All 'charities', except those genuine ones run by volunteers, should be knocked in the head. Those always demanding money are nothing more than businesses: very little of the money scrounged going to anyone other than Fat Cat administrators and their minions who can't get a proper job. This has been proven time and time again, and nothing is done by gutless governments. Gary Johns is unlikely to make one iota of difference either.

Recently, famed surgeon, Charlie Teo, dumped the charity he founded in 2013 because of the above facts. So-called charities are a huge con on gullible or caring people.

Your job? Charities part of a market? How novel and unusual!

And this market exists so that some folks can gain a tax benefit?

This is money changers in the temple stuff and that you can't see that and the immorality of giving to avoid socially responsible tax paying?

Says more about you and your rather peculiar attitude to charity?

Charity as not for profit, is what decent charitable folk give out of charity and not for any gain or financial advantage!

And in some cultures it is given as a customary tithe.

Those that have much, have much responsibility!

Just the other day we learned that the top tax rate paid in actual money by any Australian corporation was just 17%!?

And that 1 in 3 pay no tax at all?

And I dare say little more than token charity?

And where that occurs, like the man at the front of the church, oops market, saying, look at me aren't I a holy Joe?

Rather like multimillionaire, uncle George, paying thousands for a stained glass window in the cathedral, while his Godchildren starved and went without basics!

And gave when almost on his deathbed and contested by a deservedly disinherited douche bag son until he also passed on. Leaving only enough to cover the lawyers fees?

And to a generic man, Sunday morning Christians, out there telling the world just how good they were? Almost as if self praise had anything whatsoever to recommend it?

They aren't paying you enough for all that, not for profit charity Gary!

Me? I give a regular portion of my income away ever month and only they and I know that.

Every which way those with the least are being asked over and over to shoulder greater and greater loads, be it charity or tax!

Inasmuch as you do to the least among you, you also do unto me. Quote unquote.
Alan B.

Dear Gary, If you ever read this, I can only go on my own experiences in dealing with Charities.

My first contact was when I was in the Army & Stationed t Bien Hoa in Vietnam. We never gave cash. Our Company provided materials & they provided the Labour. We built & rebuilt the school, provided medical assistance & seed Rice. That system worked well.

Then I was stationed at Terendak Garrison near Malacca in Malaysia. Our Company, once again was allotted a Village & the same deal worked out well. When the Brits pulled out we were allotted one of their villages. We wnt to the Village & assessed the situation. Broken Boats, Holey Nnets, a falling down School, a Medical Centre that had not seen a anyone for years & rice padi's that hadn't been planted. A month later we arrived with the material & the Head Man came out & abused us. Saying that he didn't want that for the village. He said were to bring the money & give it to him & he would distribute around the Village. Meaning he got most then his relatives, then the rest, if any was left, went to the rest of the Village. We refused & drove off. The next thing we knew was the High Commissioner to Malaysia turned up & demanded why we refused to give Aid to this Village. We took him & the trucks to the village & the Head Man told the High Commissioner the same thin. He left without apologizing to us, & we left too.

Cont

Cont.
Then came Christmas Day in Darwin. I gave up a weeks pay the "Relief Fund" as did most people. Did the people of Darwin get any of this money. Of course not. It went to the Lawyers. Half of the money disappeared the other half went on looking for where the first half went. The people got nothing. The cost of rebuilding a home tripled on the normal price. Some price gouging.

I have a list of nice Charities, a bit dated, but, the more things change the more they stay the same.

Charity Gross Fundraising Revenue Cost of raising funds Cost Ratio
Surf Life Saving Foundation Inc, 23.800.013 14.822.496 62%
Care Flight (NSW) Ltd 11,197,470 5,710,041 51%
Make a Wish Foundation 11,873,688 6,040,930 51%
Day of Difference Foundation 1,558,075 751,014 48%
SIDS & Kids NSW 1,157,809 549,320 47%
Children’s Medical Research Inst. 6,766,000 3,139,000 46%
Starlite Childrens’s Foundation Aust 17,045,303 6,555,425 38%

The other end of the scale

Guide Dogs NSW/ACT 18,50,9511 1,738,327 9%
Australian Cancer Research Foundation 7,573,391 502,705 7%
Arthritis Foundation of Australia 2,339,127 154,201 7%
Alzheimer’s Aust. NSW 5,220,059 173,283 3%
Royal Flying Dr Service of Aust. 4,724,361 148,707 3%
Diabetes Australia 1373457 22652 2%

The Total Charities came to $1,001001597 $220516621 22%


There are 37 Charities in the Double Percentage list & only six in the Single Percentage list. Does that tell you something? The CEO’s are pocketing large sums of the Charities. They spend millions on first class Plane fares 5 Star Hotels to distribute a mere pittance with big write-ups & Photo Opportunities for their Charity. Especially if you can fly back to Australia to attend a birthday party then back for the Photo Op all on the Charities expense.

I haven’t donated since Darwin Gary. Do you wonder why? I think you should do a better job & be Politically Incorrect to sort these people out.

Hopefully, Commissioner Johns would look at all the green/environmental 'so-called' charities, and explain why they deserve to be treated as charities when all they appear to do is act to make our electricity prices the highest in the developed world.

"The not-for-profit sector receives funding, including donations from members of the public, and tax concessions, grants and other support from Australian governments."

Not really happy about charities receiving "grants and other support from ...governments".
What a large window for abuse of process. Hmmmm, now who of our friends get the money and who don't?

Quote "It already gathers essential information about the performance of charities." NO it gathers the rubbery figures the charities give it.

Every charity should publish the REAL amounts paid to senior staff as well as the other benefits they get, like car, housing, tax exemptions, credit cards etc.

Lots of people know the accounting tricks they use, why don't you stop them and make them use real figures.

If a company gives them 1000 shirts that were selling for $50 each the charity gives them away and on the books say they gave $50,000 so the overall fees paid to management seem low.

Also counting volunteers or very low paid people as workers making the ratio of salary paid to management seems low.

Commissioner Johns, I have watched many Commission Investigations on ABC TV, to say the least, they are a farce. What goes on is absolutely laughable. None of these high Flyers ever answers a question directly & when the Questioner does get close, suddenly they are out of time.

These high flying CEO's get paid millions, plus Expenses & Bonuses, & suddenly it's, "I have no knowledge of that Commissioner" & that is accepted. ?? At this point myself & everybody else watching goes, "WTF," in disbelief.

We, of the lowly common unwashed throng, didn't come down in the last shower of rain. If these people don't know anything about their Businesses' or what is going on in their Businesses then why are they getting paid those horrific Salaries plus Expenses & Bonuses? Why are they allowed to make a fool out of the Commission & why does the Commission allow them to get away with it.

We, of the lowly common unwashed throng, are sick & tied of the BS we are supposed to accept as Justice seeming to be served. It is not. We, suspect that there is a lot of, "Wink, wink, nudge, nudge going on." amongst the "Elite."

Then there are the Recommendations which are treated as a big Joke by the two major Parties. The two major Parties make a big deal out of the Recommendations but very few, if any, ever get implemented. Then everyone goes back to sleep.

It is quite true when they say, "The law is an Ass,"

Please take this in the spirit of good intention. Not as a condemnation of the Law Elite.