There are a limited number of ongoing forums for government and NGO policy dialogue. The Committee for Development Cooperation (CDC) is a joint consultative body drawing representatives from NGOs, AusAID and the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID). The CDC facilitates debate on policy issues relating to AusAID, NGO accreditations and the operation of NGO programs.[1]
Australian NGOs deliver very little of Australia’s bilateral aid, winning only an average of 6% of contracts in the period 2007-2010.[3] Direct funding to Australian Development NGOs through the AusAID-NGO cooperation program this budget (2010/11) received only $69 million and direct funding for local recipient countries is even less with $8.25 million allocated to the Direct Aid Program (DAP) for 2010-2011.[4]
Comparison to Public Giving
World Vision receives the most funding from private donors in Australia, accounting for 42.03% of all donations to Australian development NGOs in 2008.[6] Oxfam Australia is a distant second, raising just 5.75% of funds from the Australian community. Caritas, Childfund Australia, Save the Children and PLAN International Australia are NGOs that are some of the larger recipients of both AusAID funding and public giving.
Funds raised by Australian NGOs from the Australian community, 2008
This shows the top 14 surveyed Australian NGOs that generate the largest amount of funds for their international development work through donations, fundraising, legacies and bequests from the Australian public.[7]
Source: ACFID, 2008, ACFID member and Code of Conduct signatories’ audited financial statements, http://www.acfid.asn.au/resources/facts-and-figures/which-agencies-raise-most/?searchterm=financial%20statements , last accessed 12/10/10
1. World Vision Australia 42.03%
2. Other NGOs 18.74% (total 85 agencies)
3. Oxfam Australia 5.75%
4. Médecins Sans Frontières 5.46%
5. Save the Children Australia 3.88%
6. ChildFund Australia 3.46%
7. CBM Australia 3.06%
8. Global Development Group 2.79%
9. Caritas Australia 2.72%
10. Plan International Australia 2.63%
11. CARE Australia 2.42%
12. WWF-Australia 1.79%
13. TEAR Australia 1.79%
14. The Fred Hollows Foundation 1.78%
15. UNICEF Australia 1.70%
The regional distribution of these funds differs somewhat from the Australian Aid Program priority areas. For example, Africa recieved over 40% of publicly donated funds in 2008, whilst AusAid fund channeled through Australian NGOs in the same period directed only 17% to the same region. See ACFID for more details.
Last updated 4 November 2010
[1] AusAID, 1999, Working with Australian NGOS: an Australian Aid Program Policy Paper, Canberra
[2] AusAID, ibid
[3] Crikey “Who profits from our foreign aid?” 23 July 2010, http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/07/23/who-profits-from-our-foreign-aid-carving-up-the-pie-where-the-little-known-dominate/ , accessed 21 October 2010
[4] Australian Government: Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, ‘Direct Aid Program (DAP)’, http://www.dfat.gov.au/direct_aid_program/ , last accessed 20/10/10
[5] ACFID, May 2010, Analysis: AID Budget 2010/11, http://www.acfid.asn.au//resources/docs_resources/docs_papers/ACFID%20Budget%20Analysis%20revised%20June%202010.pdf, accessed 28/10/10
[6] ACFID, ‘Facts and Figures’. Online: http://www.acfid.asn.au/resources/facts-and-figures/whichagencies-raise-… Accessed July 2008
[7] ACFID, ‘Which Agencies raise most?’ http://www.acfid.asn.au/resources/facts-and-figures/which-agencies-raise-most, last accessed 3.9.2010