A NUMBER of Ballarat charities have been hit with a red flag by the Australian charity watchdog.
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The charities have been hit with a red-mark on their Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission listing due to a failure to lodge information with the watchdog.
On the ACNC website it states “the red-mark sends a clear message to potential donors, volunteers and grant makers that the charities are not compliant with their ACNC obligations”.
More than 4000 charities have been listed on the ACNC website for failing to report.
The biggest Ballarat charity listed on the ACNC website is the Fiona Elsey Cancer Research Institute.
The institute’s fundraising & communications manager David McMahon said the failure to lodge the 2014 Annual Information Statement on time was a simple administrative oversight.
“Since learning of this error this morning (Monday morning), I can confirm the 2014 Annual Information Statement has been lodged with ACNC this afternoon (Monday afternoon),” Mr McMahon said.
“To all of our wonderful supporters, volunteers and sponsors we apologise unreservedly for not maintaining the highest levels of compliance you expect from us.”
The reporting system of the information statements is a new method and simply requires charities to upload the statement online.
FECRI was one of a number of Ballarat charities listed as having failed to provide information.
Others include the JFD Foundation, Old Colonists Association of Ballarat and Ballarat Gospel Radio.
SJD (formally JFD Foundation) Foundation director Brayden Dorney was not aware of the red-mark until contacted by The Courier.
He said the foundation would look to address the issue immediately but added it could be connected with the recent name change.
ACNC Commissioner Susan Pascoe said the charities listed as having the “red-mark” were required to submit their 2014 Annual Information Statement by January 31 2015.
“These charities, which are now more than six months late, have a red-mark on their listing on the Charity Register to highlight to people that the charity has yet to meet the legal requirement of submitting their 2014 Annual Information Statement,” she said. “Once the charity submits its overdue 2014 Annual Information Statement, the red-mark will be removed.”
