I want to bring to your attention an important issue regarding Australia’s Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) system, which allows certain charitable organisations, including Scripture Union NSW, to offer tax-deductible donations to their donors.
Recently, the Australian Government Productivity Commission has reviewed the DGR system, with their draft report (released November 2023) recommending that “charities that have DGR status for school building funds or to provide religious education in government schools” have their DGR status withdrawn.
This will have a significant impact on Scripture Union NSW’s fundraising initiatives, as well as a disastrous impact on the resources available to support scripture / religious education (including SUNSW Lunchtime Groups) in schools and over 10,000 volunteers who teach it. Religious Education in government schools is such an important initiative, it has proven (and well-researched) wellbeing benefits and is vital for promoting social cohesion.
URGENT AND IMPORTANT:
Please lend your voice to help oppose this reform. The Commission is asking for public comment. The opportunity to comment ends on Feb 9, so please take 5 minutes today to comment. You can do this via the following link:
Share a brief comment (less than 500 words)
https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/current/philanthropy/comment
Key points you could use in your comment or submission include:
- Your appreciation for the Special Religious Education within Government Schools, and the largest weekly volunteer labour force in Australia that enables this to happen – asking the government to maintain or increase their support for this, not reduce it.
- That you want DGR status to be maintained for religious education in government schools.
- That you want to see volunteers within the faith communities recognised within the DGR system.
- The community-wide benefits that faith communities bring.
If you are unsure what to write, here is a sample comment you can use. You are welcome to use it as is, but please note that it would be more impactful if your comment reflected your voice.
Sample response (400 words)
Dear Commissioners,
You may know that Scripture Union NSW runs lunchtime groups in Government Schools, impacting 2,000 students weekly. These groups are a vital part of Scripture Union’s ministry programs.
I am highly concerned by the draft report and reforms to the DGR system. It is good that you are considering expanding the system to cover more initiatives, such as animal welfare. Still, to achieve this, you are removing DGR status from religious charities like Scripture Union NSW, which will significantly impact the health and wellbeing of current and future students engaged in religious education and lunchtime groups.
Australia is the most multicultural nation on earth, and approximately 60% of Australians identify with a religion. Yet, your report seems to be based on an ideology that religion is of no community-wide benefit. Research shows that one of the best ways to promote social cohesion is through religious education in schools – putting extra pressure on this education, and its teachers, is not a quality decision for Australia and will have long-term ramifications.
The Religious Education teachers in Australia represent our nation’s largest weekly group of volunteers. In a report where, on the one hand, you are articulating the government’s goal to double giving (financial and volunteering) by 2030, on the other hand, you are removing privileges and help from faith communities that represent a huge proportion of the people who will help you, and are helping you right now, achieve that goal. This is not a wise decision.
On top of that, school building funds are to have their DGR status removed. Faith-based education is Australia’s fastest-growing education sector – which tells us that this is what our communities want and are actively using. So why make it harder for this to happen and be successful?
In short, you are penalising both the fastest-growing sector of education – predominantly privately funded by citizens – and putting undue pressure on the largest weekly group of volunteers in Australia, risking a lower level of social cohesion as a result. I think you and I can do a lot better than this.
In light of everything I have stated above, I completely reject your presumption that these initiatives are of little “community-wide benefit” and would encourage you, even if you don’t have a religious belief yourself, to understand that your report is discriminatory and minimising in its ideology – and that this will damage Australia as a result.