The Awards Australia Foundation Ltd (AAF) is a registered charity aimed at advancing social and public welfare, promoting reconciliation, mutual respect, tolerance between groups, and celebrating culture.

The Foundation aims to achieve its goals by providing community awareness, support to Indigenous Australians and individuals from different ethnic groups, those living with a disability or those affected by disadvantage. Through its initiatives, AAF will provide funds for specific award categories and their winners, cultural training, accessibility to awards nights for those living with a disability, and support for those experiencing disadvantage to attend an awards night.

By achieving these goals, AAF aims to inspire inclusive societies that embrace and celebrate diversity and provide support to those in need. AAF emphasises the importance of promoting opportunities for all individuals to contribute to positive change in society.

Our charity, the Awards Australia Foundation does not have DGR status, which means that donations to our organisation are not eligible for tax deductions. However, donating to a charity that doesn't have Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status can still offer several benefits:

  1. Impactful Causes: Being a smaller charity without DGR status, we work directly with local communities and address specific, urgent needs. By supporting us, we will be able to directly help and support people in your community. People you know and care about.
    For example: We actively encourage people to let us know where we can help. It might be financial assistance to attend the Awards Gala to be presented on stage, a ramp for those in a wheelchair, auto captions for the deaf and hard of hearing community or a paid Welcome to Country presentation to promote reconciliation.
  2. Flexibility: Being a charity without DGR status, we have more flexibility in how we allocate funds. We can respond quickly to emerging issues or allocate resources to projects with high potential impact, without the constraints imposed by certain funding guidelines.
    For example: Providing free tickets or travel reimbursement to Finalists experiencing financial hardship, to allow them to attend the Gala dinner and be presented on stage.
  3. Personal Connection: Being smaller, you will have a chance to interact directly with the people running the charity, creating a deeper connection and understanding of the difference your donation makes.As an Australian, family owned business, we pride ourselves in our customer service and our friendly, helpful team.
  4. Lower Overheads: Without the administrative burden of maintaining DGR status, we have lower overhead costs, meaning a larger portion of your donation goes directly to the cause you want to support.
  5. Innovation: Smaller charities can be more agile and innovative in their approaches. They may be more open to trying new ideas and experimenting with different solutions to address complex problems.
    For example: We will be able to very quickly respond to individual requests for assistance or suggestions on ways to create a more inclusive and supportive event. Large charities need time to take suggestions or requests to the Board.


    So, how will my donation be spent?

    For those experiencing financial difficulty, attending an Awards night to be recognised for their achievements is not something they can do.

    $150 – will pay for their ticket to attend ($300 will pay for them and a family member/friend)

    $250 – will pay for a night’s accommodation

    $500 – will assist with travel to attend the Awards Gala dinner

     

    For nominees who are able to attend, but need some accessibility requirements.

    $150 – will pay for a carer or family member to attend with them

    $300 – will pay for the captioning of the Finalist presentation videos and any pre-recorded videos on the night

    $750 – will pay for a full Auslan interpreter service throughout the Awards night

    $800 – will pay for full live captioning of the whole Awards Gala night onto a dedicated screen for our deaf or hard of hearing attendees

    $1,500 – will pay for a wheelchair ramp to allow attendees easy access for their on-stage presentation and have a group photo with other nominees and finalists

     

    Some ways to increase our commitment to reconciliation for First Nations people

    $300 – will pay for a nominee or finalist to provide an Acknowledgement of Country

    $800 – will pay for a short Welcome to Country, performed by a recognised and approved company

    $1,200 – will pay for a more comprehensive Welcome to Country, performed by a recognised and approved company

    $3,000 – will pay for with a staff or client Cultural Awareness training, in order to equip them with a full understanding of appropriate messaging and behaviour.

    Every contribution, no matter how big or small, has the power to make a meaningful impact. Your donation can be the catalyst for positive change. Together, we can create a difference for our community. Please consider donating whatever you can.

    For Businesses - Giving via Trust Distributions

    A discretionary trust can be a tax effective way to give to charities.  The distribution to the charity is of pre-tax income. As the charity is tax exempt, it pays no tax on the trust distribution it receives.

    This pre-tax distribution provides the same tax benefit as a tax-deductible donation to a Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR).  However, trusts are not limited to distributing only to DGRs. Provided the deed allows, the trust can give to any tax-exempt charity. The tax-exempt status of entities can be checked on the ABR.

    It is recommended that trusts make the payment to the charity during or soon after the end of the year for which the distribution is declared.