Enhancements to the ACNC Charity Register will soon make charity work more visible.

Charities will soon be able to add valuable information about their programs to their record on the Register that will help attract donors and grant-makers.

The 2020 Annual Information Statement will, for the first time, allow charities to provide details about their programs and activities, including where they are located and who they benefit.

The programs will be classified using a recognised classification system. This will make it easier for donors, grant-makers, volunteers and the public to find charities that deliver the types of programs they are interested in supporting.

The enhanced Charity Register will act as a ‘charity marketplace’ that assists informed decision-making and helps supporters match their cause to the most appropriate charity. This development is significant given that the Register receives millions of visits every year.

ACNC Commissioner the Hon Dr Gary Johns said, “Charities will have the opportunity to showcase their programs and activities to a significant audience. We had over 4 million visits to the Register this financial year.

“People want to verify charities are registered and get information about the programs their donations will support,” he said. “Giving charities the chance to include specific information about their programs and activities on the Charity Register will promote more informed donating, grant-making and volunteering.”

Charities will be able to identify people running similar programs or with similar causes or expertise they’d like to harness, which will boost collaboration and knowledge-sharing.

Dr Johns added, “We anticipate that this improvement to the Charity Register will make it an even more effective tool for charities, donors, supporters and the public in general. Importantly, it will also increase transparency and, as a result, public trust and confidence in charities.”

The ACNC is inviting all charities and stakeholders to preview and test the new section of the Annual Information Statement that will ask about charity programs.

They have developed an online tool, the Program Previewer, that will allow charities to trial how it works and provide feedback. Charities can use the previewer to familiarise themselves with the classification system and provide feedback on the guidance developed to help users navigate it.

The Program Previewer gives charities a chance to consider how they will classify their programs before completing their 2020 Annual Information Statement, to be released in the coming months.

The previewer will be available to test until August 25.