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Social impact missing person infographic 

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This page provides an overview of the process for getting your NFP up and running, about tax concessions, deductible gift recipient endorsement and legal structures. For more detailed information follow the links at the end of the page.

An NFP organisation is an organisation that is operating for its purpose and not for the profit or gain (either direct or indirect) of its individual members.

NFP organisations fall within two broad categories:

charities

other NFP organisations that are not charities, for example, most sporting and recreational clubs, community service organisations, professional and business associations and social organisations.

Charities must register with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) before they can be endorsed by us for tax concessions or apply for certain categories of deductible gift recipient (DGR) status.

Other NFP organisations that are not charities may be able to self-assess whether they are income tax exempt or taxable and whether they will have access to other tax concessions. They will need to be endorsed by us to obtain DGR status.

Purpose

A purpose is what your NFP has been set up to achieve or what your activities work toward.

To be a charity, all of your NFP's purposes must be charitable, except purposes that are 'incidental or ancillary to' the charitable purposes.

Before you start an NFP organisation

Focus on what you want to achieve. Is setting up a new NFP organisation or charity the best way to achieve your goals? There may be an existing charity or NFP organisation that already does what you want to do or that may take on your idea as a project that it can support.

You should consider:

What will your organisation try to achieve?

What will its main activities be?

What programs or services will you provide?

Who is your target audience?

Who will benefit from the organisation's activities and programs?

Why is there a need for this new organisation?

How long will your NFP organisation or charity last? Will it be for a one-off short-term project or operating on an ongoing basis?

The role of legal structures

The legal structure you choose should meet your organisation's needs now and into the future.

Your organisation's legal structure will affect many things, such as:

its legal identity (whether it can be sued)

its governance structure (who makes what types of decisions)

who is liable for its debts and its specific responsibilities

what its reporting or other compliance obligations are.

Legal structures commonly used by NFP organisations include unincorporated associations, incorporated associations, companies, cooperatives, Indigenous corporations and trusts. Different legal structures have different reporting requirements and tax obligations.

About tax concessions

Depending on the type of NFP organisation, different tax concessions are available and the process for accessing each concession varies.

Charities:

must be endorsed by us to access charity tax concessions.

Other NFP organisations:

can generally self-assess - that is, work out for themselves - whether they are entitled to tax concessions.

The tax concessions NFPs may be entitled to access include:

income tax exemption

fringe benefits tax (FBT) exemption or rebate

goods and services tax (GST) concessions

deductible gift recipient (DGR) endorsement

refund of franking credits.

To access various concessions and comply with your organisation's tax obligations, your organisation may need to register for an Australian business number (ABN), GST, FBT, pay as you go (PAYG) withholding, fuel tax credits or other taxes.

In addition to tax registrations, your organisation may need other licences, permits or registrations to operate.

We recommend you review your organisation's entitlement to tax concessions on an annual basis and whenever there is a change in your structure or operations. We provide worksheets to help you review your organisation's entitlement.

About deductible gift recipients (DGR)

When you receive donations to support your organisation, your supporters can claim a tax deduction if you have been endorsed by us as a deductible gift recipient (DGR).

All organisations, including charities, must be endorsed by us as a DGR if they want their donors to be able to claim a tax deduction.

Registration process

To register your NFP organisation follow these steps:

1. Determine or understand your legal structure.

2. Determine if you're an NFP.

3. Register your organisation with the Australian Government to obtain an ABN. At the same time, you can also register for GST, FBT, PAYG withholding if your organisation requires it.

4. Determine if you need a director identification numberExternal Link (director ID).

See also
Endorsement process in brief

Endorsement is the approval process charities must follow if they want to access tax concessions. Also, specific types of charities and other NFP organisations, and some funds, authorities and institutions operated by NFP organisations, may be endorsed as deductible gift recipients (DGRs).

Charities

1. If you have charitable purposes you must apply to register as a charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission (ACNC) to access charity tax concessions.

2. Apply for endorsement for charity tax concessions and/or apply to us to be endorsed as a DGR. You can apply for charity tax concessions and DGR status when you apply for charity registration with the ACNC, they will forward the application to us.

