AICD submission on the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into Philanthropy

The AICD has long advocated for promoting sound NFP governance practices, reducing the regulatory burden on NFPs and charities, and incentivising sector innovation and efficiency. With a significant majority of our members involved in the governance or work of Not-for-Profits (NFPs) and philanthropic organisations, the AICD supported the Government’s commitment to double philanthropic giving by 2030 and welcomed the Productivity Commission’s Inquiry on ways to give effect to this commitment.

The key points of our submission were:

1. the harmonisation of fundraising regulations and registration requirements for NFPs and charities needs to be prioritised to reduce compliance costs and support philanthropic giving;
2. the AICD considers that the definition of “philanthropy” (as set out in the Call for Submissions paper, including in Information Request 1) should be expanded to include volunteering and other non-monetary forms of support to reflect the significant time and expertise that directors and other volunteers contribute to NFPs and charities;
3. digital and crowdfunding fundraising laws need to be reformed to address specific issues arising from these types of donations, such as what happens when a public appeal leads to a surplus of funds; and
4. there is a need for a central data depository for NFPs and charities that provides a complete picture of the role and contribution of the sector which can be used to inform policy decisions.