Archived: Gospel Operation International For Chinese Christians (Australia) Incorporated: mini-charity review

Mini charity review of Gospel Operation International For Chinese Christians (Australia) Incorporated (GOI), an Associate member of Missions Interlink.

Are they responsive to feedback?

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

Is GOI registered?

• Yes, as a charity.
  • The constitution shortens the name to Go International Australia. What is the relationship, if any, to Go International Aid Inc, and its charity, The trustee for Go International Aid Fund?
• Other registrations:
  • As a NSW incorporated association (INC9878287).
  • They have the registration to allow them to operate interstate (ARBN 155 705 132).
  • Registered for GST.

What does GOI do?

• Because it’s in Chinese, I can’t read the website. But this is what their last Annual Information Statement, AIS 2015, said for ‘activities and outcomes’:
  • Gospel Operation International is (sic) mission organisation. Its main aim is to spread the word of God through sending out Christian missionaries in and out of Australia.
  • The Register implies that they have a missionary in Thailand.

Do they share the Gospel?

• If the missionaries work for them, yes.

What impact are they having?

• No information found.

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

• Because they don’t have to submit a Financial Report, and chose not to submit one voluntarily, we only have the information in the AIS 2015. This shows only two expenses, ‘Employee expenses/payments’ (65% of the total), and ‘Other expenses/payments’ (35%).
  • They had one full-time employee (AIS 2015). We cannot tell whether this person was a missionary sent by GOI or the person running GOI.

Can you get a tax deduction?

• No

Is their online giving secure?

• Because the website is in Chinese, I cannot even say that they offer online giving.

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

• See above.

Is their reporting up-to-date?

• Yes – but it was a month late.

Does their reporting comply with the regulator’s requirements?

• Except for the omission of outcomes, yes.
  • Although they are not required to submit a Financial Report, their Associate membership of Missions Interlink requires them to “have available for [their] members and supporters a clear and appropriate financial statement which has been approved by its auditor.”

What financial situation was shown in that Report?

• No Report was required, and none was submitted voluntarily.
• The AIS 2015 shows:
  • A $23K surplus, 19% of revenue.
  • 77% of the revenue was from donations.
  • 65% of the expenses were for the one employee.
  • Liabilities were 56% of assets.

What did the auditor say about the last financial statements?

• Unless it’s on the website, no audit report is available publicly. (An audit is required, both by the constitution and because of the Missions Interlink membership, but we don’t know if one was performed.)

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

• ‘Phone’ and ‘Website’ are blank.

Who are the people controlling the organisation?

• There should be at least five (the constitution), but the ACNC Register (‘Responsible Persons’) only shows one, Wong Burgess.
  • Or is it Burgess Wong?

To whom is GOI accountable?

• To Missions Interlink[1] via its an Associate membership.
• GOI is also accountable to the ACNC, and the NSW associations regulator.

1. For one opinion on the strength of that accountability, see the section Activities in this review. ↑