Advertisement

Thousands of rogue charities facing the axe

7News investigation: Thousands of rogue charities are facing the axe.

FIRST ON 7: We all expect charities to use our money for the greater good but now one, which warns parents not to vaccinate their children against disease, has been struck off by authorities.

It is part of a crackdown on rogue operations that could see more than 6000 groups having their charitable status revoked.

Dr Sherri Tenpenny is the American anti-vaccination campaigner whose Australian tour was cancelled early this year.

"Loving your children to boost their immune system," Tenpenny said.

The tour was promoted by the Australian author of 'Melanie's Marvellous Measles' - a book which argued the disease is actually good for children.


"There is clear evidence that is irrefutable - which shows that vaccination is the safest thing you can do for your children to protect them from harmful viruses," the Australian Medical Association's Dr Saxon Smith said.

Dr Tenperry's tour was also supported by the author's charity: the 'Get Rid of SIDS Project.'

Authorities have heard enough. 7News can reveal they have now revoked the charitable status of 'Get Rid of SIDS.'

It is part of a major crackdown on rogue elements of the charity industry that will affect more than 6000 organisations.

They are the ones that consistently fail to report how they spend tax-free donations.

"We're calling them double-defaulters because they've defaulted twice," the Australian Charities and Not For Profits Commission Commissioner Susan Pascoe said.

"If they don't provide us with that information then they will be removed from the register."

Sam Thorp runs the charity comparison website Change Path and says especially in the big end of town, charities are doing the right thing.

"But I think as you get into the middle and lower end of the spectrum, there are definitely charities that aren't," Thorp said.

"A lot of charities, I think are afraid of really disclosing how much they are spending on aspects of their program. They're afraid of what donors will think of how they spend it".

An estimated one-third of taxpayers donate to charity hundreds of millions of dollars, and in return charities must explain where the money goes.

For more details visit the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission website.