Archived: Wesleyan World Mission: mini charity review for donors

Mini charity review of Wesleyan World Mission (WWM), an entity that seeks donations. (Including the answers to the questions that the Australian charity regulator, the ACNC, suggests that you ask.)

Is WWM registered?

• The charity regulator, in its factsheet Making sure your donation gets to where it needs to’, a factsheet that has ‘Safe giving’ in its hyperlink, says that
  • If the charity is listed on the ACNC Register you can be sure that there is a properly registered charity of that name. However, as registration is voluntary, not all charities will be on our register. Organisations that are seeking donations should also be checked with your state or territory fundraising regulator available here – see the contact list of state and territory regulators below.
• WWM is not registered as a charity.
  • See here for what that means.
• WWM is not licensed to fundraise in any of the seven states that have a licensing regime.
  • The law in this area is not straightforward – is an internet invitation ‘fundraising’ for instance? – and advice varies, so check with the charity before drawing any conclusions.
• Should you wish to continue with your giving anyway, you should know that
  • WWM is not registered as a ‘business’ in its own right, i.e. the holder of an ABN.
    • See here for what this means.
  • It is not registered as an incorporated body (company, association, etc).
  • Its name is not a registered business name.
    • See here for what this means.
• A Google search on the name leads to a website for WWM. In smaller print under the top gallery of pictures we learn that WWM is The Missions Arm of the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia (WMCA). So we ask the ACNC’s questions, above, of WMCA:
  • They are registered as a charity.
  • WMCA is not a registered fundraiser in any of the six states in which it operates that have a fundraising regime.
    • However, WMCA may argue that it is exempt in Queensland because they are a ‘religious order’, and in Victoria because they can marry people. Plus the law in this area is not straightforward – is an internet invitation ‘fundraising’ for instance? – and advice varies, so check with the charity before drawing any conclusions.

What do WWM do?

• There is no description on the website.
• From the main menu we know that they have a training centre in the Solomon Islands and that Australian Wesleyans serve overseas. (The Updates appear to be about more than just Australian activities.)

Do they share the Gospel?

• None of the five projects on the giving page include this.

What impact are they having?

• There is no indication that they are assessing their impact. (I searched for ‘outcomes’ too.)

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

• No financial statements for WWM are available.
  • Nor are the financial statements of WMCA available on the ACNC Register. This is because they are exempt due to being a ‘Basic Religious Charity’.

Can you get a tax deduction?

• On the website: ‘Gifts are administered by the Wesleyan Methodist Church of Australia and are not tax deductible.’

Is their online giving secure?

• PayPal is used, so yes.

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

• “SRI Lanka Flood Appeal’, ‘Support Noro Building Project’, ‘Support David Collins’, ‘Support the Floyds’, ‘Jeff Shelly (sic) Davies’, ‘General Gift’.

Is their reporting up-to-date?

• They are not registered anywhere, so NA.

Does their reporting comply with the regulator’s requirements?

• No regulator, so NA.

What financial situation was shown in that Report?

• WWM do not publish financial statements. Nor are WMCA’s financial statements offered on their website.

What did the auditor say about the last financial statements?

• No audit, so NA.

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

• Not a registered charity, so NA.

Who are the people controlling the organisation?

• No information on the WWM website.
• As they are a mission of WMCA, presumably it is the people listed as responsible persons of WMCA on the ACNC Register:
  • Jeffrey Adams
  • Peter Dobson
  • Rosemary Richardson
  • Rex Rigby
  • Douglas Ring

To whom is PWMC accountable?

• Although it is mentioned on neither website, WWM is accountable because of their membership of Missions Interlink.
  • • For one opinion on the strength of this accountability, see the section Activities in this review.

Is it responsive to feedback?

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