Regulator performance

Regulator reporting

As the independent Commonwealth regulator of charities, the ACNC is responsible for registering new charities, as well as administering the national regulatory framework for around 60,000 existing charities.

The ACNC does not regulate the broader not-for-profit sector. Charities are a subset of the not-for-profit sector.

Our key activity is to maintain a free and accurate register of Australian charities (the Charity Register), which includes registering new charities in a timely manner.

We are committed to:

• maintaining the integrity of the Charity Register through our reviews of charity entitlement of DGR endorsed charities, monitoring and enforcement activities and data integrity work (such as removing those who persistently fail to meet their reporting obligations via our double defaulter process)
• helping charities to understand and meet their obligations through information, guidance, advice and other support
• informing public policy makers, researchers, and the media about the work of the charity sector through submissions, reports, advice and other support
• working with all levels of government to share our data to reduce regulatory burden and highlight the impact that reforms will have on charities.

Our Regulatory Approach Statement outlines the ACNC’s approach to regulating charities. Most of our effort is focused on education. This reflects the fact that over half of charities are operated by volunteers and that 31% of charities operate with revenue under $50,000. Most people involved in charities are honest, act in good faith and try to do the right thing. We will not hesitate to act where there is a risk of harm to the public or serious wrongdoing.

We have embedded the Australian Government’s 3 best practice principles into everything we do.

Key activity

Description	Continuous improvement and building trust	Risk-based and data-driven	Collaboration and engagement
Maintaining a free and accurate register of Australian Charities	✔	✔	✔

Stakeholders

Description	Continuous improvement and building trust	Risk-based and data-driven	Collaboration and engagement
Government	✔	✔	✔
Users of ACNC data	✔	✔	✔
Consultation, sector and professional advisory forums	✔	✔	✔
International regulators	✔	✔	✔

Performance measures

Description	Continuous improvement and building trust	Risk-based and data-driven	Collaboration and engagement
Percentage of new eligible charities registered within 15 business days of ACNC receiving all information necessary to make a decision	✔	✔	✔
Percentage of time that the Charity Register is available (excluding scheduled maintenance)	✔	✔	–

Statement of intent

Description	Continuous improvement and building trust	Risk-based and data-driven	Collaboration and engagement
Regulator statement of intentExternal Link	✔	✔	✔