Governance
Pride Foundation Australia (PFA) is regulated by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), to which we report annually.
The Australian Taxation Office has endorsed PFA as a charity with income tax exemption (ITE) and deductible gift recipient status (DGR1), meaning gifts to Pride Foundation Australia (ABN: 85 116 997 427) are income-tax-deductible.
Governing Principles
Non-For-Profit
The assets and income of the company must be applied solely in furtherance of the Charitable Purpose and no portion of the income or assets of the company may be paid or transferred, directly or indirectly, to any member.
Membership of Pride Foundation Australia
The only Members PFA has are the current Directors of the organisation. When a director ceases their role, they immediately cease being a Member of the organisation. Annual General Meetings and Special General Meetings are held by Members as needed.
Public Benevolent Institution
Pride Foundation Australia was granted Tax Concessions as a Public Benevolent Institution (PBI) by the Australian Taxation Office (ATO). PFA has three tax concessions:
- Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) Exemption
- Goods and Services Tax (GST) Concession
- Income Tax Exemption
A Public Benevolent Institution (PBI) is a type of charity which has a predominant (main) purpose of relieving needs arising from conditions such as poverty, sickness, distress or helplessness. This is known as providing ‘benevolent relief’. The characteristics of a PBI are:
- it is a charity,
- it is an institution,
- it is set up to relieve needs requiring benevolent relief,
- it relieves the needs through providing goods and/or services which are directed to people who are in need, and,
- its predominant (main) purpose is providing benevolent relief.
Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) Status
From 26th July 2021 the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) endorsed Pride Foundation Australia as a “Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) covered by Item 1 of the table in section 30-15 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997” – this is a wordy but full description of PFA’s DGR-1 status.
DGR status means that any person or corporation making a gift (often known as a donation) to PFA should receive a DGR-1 endorsed receipt for the gift and may claim the value of the gift as a deduction against their income tax. A donor making a gift cannot receive a material benefit in return for the gift and does not expect anything in return.
Obligations of Directors to ASIC
Pride Foundation Australia (PFA) is a public company limited by guarantee, with the Australian Company Number (ACN) of 116 997 427 and registered Australian Business Number (ABN) of 85 116 997 427.
The company and actions of its directors are regulated by the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC).
For further information: https://asic.gov.au/.
From 2022 a company director is required to register with ASIC for a DIN, a ‘director identification number’, a unique identifier to help to prevent the use of false or fraudulent director identities. PFA requires directors to advise the PFA Chair of their DIN, a record of which is held of the PFA Register of Directors and Office Holders.
Reporting Obligations to ACNC
The Australian Charities and not For Profit Commission was established in 2013 to better manage Charities. It maintains an excellent web site, providing easy-to-understand advice on reporting obligations and charity governance.
PFA Treasurer Steven Myrteza has taken responsibility for annual AIS and Financial notifications to ACNC.
PFA Chair Ruth Mc Nair has taken responsibility for change in Responsible People (directors) and all other notifications to ACNC.
Patrons
Dennis Altman AM
Dennis Altman is a Professorial Fellow in the Institute for Human Security at La Trobe University, Melbourne. He remains active as an author and commentator on politics, gay rights and global HIV AIDS issues amongst many other topics. He was listed by The Bulletin as one of the 100 most influential Australians ever in 2006 and was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2008.
Alex Blackwell
Alexandra Joy Blackwell is a former Australian women’s cricket captain and standout player, known for her enduring career that spanned 15 years and included 251 international appearances across Tests, One Day Internationals, and T20 Internationals. She was the first Australian woman to play over 200 matches for her country and was a key figure as a specialist batter for Australia, New South Wales and the Sydney Thunder WBBL team.
In 2012, Alex Blackwell publicly came out as a gay athlete, marking a pivotal moment in her career. Since then, she has been a vocal advocate for diversity and inclusion in sports, focusing on gender equality and the rights of LGBTI individuals. Her advocacy efforts culminated in her leadership role at the 2015 Mardi Gras parade, where she marched alongside other openly gay athletes Daniel Kowalski, Jai Wallace, and Matthew Mitchem, further solidifying her impact on sports and society.
Annual Financial Statements
Pride Foundation Australia is 100% committed to providing supporters with full transparency in our work. Here you will find our annual audited financial statements and a link to our Investment Policy. If you have any questions or would like more information don’t hesitate to contact us.
