business.gov.au

Charitable collection registration - Queensland

Description

You will need to register as a charity to fundraise for a charitable purpose on an ongoing basis within Queensland. You can appeal for support (usually by requesting money or goods) in many ways - in person, by phone, via advertising, through social media and by mail.

A charitable purpose can be when you supply any of the following to a person in distress:

  • help
  • aid
  • relief
  • support (including money or other financial support)
  • care
  • housing
  • education
  • instruction.

A person may be in distress because of:

  • the death or disability of another person they depend on
  • disease or sickness
  • age
  • physical or mental illness
  • poverty
  • unemployment
  • a natural disaster or other emergency.

You do not need to register as a charity to fundraise within Queensland if you are a:

  • recognised religious denomination
  • parents and citizens association
  • hospital foundation
  • registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).

Service type

Licence

A licence defines the need to obtain recognition / certification and registration to undertake a certain business activity.

Eligibility requirements

To register a charity, you must:

  • have a constitution that sets out your charitable objectives and operating rules (if you have some objectives that are non-charitable, you need to apply to fundraise for a community purpose instead)
  • be an association of 3 or more people
  • have a 'governing body' that has control of the management of the association
  • have a clause in your constitution that states you are not-for-profit (unless your membership consists only of charities).

You must use the charity's income and property to promote its objectives. You must not:

  • distribute it among members
  • pay dividends to members (unless the members are charities).

For interstate charities, you must:

  • appoint at least 3 Queensland residents to carry out the association's Queensland activities
  • explain how the association will use the donations and how much will stay in Queensland
  • attach the trust deed with your application.

For overseas aid charities, you must either:

  • be associated with a trusted international aid organisation (both your association and the aid organisations must still give us a copy of their financial accounts each year)
  • receive funding from the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAid)
  • show us how you will ensure donations will reach the beneficiary.

Duration

As specified

Fees

Fees Details for this service in table format.

Task Type Business Structure Description
Apply Application All

You do not need to pay any fees.

Application process

Apply

Charities registered with the ACNC will only need to submit an ACNC registration notification before they can fundraise in Queensland.

When submitting your form, attach:

  • your organisation's constitution, certified as accurate by 2 members of the governing body
  • the resolution or minutes from the meeting where the members or the governing body decided to register as a charity, certified as accurate by 2 members of the governing body
  • a statement of your organisation's financial affairs (and audited financial statements, if available)
  • written approval from the central body (if your organisation is a branch or section of a larger organisation).

Approval time

Generally, applications are assessed in 4 to 6 weeks.

Administering agency

Department of Justice and Attorney-General

Office of Fair Trading

Registration Services

Contact details

Contact Email, Phone and Address Details for this service in simple two column table format, header then data.