{"id":13930,"date":"2018-10-14T02:00:40","date_gmt":"2018-10-14T02:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/?p=13930"},"modified":"2018-10-15T02:02:09","modified_gmt":"2018-10-15T02:02:09","slug":"we-need-to-know-more-about-charities-to-be-sure-they-are-helping-their-cause-not-themselves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lifeandnews.com\/articles\/we-need-to-know-more-about-charities-to-be-sure-they-are-helping-their-cause-not-themselves\/","title":{"rendered":"We need to know more about charities to be sure they are helping their cause, not themselves"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ushi Ghoorah<\/a>, Western Sydney University<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

The case of Eman Sharobeem, the NSW Australian of the Year finalist who stole almost $800,000<\/a> from charitable organisations she ran, highlights major problems with transparency throughout the nonprofit sector. <\/p>\n

Sharobeem managed two organisations that received funds to help immigrant women. She stole the money over more than 10 years, using it to buy items such as jewellery and a Mercedes. <\/p>\n

That she was got away with it for so long is indicative of the nonprofit sector\u2019s general lack of accountability. The overwhelming majority of organisations make no public financial disclosures. Generally the only ones that do are those required to by law. <\/p>\n

Only nonprofit groups registered as charities have to lodge information with the sector\u2019s regulator, the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profit Commission (ACNC). The degree of information depends on their annual revenue. Only charities earning more than A$1 million a year<\/a> must submit audited financial statements.<\/p>\n

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