RAWCS has established the Rotary Australia Benevolent Society (RABS) (ABN: 54 563 288 318) to assist Rotary Clubs and Rotary Districts within Australia to respond to needs within their own communities and to gain tax deductibility for donations made to their particular project. A RABS project can also be used to deliver relief for declared disasters both within our Australian community and in developed countries, overseas.
RABS has been registered with the Australian Charities & Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) and has Designated Gift Recipient (DGR) status with the Australian Tax Office (ATO).
A RABS project must have benevolent relief as its main purpose, and that relief must be provided to people in need.
Your project does not have to provide material help directly to those in need. Public benevolent institutions can engage others to undertake activities on its behalf or be part of a relationship of collaboration (such as within a structure of related organisations with shared objects) that is organised, conducted for or promotes benevolent relief.
Benevolent relief includes working for the relief of poverty or distress (such as sickness, disability, destitution, suffering, misfortune or helplessness).
The degree (level) of distress is also important and your project only meets the definition if its purposes try to meet a need that is:
- significant enough (and the circumstances difficult enough) to arouse compassion in people in the community
- beyond the suffering experienced as part of ordinary daily life, and
- concrete enough – aimed at helping people who are recognisably in need of benevolence (see below).
The purpose does not have to relieve financial hardship or need caused by poverty, but can relieve other needs. For example, a project that provides counselling services to people traumatised by a natural disaster, or one that provides education and activities to disadvantaged young people to help them gain skills in life may qualify with the requirements of a public benevolent institution.
The RABS project approval process will carefully review activities to determine whether the project is acceptable for registration.
ALL RABS projects must be sponsored by an Australian Rotary Club or District and when not in your local area be partnered with a Rotary Club, Rotary District or a trusted organisation to administer the delivery of the aid.
Please read the Criteria for Rotary Australia Benevolent Society (RABS) projects.
Rotary Australia Compassionate Grants (RACG)
RAWCS are delighted to announced that Australian entrepreneur and philanthropist Dick Smith has generously donated $1 million dollars for Rotary Australia Benevolent Society (RABS) projects throughout Australia. Administered by the RABS committee through the Rotary Australia Compassionate Grants (RACG) program, this matched funding is designed to benefit a huge range of projects throughout the country and provide an important cash injection into helping our fellow Australians.
Read more about the Rotary Australia Compassionate Grants (RACG) program
Please read the Criteria for Rotary Australia Compassionate Grants (RACG) projects.
For more information on how to register a project please contact your District RAWCS Chair