Archived: Slavic Gospel Association: mini charity review for donors

Mini charity review of Slavic Gospel Association (SGA) as an organisation that seeks donations. (Including the answers to the questions that the Australian charity regulator, the ACNC, suggests that you ask.)

(For the situation last year, read the review here.)

Are they responsive to feedback?

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

Is SGA registered?

• As a charity, yes.
• Other registrations:
  • As a Victorian incorporated association (A0027142A)^[1].
    • And incorporated as The Slavic Gospel Association Inc. (emphasis mine), not as both the Australian Business Register and the ACNC have recorded^[2].
  • SGA operates – according to the ACNC Register – in all states that have licensing regime for fundraisers except the ACT and Tasmania. It has no fundraising registrations^[3].
  • If it’s ‘carrying on business’ outside Victoria, as it appears to be, then it doesn’t have the required registration (an ARBN).

What do they do?

• From the AIS 2015:
  • Provided financial support to Christian ministries in the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Do they share the Gospel?

• No

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?

• No financial statements lodged.

Can you get a tax deduction?

• No

Is their online giving secure?

• Such giving is not offered.

Is their reporting up-to-date?

• Yes (lodged four months after their year-end). (But grossly incomplete.)
  • 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 are given.
  • The description of the type of financial statements is incorrect.
• Financial Report 2015: No. It is just an audit report.

What financial situation was shown by that Report?

• No financial statements are included.

What did the auditor say about the last financial statements?

• He gave a ‘clean’ opinion. To take the right amount of comfort for this finding, please read here and here.
  • But in accepting the engagement he agreed with the directors’ decision to produce the type of financial statements you can produce if you think that no users, past or prospective, need your financial statements.

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

• No:
  • They are long overdue – at least according to the ACNC – in selecting an Entity Subtype, and
  • ‘Phone’ and ‘Website’ are blank.

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

• None given on the website.

Who are the people controlling the organisation?

• On the website, as well as on the ACNC Register (under ‘Responsible Persons’), it’s these people^[4].
  • However, a Public Officer is not necessarily a board member.

To whom are SGA accountable?

• The membership of Missions Interlink that is claimed on the website is confirmed. Missions Interlink has a general accountability regime^[5].
• SGA is also accountable to the ACNC.

1. Not unincorporated as the Australian Business Register says. ↑
2. In not always using its full name (see, for instance on its website and its Facebook page), SGA may be in contravention of its enabling legislation. ↑
3. The law in this area is not straightforward and advice varies, so check with the charity before drawing any conclusions. ↑
4. With conflicting spellings for the Chairman. ↑
5. For one opinion on the strength of this accountability, see the section Activities in this review. ↑