Archived: Care4Kids Uganda: charity review

This is review in the series ‘Members of Missions Interlink’, Missions Interlink being ‘the Australian network for global mission^[1]’ (and a means for a Member to get income tax exemption when it might not otherwise be available^[2], with a consequent accountability regime).

‘Care4Kids Uganda’ is one such Member, and an organisation that seeks donations from the public.

Both Members and Associates have to accept a set of standards, the introduction to which includes this statement:

In response to a draft of this review, Colleen Kelly said ‘Thank you for the review of our Charity’.

The charities’ regulator, the ACNC, in their article, Donating to Legitimate Charities, gives “some things to consider to help you make sure your donation is going where it is intended”:

1. Check the charity’s name
2. Ask for identification from anyone seeking a donation.
3. Be careful of online requests for donations.
4. No tax deduction doesn’t mean the charity is not a legitimate one.
5. Find out more about how the charity says it uses donations.

Here’s the results for ‘Care4Kids Uganda’^[3], with #5 supplemented by the essentials of the ACNC’s What should I consider when deciding which charity to support?^[4].

1.    A search on the ACNC Register of charities leads to a charity called International Support Aid Australia. This is because that charity has ‘Care4Kids Uganda recorded under ‘Also known as’^[5].

• Not to be confused with another charity, CARE4KIDS INDONESIA INCORPORATED.

2. NA

3. The “web address begins with ‘https’ and there is a closed padlock symbol next to the web address in the address bar”, so the website is secure [the first ACNC article above]. Although the page says that you can give online via credit card, there is no such facility on or via that page, so an assurance on the giving page about the safety of your information is not required.

4. The Australian Business Register (linked from Care4Kids Uganda’s ACNC Register record), says that the charity is not entitled to receive tax deductible gifts. It is a registered charity though.

But the Register is contradicted by the information on the ‘Donate’ and ‘Our work’ pages on the Care4Kids’ website:

Care4Kids offer no explanation for this contradiction.

5.    Here’s what they do. And what they did in 2017 (from the AIS 2017):

Empowerment of marginalised and disadvantaged individuals, orphans, vulnerable children, widows, families and communities through education and sustainable project opportunities. Building capacity and selfsufficiency by way of income generating schemes, micro-enterprise development and training, reducing poverty and offering families & individuals a better life with dignity and self-reliance. C4Kids Social Workers work with families and communities to develop individualised family plans to assist families and strengthen the family unit to work together in their projects to become sustainable and self-reliant. They regularly visit reintegrated children and families both in their home and in their educational environments. The Care

Preschool and Vocational Training Centre offers access to education/training for individuals and families that otherwise might never have access to education. Ongoing professional development of Care4kids National Staff enhances and strengthens the work of Care4Kids and provides new skills for staff that can enhance their capacity outside of their employment at Care4Kids. Families, Guardians and Community Members are able to access support from Care4Kids to strengthen and assist them with the problems associated to vulnerability and family breakdown.

The information on the website appears to be out-of-date.

There are no results, outcomes or impact reported on the ACNC Register or the website.

89% of the resources consumed in 2017 are described as ‘Project expenses’ in the Financial Report^[6]. From the AIS 2017 we know that these are grants, predominantly to overseas entities. But to whom they were made is not disclosed, nor do Care4Kids say anywhere how they ensure that your donations are used for the intended purpose.

1. https://missionsinterlink.org.au/about/ ↑
2. ↑
3. See here for last year’s review. ↑
4. Focus on the nature of the charity’s work, its beneficiaries and the impact the charity is having in the community.Is it clear what the charity is trying to achieve and how its activities work towards its objectives?Would you like to spend your money, or time if volunteering, to support these objectives?Is the charity being transparent about its activities? [A section in the article, Donating and Volunteering]. ↑
5. It is a business name held by the charity. ↑
6. Because of Care4Kids’s size, no Financial Report is required. And because it was submitted voluntarily, it does not need to comply with the ACNC’s requirements. And it doesn’t. Nor by any reasonable interpretation of ‘appropriate’ does it satisfy Mission Interlink’s requirements. Here’s the main shortcomings:
   • The financial statements are short one statement, a cash flow statement.
   • The Notes to the accounts are missing most of the required notes.
   • The person who ‘reviewed’ the accounts, A B (Brian) Ross, has produced a report that is nothing like the one required by his profession.

   ↑