3. If you are not eligible to be registered as a charity with the ACNC you may still be eligible for some tax concessions, including income tax and FBT concessions, through self-assessment.

4. If you are unhappy with our response (for example, if we refuse your DGR endorsement or endorsement as a tax concession charity) you can object.

5. You should continue to review your income tax status and entitlements regularly and notify us if anything changes.

Other NFPs that are not charities

1. Determine if you are entitled to self-assess your eligibility for tax concessions, including income tax and FBT concessions. Not all NFP organisations are eligible for tax concessions.

2. Determine if you can apply to be endorsed as a DGR. There are a limited number of categories for non-charitable DGR's.

3. You should continue to review your income tax status and entitlements regularly and notify us if anything changes.

Next steps Watch

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Getting your NFP up and running, tax concessions, deductible gift recipient endorsement and legal structures.

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Starting A Fund Or Foundation - Australian Communities Foundation

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Get started with structured giving by establishing a donor-advised fund or private foundation. Find out which giving vehicle is best for your philanthropic goals.

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If you're thinking about setting up a charity, it's important to take time to plan and understand what's involved. You also need to consider whether setting up a new charity is the best way to achieve your goals.

There may be an existing charity that already does what you want to do or that may support your idea as a project. You can explore charities and charity programs across Australia on the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) Charity Register.

The steps below are a guide only. To set up a charity or a not-for-profit organisation, you need to get independent legal advice.

1. Understand what a charity is

The Charities Act 2013 (Cth) states that to be a recognised as a charity, an organisation must:

be not-for-profit

have only charitable purposes that are for the public benefit

not have a disqualifying purpose

not be an individual, a political party or a government entity.

Generally, a not-for-profit organisation does not operate for the profit, personal gain or the benefit of particular people - for example, its members, the people who run it, or their friends or relatives. To learn more, visit Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).

2. Define a community need

We recommend doing background research and a feasibility study to define the charity's role and the community needs it will meet.

It's important to remember that there are already more than 600,000 not-for-profit organisations in Australia. In many cases, these organisations are fundraising and raising revenue from similar sources - for example, from donors, member fees, events for the public, sales to the public, and government.

Connecting with existing networks can help your cause. This may be local community organisations or larger national networks - such as Philanthropy Australia and other cause-specific or organisation-specific networks. Getting an idea of the landscape can help define the distinct and compelling role of your charity.

Defining your role will help also define your 'charitable purpose'. This is required for the charity to be registered with the ACNC. Find information and examples of what the ACNC considers to be a charitable purpose.

These organisations can help you find existing charities:

3. Consider your fundraising potential

Charities raise money in different ways. Sufficient funding is essential to survive and thrive.

If you want to start an organisation that both seeks funding - from grantmakers or the general public - and makes grants for other organisations, it is essential to determine your fundraising potential.

Tax concessions

Charities that are registered with the ACNC may be eligible for tax concessions and deductible gift status. Tax concessions from the Australian Tax Office (ATO) and relevant state and territory governments refer to:

income tax exemption

good and services tax (GST) concessions

fringe benefits tax (FBT) concessions

a refund of franking credits.

The ATO is the authority, so charities need to apply with them. For more information, see Is my organisation eligible for charity tax concessions?

Also see Other commonwealth benefits and exemptions on ACNC website.

Donations to registered charities may be tax-deductible by the donor. This is only allowed if the charity has been endorsed as a deductible gift recipient (DGR) by the ATO. To do this, you must apply with the ATO under eligible 'DGR categories' - or, less often - be listed by name in the tax law. For more information, see:

Perpetual foundations

If your organisation is already a not-for-profit organisation, and you're considering setting up a perpetual foundation to benefit your organisation, we recommend doing a feasibility study into the financially viability of investing resources to set-up and maintain a separate legal entity.

To learn more about the different types of giving structures, see Choosing the right philanthropic structure.

Revenue sources

The ACNC's annual Australian Charities Report details the breakdown of revenue sources for the total charity sector and for different charities by size - such as small, medium and large.

