Archived: ACC International Relief Inc.: mini-charity review

Mini-charity review of ACC International Relief Inc. (ACCIR), an organisation that seeks donations online and is a member of Missions Interlink. (Including the answers to the questions that the Australian charity regulator, the ACNC, suggests that you ask.) For the previous review, see here.

Are they responsive to feedback?

• ACCIR welcomes it:
  • ACCI recognises that listening to and responding to feedback, concerns and complaints is integral to our commitment to achieving the high standards and ensures accountability to all stakeholders. Complaints or feedback can be submitted to the CEO of Operations via the below contact details or to another ACCI employee, field worker or strategic partner. 
• I sent them a draft of this review. Like last year, they…did not respond.

Is ACCIR registered?

• As a charity, yes. (But as Acc International…)
• As a Victorian incorporated association (A0008672W).
• Although it has not shown them on the ACNC Register, ACCIR has three business names: Kinnected, AOG World Relief, and AUSTRALIAN CHRISTIAN CHURCHES WORLD RELIEF.
• ACCIR operates – according to the ACNC Register – throughout Australia. And has an internet invitation to give.
  • It has the necessary ARBN registration (26 077 365 434) to carry on business interstate.
  • It is not registered in three of the six states that have a fundraising licensing regime. No reason is given for this.

What do they do?

• See here.

Do they share the Gospel?^[1]

• No. From the section ‘Beliefs’ on the website:
  • ACC International Relief carries out aid & development activities only. Evangelistic programs and activities are administered and funded separately through the organisation ACC International Missions.

What impact are they having?

• Nothing systematic found.

What do they spend outside the costs directly incurred in delivering the above impact, that is, on administration?

• If we define ‘directly incurred’ as ‘Funds to international programs’, it is 9%. Are some of their expenses borne by another organisation?

Do they pay their board members?

• This is not prohibited by the ACCIR constitution.
• The expenses are not disclosed in sufficient detail to check for a payment.

Can you get a tax deduction?

• Per the ABN record, yes, both to ACCIR and to its two funds, World Relief Fund and ACC Relief Fund.
  • But only the World Relief Fund is mentioned on the giving pages (e.g. donate).

Is their online giving secure?

• Security is not mentioned.

Is their reporting up-to-date?

• Yes (lodged four and a half months after year end, one and a half months earlier than last year).
  • But if you are considering a large donation, I would ask for more up-to-date financial information – the accounts are for a year end that is now over 12 months ago.

Does their reporting comply with the regulator’s requirements?

• AIS 2016: No
  • ‘Other Income’ does not match the figure in the financial statements.
  • A name that does not belong to them is included under ‘Other names…’, and three are omitted.
  • There is a description of their mission under ‘activities and outcomes’ instead of the year’s activities and outcomes.
• Financial Report 2016: Probably. But
  • It is hard to see that a report that makes no mention of (a) the organization that supplies and controls the membership, Australian Christian Churches, and (b) the organization with which it shares a business name and a website, ACC International Missions Ltd, can be judged as showing a true and fair view.

What financial situation was shown by that Report?

• Last year’s surplus of 3% of revenue was turned into a 1/5th% deficit.
• ‘Cash and cash equivalents’ plus ‘Financial assets’ represents only a little over one month’s revenue.
• No obvious concerns with financial structure.

Where were your (net) donations sent?

• Other than overseas, we are not told where or to whom.

What did the auditor say about the last financial statements?

• The auditor, Jeffrey Tulk, for Saward Dawson, gave a ‘clean’ opinion.
  • To take the right amount of comfort from a ‘clean opinion’, please read here and here.

If a charity, is their information on the ACNC Register complete/correct?

• No
  • ‘ACCI Relief’, under ‘Other Name(s)…’, is not a registered business name.
  • Their three business names are missing.
  • There are a couple of errors under ‘Responsible Persons’.
  • ‘Phone’ and ‘Website’ are blank (but these are not compulsory).

What choices do you have in how your donation is used?

• ‘Partner with a project
  • 7 under ‘Africa’
  • 9 under ‘Cambodia’
  • 5 under ‘South Asia’
  • 3 under ‘South East Asia’
  • 3 under ‘Vietnam’
• ‘Become a RAISE partner’
  • ‘RAISE: Madagascar’
  • ‘RAISE: Mozambique’
  • ‘RAISE: Sri Lanka’
  • ‘RAISE: Vietnam’
  • ‘RAISE: Kolkata’
  • ‘RAISE: Visions Rescue’
• ‘Current Appeals’
  • ‘Middle East Crisis Appeal’
• ‘Give to our One Day Campaign…’
• ‘Bequests…’

Who are the people controlling the organisation?

• See the list at the bottom here.
• The ACNC Register (under ‘Responsible Persons’) has an additional person, Allan Davis and ‘Alan’ instead of ‘Alun’:
  • Ishara Davey
  • Alan Davies
  • Allan Davis
  • Karyn Ey
  • Kruithoff Ian (should be the other way round)
  • Kristy Mills
  • Terri Reid
• The board is responsible to the members. The number of members is not disclosed.

To whom are ACCIR accountable?

• As a charity, to the ACNC.
  • ACCIR displays the ACNC’s ‘charity tick’ in the website footer.  This is used in support of you giving to them.  And rightly so, because it would be unwise to give to a charity that is unregistered.   The ‘tick’ also means ACCIM’s AIS is not overdue, and no compliance action has been take against it.
    • But it means no more than this.
• As an association, ACCIR is accountable to the Victorian regulator of incorporated associations.
• Although not claimed on their website, nor under ‘Accountability’ in the Annual Report, they are accountable as a Member of Missions Interlink.
  • For one opinion on the strength of this accountability, see the section Activities in this review.
• Membership of the ACFID claimed. Confirmed. This means they must follow the ACFID Code of Conduct.

1. “Good living and social concern are important [to the cause of evangelism], but they are not uniquely Christian graces…I’ve met a lot of fine Hindus, Muslims and atheists. Just living the life is not going to bring someone to Christ. There is much more to it than that. We must help people, certainly, but we must also share with them why we are motivated to do so. We must stand against injustice, poverty and need, but we must at the same time point to the One who brings justice and who can meet the deepest need. Until they know our reasons, how can they come to know our Lord?” [Dan Armstrong, the Fifth Gospel: The Gospel According to You, Anzea Books, pp. 13-14. ↑