Rural assistance charity Aussie Helpers has been cleared of inappropriate financial conduct after a six-month investigation by the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission.
The investigation concluded with confirmation from Aussie Helpers that it had entered into a compliance agreement with the ACNC to address concerns raised about the charity's governance.
Speaking about the decision on Friday, CEO Natasha Kocks said she welcomed the commission's findings and was proud to share the news with the volunteers and supporters who worked hard to help Australian farmers.
The quick growth in the size and complexity of the group as it responded to an increasing demand on its services following its establishment in 2007 was identified as contributing to a failure of governance practices and policies.
The ACNC investigation found that Aussie Helpers did not have adequate policies and procedures for managing financial controls and conflicts of interest.
It also identified a need for greater awareness by the charity's Responsible Persons of their duties under the ACNC governance standards.
Ms Kocks said Aussie Helpers had made significant steps towards addressing these issues and continued to work with the ACNC to improve its governance.
"All board members have now had governance training, the Aussie Helpers' constitution has been updated, and we are implementing financial controls and updating our policies and procedures," she said.
ACNC Commissioner Gary Johns said a compliance agreement was appropriate if a charity had cooperated with an investigation and made obvious attempts to comply with its obligations.
"Aussie Helpers has fully cooperated with our investigation. The compliance agreement is evidence of the charity's commitment to increased accountability and transparency to donors and the public," Dr Johns said.
Aussie Helpers first approached the commission in October 2018 for confirmation that it was meeting its reporting obligations, in response to a number of adverse claims on social media.
A defamation case in relation to those claims is currently before the courts.
The ACNC confirmed Aussie Helpers' reporting compliance, but also elected to launch a more thorough investigation of the charity's processes.
"The ACNC has found that the money donated to help Aussie farmers goes exactly where we say it does, which is into the pockets of Aussie farmers who are in need," Ms Kocks said.
"The only requirements that have been raised by the ACNC are updates to some of our systems, processes and policies.
"Mum and Dad started Aussie Helpers with a $20 raffle, and we've grown so fast since then. It's not surprising that there are some internal protocols that need to be brought up to speed.
"We welcome these suggestions and thank the ACNC for the assistance.
"I would like to also thank the members of the community who've continued to support Aussie Helpers and donate over the course of the investigation. Your donations have kept farming families going."
In 2018 Aussie Helpers received $8.3m in donations. Ms Kocks said it had passed 83.5 per cent of those funds into the hands of farmers so far.
"As expected of all charities, there are operational costs of running a non-profit, such as transporting donations or covering overheads, so to be able to deliver such a huge amount directly to farmers is a fantastic effort."
Addressing the defamation suit, Ms Kocks said it was important for Aussie Helpers to clear its name.
"We want to move forward and focus on one thing, and that's supporting rural Australians experiencing poverty, social isolation and hardship."
An ACNC spokeswoman said due to strict secrecy provisions, no other details could be provided about the investigation.
Another registered charity, Rural Aid is also the subject of an ACNC investigation. It was confirmed in May that this investigation remained ongoing.
The spokeswoman said on Friday she was unable to comment about the progress of that investigation, due to the same secrecy provisions.
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