General
Who is ActionAid Australia?
ActionAid Australia is a women’s right organisation, and part of the global ActionAid Federation working in over 70 countries to achieve social justice, gender equality and poverty eradication.
Over 50 years, ActionAid Australia has built a strong foundation to increase our impact as we work to empower women. From our origins as Austcare, we brought experience in defending asylum seekers’ rights and ensuring protection in emergencies to the ActionAid Federation when we became ActionAid Australia in 2009.
Visit the About Us page for more information on our history and board.
Why do you campaign in Australia?
Certain Australian Government and corporate policies and practices contribute significantly to the interconnected challenges facing women on a global scale. We act in solidarity with those fighting for a more just world. We campaign alongside a strong activist network and supporter base to hold Australian decision makers to account and to ensure that Australia is fulfilling its responsibility to protect and uphold the rights of women everywhere.
Visit our Take Action page for more information on our campaigning work.
Does ActionAid Australia have any political or religious affiliations?
Independence is one of ActionAid’s organisational values. All organisations that belong to the ActionAid Federation are independent from any religious or party-political affiliation.
Where does ActionAid Australia work?
Globally, ActionAid works in more than 70 countries. ActionAid Australia works with women living in poverty and exclusion in Bangladesh, Vanuatu, Uganda, the Philippines, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Palestine, Kenya and across the Pacific as part of the Shifting the Power Coalition. In Australia, we campaign alongside our activist network to ensure that Australia is playing its part in protecting and advancing the rights of women around the world.
Check out our Where We Work page to view all our programs and programatic countries.
Does ActionAid Australia subscribe to a code of conduct?
In addition to our own Code of Conduct, ActionAid Australia is a signatory to the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) Code of Conduct, which is a voluntary, self-regulatory code of good practice. ActionAid Australia has also signed the codes of conduct of the Fundraising Institute of Australia and the Public Fundraising Regulatory Association.
For a list of all our policies please visit our resource section.
How do I give feedback or make a complaint about ActionAid Australia?
ActionAid Australia believes that having a robust mechanism for handling external complaints can improve the quality of its work, enhance the trust and confidence of stakeholders, identify areas of work that need to be improved, and helps ensure that we learn from the feedback we receive. ActionAid Australia there welcomes feedback and will respond openly and constructively any complaints made by the people we work with, our supporters and donors, the general public, official bodies and our partners.
To make a complaint about ActionAid Australia, please contact us via one of the below options:
- General complaints about any aspect of ActionAid Australia and its work should be sent to: [email protected];
- Complaints about the Executive Director should be sent to: board [email protected];
- Postal complaints can also be sent to the Executive Director or the Chair of the Board at:
ActionAid Australia, Locked Bag 5002, Royal Exchange, NSW, 1225
Please be advised that any complaints regarding a breach of the ACFID Code of Conduct should be made directly to the ACFID Code of Conduct Committee. For more information on the Code of Conduct and how to make a complaint, see the ACFID website www.acfid.asn.au.
Volunteering
Can I volunteer in the ActionAid Australia office?
ActionAid Australia is regularly seeking committed and passionate volunteers to work with us in all areas of our organisation in our Sydney office. We advertise all available volunteering opportunities on our website and through a number of external volunteering websites including:
You can also volunteer with ActionAid Australia in your community, by joining a local ActionAid group as a Community Leader.
Can I volunteer overseas with ActionAid?
ActionAid Australia does not send volunteers overseas to work on our projects. In accordance with our Human Rights Based Approach (HRBA), we aim to provide local people with opportunities to support our work and become involved in shaping their community through our projects.
Can I volunteer if I work full time?
Absolutely! Unlike other organisations, ActionAid Australia does not have a minimum amount of hours that volunteers need to commit to. We recognise the enormous contribution that volunteers make to our work and are happy to accept volunteers who need to schedule their time with us around work and other external commitments.
