AUSTRALIANS who were feeling generous and wanted to give something other than chocolate at Easter could feel more confident than ever their money was going to legitimate charities.
The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) runs Australia's first free online database of more than 60,000 registered charities which anyone can access anywhere, any time to check whether an organisation is registered with the Commission, its size, principal activity and whom their charity benefits.
ACNC assistant commissioner Murray Baird said organisations appearing on the register provide reports which are publicly available and are monitored for good governance and financial management by the commission.
"Australians are among the most generous people in the world per capita when it comes to making donations to worthy causes," Mr Baird said.
"The concern we hear from donors is: 'does the money go to the right place?'.
"The register is a great resource for anyone wanting to donate but may not know who to donate to.
"I encourage people wanting to donate to a charity to use the register at acnc.gov.au/findacharity."
The ACNC register has attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors since it was launched in last year.
"The popularity of the ACNC register shows us that there's definitely an appetite for this information out there," Mr Baird said.
"While on the whole the charity sector is made up of good people with honest intentions, it's encouraging to see that Australians do proactively check that they're money is going to where they would like it to."
As well as searching by name, the register enables users to search for a registered charity by state or territory, or by beneficiary.
There are a number of other ways that can help donors feel confident that they're giving to legitimate organisations if they are approached in the street, on the telephone or in their home:
-Always ask for identification from door to door and street fundraising collectors
-If contacted by phone ask for a return phone number before you consider providing any personal, credit card or online account details
-Ask for a receipt.
-Make sure it has the charity's details on it including an ABN.
-Do not provide your personal, credit card or online account details unless you know it is a trusted source
-Do not open suspicious or unsolicited emails - delete them.
-If you think that there is something wrong, contact the charity directly and alert them of your concerns.