Revenue sourced from donations, sale of goods and services, government and other sources of revenue differ. In 2020, the total percentage of revenue from donations and bequests across the total charity sector was 7%. For more information, see Australian Charities Report.

4. Understand the start-up costs

There are many costs related to starting up and running a charity. Some of the underpinning infrastructure and normal day-to-day operating costs cannot be avoided - such as insurance, rent, other leases and logistics.

On an ongoing basis, volunteers can be an important backbone of your organisation. But as the saying goes, 'volunteer time is freely given, but enabling volunteering is not free'.

The costs involved in setting up and running a charity can be a significant challenge, so it's worth seeking advice and planning carefully.

You may need to be prepared to fund the start-up phase yourself or try crowdfunding. To learn more, see Crowdfunding on the ATO website.

To help you, it might be worth:

successfully piloting the project or projects you're interested in offering

having evidence that another organisation is not carrying out the same work in your area

having a detailed and realistic plan for ensuring the future financial stability of your organisation.

5. Understand the important role of legal structures and legal implications

The legal structure you choose should meet your organisation's needs now and into the future. Charities have a range of structures - incorporated or unincorporated - and there may be more than one that works for your charity.

Legislation also varies between states and territories. Your charity's legal structure affects many things - such as:

its legal identity - whether it can be sued

its governance structure - who makes certain decisions

who is liable for its debts

its specific responsibilities - such as reporting or other compliance obligations.

To become and remain registered with the ACNC, your charity must comply with the ACNC's Governance Standards. If it operates overseas, it also has to comply with External Conduct Standards. To learn more, see:

Get professional advice

Seeking professional advice is recommended as there are many legal implications in setting up a charity, and it may have to comply with a wide range of laws - including federal, state and territory laws.

For more information, see:

Helpful guide

The ACNC provides a charity checklist to help with this process - see Before you start a charity.

It also has other information - including how to register as a charity and what happens next - see Start a charity.

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Setting up a charity - Philanthropy Australia

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General advice for setting up a not-for-profit organisation to deliver charitable services to the community.

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Starting a charity to support victims and awareness.

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Family friends are willing to support the M.P.A movement

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We are a lay Catholic organisation working towards a more just and compassionate society.

We acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the Traditional Custodians of this land, with deep respect. May the Elders, past and present, be blessed and honoured. May we join together and build a future based on compassion, justice, hope, faith and reconciliation.

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Vinnies Byron Bay Shop - St Vincent de Paul Society NSW

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Vinnies Byron Bay Shop - 2 Marvell St, BYRON BAY, NSW, 2481 - +61 (02) 6685 7052

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Uncategorised

RELEASED: December 22, 2021

A film festival director, an educator and the president of the Byron Bay Community Association are all on a new advisory group helping to turn the Old Byron Hospital site into a vibrant community hub.

diverse group of eleven, which met for the first time this month, is working with the not-for-profit organisation Social Futures to shape the new community hub planned for the old Byron hospital site.

The new community hub is expected to house a mix of business, community services, health, the arts and education

The role of the community advisory group is to look at unmet needs in Byron Bay; investigate ideal services to be based in the hub; make recommendations on the building fit out; and consider how any hub profits can be given back to community groups and projects.

Advisory group member Paul Jameson, who is also president of the Byron Bay Community Association, said Byron Bay was going through a time of change and more community services were definitely needed in the town's centre.

"The hub will be in a central Byron location so it's the perfect place to find ways for services to collaborate and deliver what the Byron community needs" he said.

"I am also excited by the potential to see any profits the hub generates turned into a revenue stream to benefit our local community."

Group member J'aimee Skippon-Volke, who is the director of the Byron Bay International Film Festival, said she would love to see a transition to a healing space, and one that integrates emerging technology initiatives in the hub.

"This is a brilliant opportunity to set up a centrally based hub that can house a plethora of services and more creative ventures that should include emerging technologies," she said.

Another group member is Katie Biggin, previously the Deputy Principal at Cape Byron Steiner School.

Ms Biggin hopes the hub will have lots to offer young people in the 18 to 25 age bracket.

