Rural Health Education Foundation
- The S. R. Stoneman Foundation
- The Salvation Army (Southern Region)
- SANE Australia
- Save the Children Australia
- Scope (Vic)
- Share Community Appeal
- Skilling Australia Foundation
- The Smith Family
- The Song Company
- Southern Health
- Spina Bifida Association of SA Inc
- St.George Foundation
- St Vincent's & Mater Health Sydney
- St Vincent de Paul Society of Victoria
- Starlight Children's Foundation
- The State Library of NSW
- The State Library of Victoria Foundation (DGR Item 2; not ITEC or TCC)
- Support Act Limited
- Surf Life Saving Foundation
- Sydney Adventist Hospital Foundation
- Sydney Opera House (DGR Item 1 only; not ITEC or TCC)
- Sydney Theatre Company
- Taralye (DGR Item 1 only; not ITEC or TCC)
- The Travellers Aid Society of Victoria
- United Way Australia
- UnitingCare NSW.ACT
- University of Ballarat (DGR Item 1 & 4)
- University of Canberra
- University of Melbourne - Advancement Office
- University of New South Wales
- University of Newcastle (UON) Foundation Ltd
- University of South Australia Foundation
- University of Southern Queensland
- University of the Sunshine Coast
- Victoria University
- Vision Australia
- Volunteering Australia
- Walter + Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research
- The Western Health Foundation (DGR Item 2)
- Westmead Medical Research Foundation
- Whitelion
- Wise Community Investment
- World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA Australia)
- World Vision Australia
- YMCA of Sydney
- Youngcare
- Youth Off The Streets
- YWCA NSW
- Zoos Victoria (DGR Item 1 & 4)
Community Foundations
The following Community Foundations are members of Philanthropy Australia. While most Community Foundations are not eligible for funding from PAFs, they can accept gifts from individuals and are also a useful source of information and interesting project applications for those PAFs which do not have a public profile.
Sub-funds that are also Members of Philanthropy Australia are listed beneath their respective Community Foundation.
- Australian Communities Foundation (formerly Melbourne Community Foundation)
- The Ballarat Foundation
- Border Trust
- Buderim Foundation
- Capital Region Community Foundation - GreaterGood
- Community Foundation for Bendigo & Central Victoria
- Community Foundation for Tumut Region
- Fleurieu Community Foundation
- Foundation Barossa
- Foundation Boroondara
- Fremantle Foundation
- Geelong Community Foundation
- Inner North Community Foundation
- Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation
- The Mackay Foundation
- Mirboo North & District Community Foundation
- Mumbulla Foundation
- Northern Rivers Community Foundation
- Queensland Community Foundation
- Stand Like Stone Foundation
- South West Community Foundation
- Southern Highlands Community Foundation
- Sydney Community Foundation
- Tomorrow:Today Foundation
Public Ancillary Funds
The following Public Ancillary Funds are Full Members of Philanthropy Australia who are able to receive donations from the public. Community Foundations are also generally structured as Public Ancillary Funds (PuAFs); below are those PuAFs outside of the definition of Community Foundation, such as those that are not limited to a specific geographic area.
- The Charlie Perkins Trust for Children & Students
- Colac Area Health Foundation
- Community Enterprise Foundation
- The Fogarty Foundation
- The Movement Disorder Foundation
- The Palya Fund
- The Perpetual Foundation
- The Qantas Foundation
- United Way Australia
Other Charity Lists
There is no comprehensive list of all charities in Australia, but there are several websites which provide lists of charities. In some cases charities must pay to be listed, and in other cases the listing is free. None of these listings is comprehensive but there is generally a good representation of charities.
Australian Environmental Grantmakers Network (AEGN)
AEGN provide a list of environment-focussed charities in Australia, ranging from grass-roots groups to large organisations.
OurCommunity.com.au
OurCommunity have an extensive listing of charities and also offer
an online donation service.
ProBono Australia
Pro Bono have a listing of charities on their website, and they
also produce their listing as a booklet which is distributed free
of charge to solicitors, accountants, corporations, philanthropic
trusts and other decision makers.
Connecting Up Directory
Connecting Up Australia provides a Directory of Australian nonprofit and charity organisations, including (where available) tax status, organisation type and ABN numbers.
Auscharity
AusCharity list some charities on their website and also distribute
this listing as The Charities Book.
Tax Issues
ATO - Making a tax deductible donation
This page on the ATO's site offers information on tax deductible
gifts, including the definition of a gift, how much is deductible,
and how to make a tax deductible donation.