Archived: Youth With A Mission Gold Coast Inc: mini-charity review

Mini-review of Youth With A Mission Gold Coast Inc^[1] (YGC) as an organisation that (a) seeks donations online^[2], and (b) is a member of Missions Interlink, an organisation that, among other things, gives members income tax exemption even though they do not meet the “in Australia” test and do not have deductible gift recipient status. (Including the answers to the questions that the Australian charity regulator, the ACNC, suggests that you ask.)

See here for the previous review.

Is it responsive to feedback?

• When sent a draft of this review, on 24 June 2017, they…did not respond.

Is YGC registered?

• As a charity, yes.
• As a Queensland incorporated association (IA36004).
• YGC operates, per the ACNC Register, in New South Wales and Queensland. It also has on online donation invitation. It is not registered for fundraising in any of the seven states that have a fundraising licence regime^[3].

What do they do?

• They conduct ‘DTS’ and other schools for Christians (see ‘YWAM DTS’ and ‘Training’ in the main menu), and have various ministries to non-believers.

Do they share the Gospel ^[4]?

• Sharing the Gospel is not explicitly included in the its objects (in the constitution). Their description of some of their ministries suggests that the Gospel is shared, but again these are substantially about good deeds.

What impact are they having?

• Nothing found.

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

• The classification of expenses does not allow a split between direct and indirect – however ‘direct’ is defined.

Can you get a tax deduction?

• According to YGC’s Government ABN record, yes, both to YGC itself and to its fund, Youth With A Mission Gold Coast Inc Trust.
  • Not according to YGC though. They say that tax deductible donations are only available for donations ‘to YWAM Gold Coast through our Building Fund’
    • This is the only reference to this fund on the website or in the Financial Report.
    • There is no reference to the Trust in either place.

Is their online giving secure?

• Westpac’s PayWay is used, so yes.

Is their reporting up-to-date?

• Yes (four 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 over 16 months ago.

Does their reporting comply with the regulator’s requirements?

• AIS 2015: Not quite.
  • The response to ‘activities and outcomes’ reads as a description of what YGC has done since its inception, not what it did in 2016.
  • No outcomes are given.
• Financial Report 2015: No.
  • It is still missing
    • Two of the four required financial statements.
    • the Directors’ Declaration.
    • The Notes to the accounts.
  • The Detailed Profit and Loss Statement again uses a long out-of-date format.
  • And this year it is also missing the audit report.

What financial situation was shown by that Report?

• Too much missing information make a reliable assessment.

What did the auditor say about the last financial statements?

• NA

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

• No, only two ‘responsible persons’ are shown.
• Not incomplete, but still incorrect: the year end is 30 April, not 30 June.
• Missing, but not compulsory: “Phone”.
• Not incomplete, but confusing: “Website” gives the address of a second website for YGC.

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

• On this page:
  • Thank you for your generous support and involvement with YWAM Gold Coast. If you’d like to make a credit card payment for an application fee, course fees or make a donation to a staff, student, or the general work of YWAM Gold Coast, please click the Pay/Donate button below. 
  • But there is no such button.

Who are the people controlling the organisation?

• They are not shown on the website.
• The constitution requires a minimum of three, yet there are still only two shown on the ACNC Register (under ‘Responsible Persons’):
  • Dave Bartsch
  • Darcy McCaslin

To whom are YGC accountable?

• Not claimed on the website, but they are members of Missions Interlink^[5].

1. The name by which they are commonly known, YWAM Gold Coast, is not registered. ↑
2. YGC has two websites: www.ywamgoldcoast.com.au and www.ywamgc.org. The second, the one that is on the ACNC Register, has two buttons that should lead to an online giving form but are dead. In fact, all the buttons on the home page were dead when I was there. ↑
3. 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. ↑
4. “Good living and social concern are important [to the cause of evangelism], but they are not uniquely Christian graces…I’ve met a lot of fine Hindus, Muslims and atheists. Just living the life is not going to bring someone to Christ. There is much more to it than that. We must help people, certainly, but we must also share with them why we are motivated to do so. We must stand against injustice, poverty and need, but we must at the same time point to the One who brings justice and who can meet the deepest need. Until they know our reasons, how can they come to know our Lord?” [Dan Armstrong, the Fifth Gospel: The Gospel According to You, Anzea Books, pp. 13-14. ↑ ↑
5. For one opinion on the strength of this accountability, see the section Activities in this review. ↑