Administration
What is the difference between a charitable trust and an incorporated society?
This article has been updated and replaced here
Governance
When is someone disqualified from acting as an officer of a charitable entity?
In a recent newsletter, RAINEY COLLINS LAWYERS published an article with the above title. The article commences: “A Society, which was a registered charity, held an AGM for the purposes of voting on new officers as the term of some of the current officers had expired. A member was nominated Read more
Non-profit FAQs
Governance Procedures must be reviewed
One of the changes made by the Charities Amendment Act 2023 is that all charities now have a statutory duty to review their governance procedures at least every 3 years. The requirement came into effect on 5 October 2023. These governance procedures, and your review of them, includes two Read more
Non-profit FAQs
What is Social Investment?
Q: Social Investment has been in the news since the topic was raised in the budget this year, but what is it? A: Simply put, Social Investment bridges the gap between financial markets and social good and refers to the use of repayable finance to help organizations achieve a social Read more
Governance
Meetings – Effective Non-Profit Board Meetings
Non-profit boards play a critical role in advancing the mission of the organisation and serving its constituents. To achieve these goals, board meetings need to be productive and effective. Here are some tips on how to run successful non-profit board meetings: Other Resources: What are the elements of a good Read more
Non-profit FAQs
Who can help me to register my non-profit?
Our consultant (not a legal professional) may be able to assist for a modest fee (there is no charge for an initial discussion)
Non-profit FAQs
Advocacy and Charity
A “legal update” from lawyers MinterEllisonRuddWatts at the end of last year tackled the challenges facing advocacy organisations wishing to apply for charitable status. “The challenges faced by advocacy organisations seeking charitable status Better Public Media Trust v Attorney-General was a recent case before the Court of Appeal that grappled with Read more
Administration
D&O Insurance
Q. A member of our committee has suggested that we should take out D&O Insurance . We are a small charity with limited funds. Is such insurance worth it? A. Please note that we are not legal or financial experts but we would suggest that all insurance is a waste Read more
Charities Act 2005
Good Governance and the Charities Act
From the Charities Services Newsletter June 2024 Good governance and the Charities Act The Charities Act changed in 2023 and now there is a new requirement related to the governance of your charity. Charities will now need to review their governance every three years. When you come to file your Read more
Governance
What is the difference between a Charitable Trust and an Incorporated Society?
This article is updated and replaced here Before you register as a Charity
Governance
Constitution – winding up
(Note: In this article, the term “rules” is used in a general sense to refer to an organisation’s governing document – ie its rules, constitution, bylaws, trust deed etc and the term ‘charity/ies’ denotes any form of incorporated/registered non-profit)) Q: Can you give us guidance on winding up a charity Read more
Non-profit FAQs
Constitution – can I ignore the rules?
(Note: In this article, “rules” refers to an organisation’s governing document – ie its rules, constitution, bylaws, trust deed etc) We recently received an enquiry about whether a non-profit could temporarily place a clause in its rules in abeyance (ie operate outside of its rules). We are aware of some Read more