Archived: Asian Outreach Australia Limited: mini charity review for donors

Mini charity review of Asian Outreach Australia Limited (AO) as an organisation that seeks donations online. (Including the answers to the questions that the Australian charity regulator, the ACNC, suggests that you ask.)

(To see the situation last year, read this review.)

Are they responsive to feedback?

• When sent a draft of this review, they…did not respond.

Is AO registered?

• As a charity, yes.
• Other registrations:
  • As a public company, a company limited by guarantee.
    • As it doesn’t have the necessary provisions in its constitution, it is not entitled to omit ‘Limited/Ltd’ when it uses its company name^[1].
  • AO doesn’t have a licence to fundraise in the state that, according to the ACNC Register, it operates. Nor in any of the others that have a licensing regime^[2].

What do they do?

• Defined by project.
• Defined by ministry ‘area’.
• What they said they did in 2015 (via their AIS 2015):
  • Financial support and visitation^[3] of volunteers in Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand and Mongolia.

Do they share the Gospel?

• Not directly.

What impact are they having?

• Nothing found on the website, or in the AIS 2015.

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

• If we define ‘direct’ as ‘Grants and donations…’, then it cost $14K to deliver $31K.
  • There were no employees.

Can you get a tax deduction?

• No
  • But they offer a tax-deduction opportunity under ‘Community development’ called ‘the Bright Road’.
    • This is a business name owned by ActionLove Australia (Overseas Aid) Limited. The charity is The Trustee For ActionLove Australia Overseas Aid Fund^[4].
    • The directors of AO are also the directors of this charity^[5].

Is their online giving secure?

• No online giving offered.

Is their reporting up-to-date?

• Yes (a week before the deadline, six months after their year-end).
  • 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 10 months ago.

Does their reporting comply with the regulator’s requirements?

• AIS 2015: Not quite. No outcomes given.
• Financial Report 2015: Yes
  • One wasn’t required by the ACNC. (And was not voluntarily submitted.)
  • Because of their membership of Missions Interlink (see below), they are obliged to give you their audited financial statements if you request them.
    • I’d be happy to look at them for you when you get them.

What financial situation was shown by that Report?

• The ‘Financial Information’ in the AIS 2015 shows that
  • Their incurred a $6K deficit on a turnover of $39K.
  • They had equity of $12K.
  • See also ‘What do they spend…’, above.

What did the auditor say about the last financial statements?

• An audit report is on neither the ACNC Register nor the website.

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

• Not quite. ‘Phone’ and ‘Website’ are blank.

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

• None disclosed on the website.

Who are the people controlling the organisation?

• Not shown on the website, but the ACNC Register lists them under ‘Responsible Persons’.

To whom are AO accountable?

• Not claimed on the website, but AO is a member of Missions Interlink, an organisation that has standards with which it must comply.
• AO is also accountable to the ACNC.

1. It uses Asian Outreach Australia on its website, and Asian Outreach Australia – AOA’ on Facebook. ↑
2. The law in this area is not straightforward and advice varies, so check with the charity before drawing any conclusions. ↑
3. Far from an everyday word, used here with the meaning here of ‘a visit for the purpose of making an official examination or inspection, as of a bishop to a diocese’ [ http://www.dictionary.com/browse/visitation]. ↑
4. According to its governing document on the ACNC Register, the trustee is a Victorian incorporated association that was deregistered in 2007. ↑
5. When you get the accounts of AO, check that this second charity has been consolidated. ↑