Savings and bank accounts for charities
Currently receiving donations? Charitable organisations in Australia can use a dedicated bank account to help manage their funds and receive donations.
Key takeaways
- Some banks offer accounts designed specifically for charities and non-profit organisations.
- These accounts have no or minimal fees and allow multiple people to access the account.
- If your charity has an ABN, you will most likely be able to open a regular business bank account or business savings account.
Accounts for charities and non-profit groups
If you're managing a charity or community group, a bank account designed for charities can help you manage donations, membership fees and other income. These work in the same way as a standard bank account or business account, except they're able to be opened by community groups and charities and give multiple people access to the account.
We've researched some of the options available for charities to open a bank account with a major bank:
- St.George Society Cheque Account – This account is designed for schools, charities, community and sporting groups and government agencies to manage their member donations. There are no monthly account keeping fees.
- NAB Community Fee Saver Account – An everyday transaction account for not-for-profit organisations and community groups. You can link the account to a NAB Business Visa Debit Card to access your money.
- BoQ Everyday Business Account for Not-For-Profits – You can open a BoQ Everyday Business Account and get some extra benefits as a Not-For-Profit customer. You can earn a small amount of interest on your monthly balance, plus link up to 10 Business Visa Debit Cards for free.
- Bendigo Bank Not-For-Profit Everyday Account – Designed for Not-For-Profits, community groups and clubs this account has no account keeping fees and unlimited free branch withdrawals and transactions.
- Beyond Bank Community Account – This is a bank account for non-profits, clubs and charity groups that pays a small amount of interest on the balance and charges no account fees and no transaction fees.
- Westpac Community Solutions Cash Reserve – Designed for not-for-profit organisations looking for a savings account that earns a variable interest rate, and that want access to the funds at any time.
How does a not-for-profit account work?
A not-for-profit account is customised to meet the banking needs of organisations who collect those donations.
These types of savings accounts provide all of the benefits of a typical savings account, but with special features. For instance, they may allow a number of people who are responsible for keeping track of the finances for the not-for-profit group to access the account.
Can I use a personal account for a charity?
Not all banks or financial institutions offer accounts for charities and not-for-profit organisations.
However, a charity's Responsible People have duties to ensure that the charity's financial affairs are managed responsibly. This means ensuring all the funds you collect are managed effectively and responsibly.
Legally, you are not required to open a charity account. However, doing so will create a much more professional and streamlined process for managing your accounts and tax obligations.
Note that large charities (annual revenue of $3 million or more) must have their financial reports audited each year, and in this instance, purpose-created charity accounts are advisable. Medium charities (revenue of $500,000 to under $3 million) can choose to have their financial reports either reviewed or audited, while small charities (revenue under $500,000) don't have to have their financial reports reviewed or audited.
Can charities open a business account?
Yes, some business bank accounts will allow charities and community groups to open an account if they have a registered ABN.
You'll also need to give the charity's registered name and address, along with some identification for the people managing the account.
Looking for a business bank account?
See a range of business bank accounts on Finder.
Charity account vs community savings account
Some banks offer what's called a community savings account, sometimes called a charity savings account. This can be confusing, but these aren't actually designed for charities to use.
Instead, these accounts are designed for everyday customers looking for an easy way to donate the interest their account earns to a charity of their choice.
These accounts allow you to choose a charity, then the bank will automatically make donations to the charity from your account each month. Donating the interest to the named charity doesn't automatically make it tax-free. You may be able to claim a tax deduction for the donated interest if the charity is a deductible gift recipient (DGR), so check with the ATO or a tax adviser.
Bank Accounts for charities and non-profit groups
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