If you are interested in volunteering but are unable to work from the ActionAid Australia office in Sydney, there are many other ways you can be involved in our work. From becoming a Community Leader to supporting us at events and attending our workshops, there are plenty of opportunities. Get in touch to find out more!
What skills or experience do I need to volunteer?
There are no particular skills or experience requires to volunteer with ActionAid Australia. The most important thing to us is that you are passionate about the work that we do and are committed to helping us drive change for women living in poverty and exclusion around the world.
Volunteers provide a high level of support to our work and assist us in achieving our purpose. Consequently, we strive to ensure that each ActionAid Australia volunteer develops new sills and finds their experience with us rich and engaging.
Does ActionAid Australia accept interns?
ActionAid Australia welcomes applications from interns, however, generally only take interns on when it is required as part of a university degree. We do not take on full-time unpaid internships.
You will find all our paid and voluntary positions here.
Donations
Does ActionAid Australia have a child sponsorship program?
ActionAid Australia has focused on sponsoring children in the communities we work with in the past. While we continue to directly support a number of children and their communities in Uganda, Bangladesh and Cambodia, our focus on women’s rights means we are no longer recruiting child sponsors.
Supporting women living in poverty and exclusion to claim their rights invariably helps their children, family and wider communities. The best way to support ActionAid Australia’s work is by making a regular donation. This means we have the vital resources we need to plan and sustain our work into the future.
Find out all the ways you could give to ActionAid Australia here.
I received an email offering me money and requesting personal details, claiming to be from ActionAid Australia. Is it legitimate and should I respond?
ActionAid will never send emails offering money or requesting personal details. If you receive an email like this, we advise you not to open it. ActionAid does, however, send regular emails updating you on our work or occasionally asking you to donate to an appeal. These emails will never ask for your financial information and, instead, contain a link to our secure online donation page. When you donate, your card information is processed, encrypted and stored by a specialised and highly secure payment service organisation.
If you have any concerns regarding an email you have received from ActionAid Australia please contact our Supporter Care team on 1300 66 66 72 or email us at [email protected]
What if I don’t want to donate online?
There are alternative ways to donate if you’d prefer not to do so online.
- The easiest way is to give our Supporter Care team a call on 1300 66 66 72 and we can take your donation over the phone.
- You can also send cheques to our postal address: Locked Bag 5002, Royal Exchange, NSW, 1225.
- In some circumstances, you can donate through a direct deposit. If you would like to do this, please speak to one of our Supporter Care team members.
I am a monthly donor – how do I make a change to my regular donation?
Thank you very much for your generous support of ActionAid Australia through a monthly gift. Your regular support is essential in allowing us to carry out vital work in areas such as climate and economic justice for women, and women’s rights in emergencies. If you would like to update your credit card details or if you would like to change the amount of your current contribution, please contact our Supporter Care Team on 1300 66 66 72.
Are donations to ActionAid Australia tax-deductible?
Yes, all donations over $2 are tax deductible and, if you register your donation, we will send you a tax receipt at the end of the financial year.
How much of my donation is spent on fundraising?
In our most recent audited financial statements (2023) fundraising accounted for 20% of expenditure. Fundraising activities are an important way to ensure long-term, sustainable funding for our important programmatic work. All fundraising expenditure is carefully monitored to ensure good value for money and return on investment.
I would like to request a refund of my donation to ActionAid Australia or I believe a donation has been debited from my account in error. What should I do?
Please see our Gift Refund Policy here and contact our Supporter Services team on 1300 66 66 72 or [email protected] with any questions or refund requests.
Will ActionAid Australia accept a gift from any individual or business?
ActionAid Australia is grateful for all financial and in-kind support from the Australian community but needs to ensure that there are no legal, financial or reputation risks in accepting a gift. Please see our Gift Acceptance Policy here for more information.
Does ActionAid use PayPal for online donations?
Yes, ActionAid Australia uses PayPal across our website for donations.