The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) on Fri 24.1.2014, released a Commissioner’s Interpretation Statement on Indigenous charities. The ACNC’s legal team has also prepared a paper, which explains the background and reasoning behind the statement.
The purpose of the Interpretation Statement is to provide guidance to ACNC staff on the how charity law applies to Indigenous charities, including the recognition of Indigenous disadvantage and applying the public benefit test. Commissioner’s Interpretation Statements help to guide charities, the public and ACNC staff on how it understands the law. They reflect the ACNC’s current understanding of charity law and are binding on ACNC staff in the decision-making process.
Source: ACNC media release, 24 January 2014
[LTN 16, 24/1/14]