"I definitely want the hub to have services and opportunities that enrich the lives of our young people," she said. "It must be an inclusive space, where everyone feels welcome"

Social Futures CEO Tony Davies said the new community advisory group had 11 members and included Arakwal Traditional Custodians, people from the business community, the creative arts and Byron's multicultural community.

"We had advertised for eight members for the advisory group, but the calibre of applications was so outstanding that we ended up with 11,"he said.

"They are a wonderful and wise cross-section of the Byron Bay community. We know their advice will be invaluable in setting up a dynamic community hub with a mix of community services, health, the arts and education, and for-purpose companies.

"We look forward to working closely with our community advisory group."

Byron Bay Council purchased the Old Byron Bay Hospital site from the NSW Government for a dollar in 2019, with the view to turning it into a community hub that will house the social, cultural and educational services needed for the centre of Byron Bay.

Council appointed Social Futures to manage the new community hub in June.

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New Byron Bay community hub group meets for the first time - Social Futures

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RELEASED: December 22, 2021 A film festival director, an educator and the president of the Byron Bay Community Association are all on a new advisory group helping to turn the Old Byron Hospital site into a vibrant community hub. diverse group of eleven, which met for the first time this month, is working with the [...]

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Liberation Larder Inc. | Food Rescue And Food Lifeline Service Byron Bay

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At Liberation Larder we rescue good food that would otherwise end up in landfill and make sure it reaches people who need it most.

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Authority's and Local establishments that could potentially be of backing and assistance 

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Authority's and Local establishments that could potentially be of backing and assistance 

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Most of the Byron bay community services are willing to provide certain services to help and assist in the M.P.A movement there are already in place group and services that are in service to the local Byron Bay community.

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Having a Facebook page is essential to the establishment and legit entry of the movement

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M.P.A fund raising walk for victims or ORG that is in place 

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M.P.A fund raising walk for victims or ORG that is in place 

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A walk would be a great way to gather locals to maybe it could raise money or just be for awareness .

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Apex park is a great place to gather people late evening in the later half of the week it would be nice to have a sausage sizzle or even pan cakes to promote the awareness or petitions that are in place.

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Byron Bay markets is a great way to reach the broader community this would be self funded to promote the awareness of the movement. This would give the opportunity to resource public interest and to scale the amount of interest statistically amongst the community.

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This group would be a voluntary gathering were people could come and share their story. Maybe seek services that could assist in some way. Basically to have local support and junction or pathway to services in the local area also local support.

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Annual event to remember missing people that have never return due to misadventure. This could be a scheduled date once a year at dawn.

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Idea's that could potentially be created.

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Image by Alex Pike for Remember the Wild, 2022 Environment Grant AU Winner

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Canon Oceania Grants Program supports schools and not-for-profit groups who are addressing both social and environmental issues in their community and inspiring change for future generations.

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As part of our role as a broker of change, we showcase granting opportunities so our community of givers can be inspired to support initiatives that are aligned with their interests.

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Seeking Funding - Australian Communities Foundation

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Apply for funding from Australian Communities Foundation. Eligible funding proposals are shared with our giving community on our Granting Opportunities platform.

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How to Find Grants - ourcommunity.com.au

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The Our Community Group provides advice, connections, training and easy-to-use tech tools for people and organisations working to build stronger communities. Our partners in that work are not-for-profit organisations and social enterprises; government, philanthropic and corporate grantmakers; donors…

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NSW Government agencies offer a range of research collaboration and funding opportunities.

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The Not for Profits sector largely depends on a range of funding options, which include grants, sponsorship, private funding, and public fundraising. The success of a not for profit organisation is directly dependant on the funds available for its operation and execution of services. For this very reason, it is critical to explore and research the numerous avenues of support systems that can be utilised to achieve your vision.
These support systems are usually available in the form of government grants, financial incentives, government funded training programs for your employees and volunteers, subsidised mentoring programs and low cost loans that can help expand your organisation efficiently.

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Other Programs:NSW Manufacturing GrantsNSW Tourism GrantsGrants for Telecommunications SectorGrants for Food Manufacturing