On this page
- What is fundraising?
- Fundraising law reform
- Fundraising laws in Australia
- Other laws you should be aware of
What is fundraising?
Fundraising is an important source of income for many charities and not-for-profit organisations, but fundraising laws can be tricky to navigate.
There are different fundraising laws in each state and territory, so if you are fundraising in more than one state or territory, you need to consider the laws in each of those places.
The resources on this page will help you work out whether your fundraising is covered by fundraising laws, and whether you need to get a licence or approval for your fundraising.
Note
Fundraising is defined differently under the various regulatory regimes in each state and territory, and may be referred to by a different term. For example, in the Australian Capital Territory, fundraising is referred to as 'charitable collections'.
In general, the following types of activities are fundraising:
- requesting donations to help a person, cause or organisation (whether in person or online)
- selling merchandise or memberships where some or all of the profits will go towards helping a person, cause or organisation, or
- holding events to raise money for a person, cause or organisation
Fundraising law reform
Justice Connect’s campaign to #FixFundraising has long advocated for the following three things to happen:
- Single point for registration - if a charity is registered with the ACNC and is complying with its ACNC requirements, it should have ‘deemed authority’ to fundraise (and shouldn’t have to apply for an authority to fundraise in every state and territory)
- Single place of reporting - fundraising charities should only be required to report once a year, to one regulator (the ACNC)
- Single set of rules to help ensure ethical fundraising practice
The Commonwealth, state and territory governments have agreed to the national fundraising principles (National Fundraising Principles). The purpose of the National Fundraising Principles is to have a set of nationally consistent fundraising principles to ensure state and territory requirements on charitable fundraiser conduct are more streamlined and consistent.
It is now up to state and territory governments to implement these changes in each jurisdiction. Each state and territory was required to release an implementation plan by July 2023 explaining how they will give effect to the principles through regulatory changes or legislation.
As of September 2025, only Victoria, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory have implemented the National Fundraising Principles into law.
For information on authority (licence) to fundraise in each state and territory, see our resources below.
More information
For information on charity reporting, see our webpage on reporting to the ACNC.
Fundraising laws in Australia
If your organisation intends to fundraise locally, for example by holding a trivia night, your organisation will only need to comply with the fundraising laws of the state or territory you are in. This may mean your organisation needs to obtain approval to do so, in the form of a licence, registration, or an authority (but there are exemptions that may apply to your organisation or activity).
If you intend to fundraise in more than one state or territory, your organisation may need to comply with multiple jurisdictions’ fundraising laws (including by obtaining appropriate registration in certain jurisdictions). This may also apply if you intend to fundraise online.
Guide to fundraising laws in Australia
Our guide is designed to help organisations that fundraise in multiple states and territories to navigate the different fundraising laws across Australia.
The guide covers:
- the fundraising laws relevant to fundraising activities
- when and how to get approval to conduct regulated fundraising activities
- ongoing obligations while fundraising
- financial and reporting obligations
Guides to fundraising laws in each state or territory
Our state-based fundraising guides below are designed to help you comply with fundraising laws in each jurisdiction.
Each state-based fundraising guide covers:
- which activities are considered fundraising activities
- when your group will need to register to fundraise
- ongoing obligations for all fundraisers (whether required to be registered or not)
- other laws you need to consider when fundraising (such as lottery permits)
- when your group needs to consider fundraising laws and licensing requirements in other states
- issues to consider when fundraising online, and
- issues to consider when using third party fundraisers
Other laws you should be aware of
There are a range of other laws that might be relevant to your fundraising.
The Australian Consumer Law (ACL) sets out rules against misleading and deceptive conduct and unconscionable conduct. If your organisation makes a representation that it will do something in particular with funds raised, then it should be careful to keep that promise.
More information
For more information about the ACL, see our guide, 'The laws of advertising and your community organisation' on our advertising webpage.
More information
The content on this webpage was last updated in September 2025 and is not legal advice. See full disclaimer and copyright notice.
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This is legal information only and does not constitute legal advice. You should always contact a lawyer for advice specific to your situation.