Are you part of a charity without DGR status?
You can help us Unlock DGR
Stories are a powerful force for change. Your organisation’s experience could help secure long‑overdue reform of Australia’s DGR system.
Your local Federal Member of Parliament (MP) may not realise that your charity’s important community work is excluded from access to DGR status. This may be blocking your charity from receiving tax‑deductible donations and limiting your access to critical funding from philanthropy and grant makers.
Hearing directly from organisations like yours helps MPs understand the real impact of the current system and builds vital support for change inside Parliament.
Why your voice matters
Show the real‑world impact of an outdated DGR system
Many MPs aren’t aware that many frontline, high‑impact charities miss out on DGR status because of our outdated DGR system. Your story helps make the problem visible.
Help build political momentum
Reform is more likely when MPs hear consistent messages from organisations in their own communities. Every letter strengthens the case for change.
Demonstrate community need
Sharing how the current DGR system can limit your organisation’s fundraising, service delivery or long‑term planning helps MPs understand why this reform is urgent.
How to speak to your MP
1. Use our ready‑to‑use template letter
We’ve created a template letter to help make this process as easy as possible. You can tailor it with examples from your organisation’s work, community impact, or funding challenges.
Scroll down to copy and paste the template, or click here.
2. Guidance on contacting your MP
If you’re not sure where to start, you can find your local Federal MP and their contact details here. We also encourage you to copy in the Treasurer Jim.Chalmers.MP@aph.gov.au and Charities Minister Andrew.Leigh.MP@aph.gov.au
You can also download a list of federal MP’s here.
3. Encouraging meaningful engagement
Personal conversations are powerful. If appropriate, we encourage you to invite your MP to visit your organisation so they can see your work firsthand.
We’re here to help if you need it
If you’d like support adapting the template, framing your message, or preparing for a meeting with your MP, our team is here to help. Contact our Campaign Manager Clare Ozich at Clare.Ozich@justiceconnect.org.au for any questions.
Please let us know if you have sent a letter and any response you receive.
Letter template
Dear [local MP],
I am writing to ask for your support for reforming the Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) system so that charities like ours can access tax-deducible donations and critical funding from philanthropy and grant makers.
[Insert who you are and what you do for the community]
Like many community organisations, we are facing increased demand, rising costs, and funding uncertainty. These pressures make it harder to deliver the essential services and supports our community needs.
Reforming the DGR system is an urgent priority for us. Broadening access to DGR status would unlock new and sustainable funding streams, particularly philanthropic support, which would strengthen our ability to continue our work.
The Productivity Commission’s Future Foundations for Giving Report highlighted a key barrier to enhancing and amplifying the work and impact of the charity sector: Australia’s DGR system. It’s outdated, overly complex, ineffective, and unfair. This reflects our own experience.
At a time when the work of community connection is more important than ever, the DGR system makes it difficult for charities focused on this work to access funding streams.
The Productivity Commission’s Future Foundations for Giving report outlines a clear, evidence-based pathway to simplify the DGR system so that most charities are eligible for DGR endorsement. This is consistent with other nations such as the UK and Canada.
There is more than $11 billion in philanthropic giving funds in Australia, but charities like ours are unable to access it under the current rules. In fact, around half of Australia’s charities are locked out of DGR status and access to philanthropy.
We are supporting Justice Connect’s Unlock DGR campaign to simplify the DGR system. Find out more about the campaign at justiceconnect.org.au/unlock-DGR.
We invite you to visit us and see firsthand the work we do in the local community and how DGR reform would help us better serve our community.
Kind regards,
[Your name and organisation]