Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission report provides insight into $100b sector
How is your charity dollar spent? Report provides insight into $100b sector
The massive size of the charity and not-for-profit sector is revealed for the first time in a report by the regulator that shows the sector was worth $103 billion last year and employed almost one-in-10 Australians.
financial inconsistencies: reports
MAP: Australia
The massive size of the charity and not-for-profit sector has, for the first time, been revealed in a report by the sector's regulator.
The Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) has released the Australia's Charities in 2014 report, showing the sector is a $103 billion industry employing almost one in 10 Australians.
Key points:
- Report also shows Australians are among the biggest givers to charity in the world
- Shane Warne's charity under fire but policy analyst says donation figures not low
- Charity sector welcomes report, says it helps consumers know how their charity dollar was spent
ACNC commissioner Susan Pascoe said the top 5 per cent of charities attracted 80 per cent of the sector's total income.
"They're the very large charities, like the universities and hospitals and aged care providers and the like," she said.
More than two-thirds of charities in Australia were small, with an annual income of less than $250,000.
"We've got an extraordinarily diverse sector in Australia," Ms Pascoe said.
The report also revealed that Australia's charities spent $95 billion in 2014.
This consisted of $51.8 billion on employee expenses, $4.5 billion on grants and donations, and $38.7 billion on other expenses.
Sarah Davies from Philanthropy Australia said levels of high spending were not necessarily an indicator of dysfunction.
"There a couple of things that worry me when we say make bold statements, like 'the cost of fundraising is too high' ... those kinds of generic statements can be quite harmful," she said.
"It's like going to a restaurant and having the most wonderful meal, fabulous food, great environment, beautiful music ... and then at the end of the meal going, 'that was awesome, but I only want to give the money to the chef'."
Australians among biggest givers
The report was the first time the ACNC, established in 2012, had analysed data relating to the charity sector.
Print Email
Facebook Twitter More
Coins in hands