Philanthropy Australia’s final response to the Productivity Commission’s draft report

Philanthropy Australia was pleased to see some good reforms recommended in the PC’s draft report, including reforms to expand Deductible Gift Recipient status to thousands of additional charities. However, we believe the Productivity Commission could do more in its final report to recommend reforms that would deliver a step-change increase in Australia’s culture and practice of giving.

Thank you to the many members who contacted Philanthropy Australia to provide advice on our submission and to the more than 100 members who attended the ‘double giving’ member sessions on 30 and 31 January.  We’ve also had the opportunity to engage the PC Commissioners and staff team on our proposed approach, and they remain open to recommending more reforms to lift giving in their final report, which is available to download.

Based on this engagement, we’ve targeted reforms in seven areas in our final submission, which we provided to the PC on 9 February. 

1. Super bequests
2. A voluntary choice to donate as part of the tax return process
3. A strategy to grow Australia’s Community Foundation network
4. A National Giving Campaign
5. Strengthening the Charity Sector.
6. A national giving and volunteering data set
7. Governance arrangements to drive stronger impact.

We will continue to engage the Productivity Commission, including at public hearings in Melbourne on 21 February. The PC will deliver its final report to the Federal Government on 11 May, with the government response and a package of double giving reforms to follow.

Thanks again to all of you for your contributions to making Australia a more generous and giving nation, where no one is left behind.