Deductible gift recipient endorsement changes what an organisation can ask for. Donors can claim their gift, philanthropic trusts become reachable, and a whole tier of funding opens up. It is also the endorsement organisations most often assume they qualify for and most often find they do not, because DGR runs on defined categories rather than on general worthiness.
Connect Australia builds the evidence and the application. The eligibility opinion — which category, and whether you meet it — is tax advice, and that comes from a registered tax agent or a lawyer. We make sure that adviser is asked the right question, with the right material in front of them.
Who this is for
- Registered charities preparing a first DGR application.
- Organisations that have been told they fall outside every general category and need to understand what is actually left.
- Entities operating a fund, authority or institution that needs to be described precisely for endorsement.
- Boards under pressure from a funder or major donor who requires DGR status before releasing money.
What we do
Category and evidence workplan
We set out the categories in play for your activities, what each one demands in evidence, and where your organisation currently sits against that. This is written as a workplan, not an opinion: it is the document your tax adviser reads before giving the eligibility advice, and it saves you paying professional rates for someone to assemble background you already have.
Application drafting
The description of the fund, authority or institution has to be accurate, specific and consistent with the governing document, the ACNC record and the way the organisation actually operates. Vagueness here is expensive. We draft it and cross-check it against everything else on the record.
Coordinating the independent review
Before lodgement the material goes to your tax or legal adviser for review. We manage that loop — brief them properly, act on what comes back, and keep the timeline visible so review does not become the reason the deadline is missed.
What you receive
- A category and evidence workplan your adviser can act on immediately.
- A drafted application consistent with your governing document and ACNC record.
- A gap list showing what is missing and who has to supply it.
- Coordination of independent tax or legal review through to lodgement.
- Correspondence support with the ATO after lodgement.
Where our work stops
Connect Australia does not provide legal, tax or financial advice and is not a law practice, tax agent or financial adviser. We work with your preferred provider or, with prior disclosure, can introduce an independent partner for you to assess and choose. Whether your organisation is eligible for a DGR category, and the tax consequences of endorsement, are questions only an appropriately qualified adviser can answer. We prepare and coordinate; we do not opine.
Common questions
Can you tell us whether we qualify for DGR?
No, and you should be wary of anyone who does without being a registered tax agent or lawyer. What we can do is set out the categories that plausibly apply, gather what each requires, and put a properly organised question in front of an adviser who is qualified to answer it. That usually costs less than having the adviser start from scratch.
Do we need ACNC registration first?
For most categories, yes, and the two are normally planned as one piece of work. Where an organisation is starting from nothing we sequence the charity registration and the DGR application together so evidence is gathered once rather than twice.
What is the difference between endorsement as a whole and endorsement for a fund?
Some organisations are endorsed in their own right; others are endorsed only for the operation of a specific fund, authority or institution, which then has to be maintained and accounted for separately. Which applies to you affects the drafting, the governing document and the ongoing obligations, so it is settled with your adviser before the application is written.
What does it cost?
DGR application support starts from $9,500 + GST against an agreed scope. Independent tax or legal review is quoted separately by that adviser and requires your approval before it is incurred.
Start with a confidential fit check
The first conversation is short and costs nothing. We want to understand the decision you are facing, the deadline attached to it and whether this is work we should be doing at all. You do not need to send documents at that stage.
If the matter is a fit, the next step is usually the $850 initial strategic consultation, which includes up to one hour of pre-reading and a one-hour meeting.