About Us
Australians give billions
every year.
The information doesn't match the generosity. We're here to change that.
0
Registered charities
$0B+
Billion in sector revenue
0%
Independent & free
0
Paid placements. Ever.
The Problem
Good data exists.
It's just buried.
There are over 65,000 registered charities in Australia. They range from institutions managing hundreds of millions in revenue to volunteer-run community groups with a few thousand dollars and extraordinary impact per dollar.
The problem isn't generosity -- it's information. The ACNC publishes comprehensive data on every registered charity, but it's scattered across CSVs, PDFs, and government databases that no one -- regardless of their giving capacity -- will ever navigate efficiently. We built philanthropic.au to change that.
Our Mission
Informed giving is better giving.
Our mission is simple: take the publicly available data on every registered Australian charity and present it in a way that is clear, honest, and genuinely useful. Whether you give $50 a month or manage a family foundation, you deserve the same quality of information -- presented without spin, without agenda, and without paid placements getting in the way.
Our Data
From public source to you.
Everything on philanthropic.au starts with public data. Here's how it flows.
ACNC
Australian Charities & Not-for-profits Commission register
data.gov.au
Open government datasets
philanthropic.au
Clean, structured, searchable -- and beautifully presented
We supplement ACNC data with publicly available annual reports and financial statements where they exist. We surface financial transparency, program spend ratios, governance indicators, DGR status, and ACNC compliance history -- all in a format that respects both the sector's complexity and the donor's time.
Methodology
How we assess.
Every metric is derived from publicly available data. No subjective ratings, no editorial spin.
Transparency score
Our transparency score (0--100) is derived from the completeness and timeliness of ACNC reporting, availability of audited financial statements, public disclosure of governance structures, and quality of impact reporting. This score is applied to our curated featured organisations.
Program spend ratio
The percentage of total revenue directed to program delivery, as opposed to administration and fundraising. Higher is not always better -- some organisations invest heavily in governance and compliance for sound reasons. We present the data without editorial judgment.
DGR status
Deductible Gift Recipient status determines whether donations are tax-deductible. We track PBI (Public Benevolent Institution) and HPC (Health Promotion Charity) endorsements from the ACNC register. Donors should verify current DGR status with the ATO before claiming deductions.
Match scoring
Our advisory assessment generates a profile that matches charities based on cause alignment, geographic scope, approach preference, value priorities, and DGR requirements. Scores represent alignment with your priorities, not organisational quality.
Our Commitment
The principles we don't bend.
Fully independent
We do not accept paid placements, affiliate commissions, or fees from listed charities. No charity can pay to rank higher, appear first, or receive a better score. Ever.
No intermediation
We do not process donations or take a percentage. When you find an organisation you want to support, you go directly to them. We inform -- we don't intermediate.
On the donor's side
The register and advisory assessment are free for everyone. Our future revenue model will be transparent and will never compromise the independence of the information we provide. Your trust is the only thing that makes this work.
Our Philosophy
Think of us as a knowledgeable
friend who's done the reading.
We exist to bridge the gap between public data and personal decision-making. Not to tell you where to give, but to make sure you have everything you need to decide for yourself.
We believe in the sector
Australian charities do extraordinary work. The vast majority are well-run, deeply committed organisations. Our role is not to judge, rank, or gatekeep -- it is to surface the information that helps donors find the right fit.
We respect complexity
A low program spend ratio doesn't mean a charity is wasteful. A small budget doesn't mean limited impact. Context matters, and we strive to present data with the nuance it deserves.
We build for trust
Every design choice, every data decision, every feature we ship is tested against one question: does this earn the trust of the person using it? If the answer is ambiguous, we don't ship it.
Beyond the data
For those who want more than objective data, our advisory assessment maps your personal values and priorities to the organisations most aligned with what matters to you. It takes three minutes and works whether you give $50 a month or $50,000 a year. No account required, no data stored, no strings attached.
Let's find the cause
closest to your heart.
Whether you want to explore the full register or discover your personal match through our advisory assessment -- we're here to help you give with clarity and confidence.