Fundraising for charitable purposes

If an association or club is collecting donations of money or goods from the public in Western Australia for a charitable purpose it must have a licence under the Charitable Collections Act 1946 (the CCA).

Your association will need a charitable collections licence if the purpose of the fundraising falls within the definition of charitable purpose under the CCA which includes:

• the relief of the sick, infirm, poor, destitute, helpless or unemployed;
• the relief of distress caused by war, and the support of members of the armed forces;
• animal welfare, conservation and environmental causes;

the support of hospitals, infant health centres and other activities of a social or welfare character.

The types of fundraising activities that require a licence include:

• the sale of badges, flowers, tokens or other device for any charitable purpose;
• charging an entry fee for sports events, fêtes, concerts etc. where it is implied that any part of the fee will be applied to a charitable purpose; or
• advertising a function where it is implied that any part of the proceeds will be donated to a charitable purpose.

Charitable collections licences are issued by Consumer Protection.  More information about licensing requirements is available on Consumer Protection’s website.

Fundraising under an existing licence

There may be times when your association wants to conduct a one off or short term appeal for a charitable purpose. For example to raise money to help someone in need in the community, to assist in disaster relief efforts or for someone who needs urgent medical treatment.

In these cases it is best to obtain authority from an existing licence holder to collect under their licence rather than applying for a licence in the association’s name. Refer to Consumer Protection’s website for more information about fundraising under a licence or to download a Guidance Pack (for licence holders).

Reporting requirements

Licence holders are required to submit an Annual Financial Return to Consumer Protection each year. The return includes information about the money or goods collected and the way they were distributed. Refer to Consumer Protection’s website for more information about the reporting requirements for licenced charities.

Exemption for charities registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission

Licence holders who are also registered charities with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) are not required to submit an Annual Financial Return to Consumer Protection or provide copies of financial reports.   This exemption is conditional on the licence holder meeting its reporting obligations to the ACNC.