Non-Profit News Service No. 0264 - Donations to help earthquake victims in Haiti

On 12 January 2010, a major earthquake struck Haiti causing widespread casualties and damage.

Appeals have been launched to help victims of the disaster by collecting donations to support relief operations.

If your organisation wants to set up a tax deductible fund to collect donations for use outside Australia, it may be easier and quicker for you to arrange with one of the larger and already approved funds to collect money on their behalf. If your organisation collects donations on behalf of another organisation, remember to comply with state and territory government collections acts.

Donations to an appeal are tax deductible if the organisation operating the appeal is endorsed as a deductible gift recipient (DGR) and is an overseas aid fund. You can check whether an organisation is a DGR on the Australian Business Register. Information about non-government organisations that operate tax deductible overseas aid funds is also available on the AusAID website.

For more information about making tax deductible donations, collecting on behalf of a DGR and related issues, refer to Assisting victims of disasters.

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