The 246 not-for-profits (NFPs) include religious organisations, preschool and parent clubs, trusts and foundations and health related organisations.

These organisations are the first group of an estimated 4,000 to have their registration progressively removed and noted on the national Charity Register by the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC). Their revocation will also result in the loss of access to Commonwealth charity tax concessions in the event they are still operating. The Australian Tax Office (ATO) will be notified of the revocations.

“The ACNC has been unable to locate or contact these charities despite an exhaustive search. Accordingly, the ACNC has revoked the registration of these charities on the basis that they are no longer operating,” says ACNC Commissioner Susan Pascoe AM.

“It is important that we hold accurate information about registered charities so that donors, funders and members of the public can be assured that charities are well regulated and the information available on the national ACNC Charity Register is up-to-date.”

Ms Pascoe said the ATO transferred the records of more than 56,000 charities to the ACNC when the regulator was established in December 2012. The ACNC has since focused on verifying the information of these organisations.

The 246 organisations were identified from a group of approximately 6,000 whose mail from the ACNC has been returned unopened.

“The ACNC has undertaken extensive efforts to locate and identify whether these charities are still operating, from sending mail, internet and register searches and making phone calls, to working with peak bodies, government agencies and other regulators and the media to get the message out there that we have been trying to contact these charities. Further, these charities had failed to lodge a 2013 Annual Information Statement,” says Pascoe.

“The research by our staff identified 220 charities that had ceased operating before the ACNC was established in December 2012. These organisations were removed immediately from the Charity Register as an administrative correction, as they should never have been transferred to the ACNC.

“A further 1 300 charities have since been located and their details updated.”

Charities that have had their charity status revoked by the ACNC, but are still operating are encouraged to contact the ACNC immediately, and provide the necessary information to help the ACNC restore their registration promptly.

The next list of charities to be revoked will be published by the ACNC in October.

You can read the full list deregistered charities via the ACNC website.