Several hundred donors and potential donors in Australia have contacted us and asked to know our status as a potential tax deductible charity and the reason why our previous application was turned down.
AMF (Australia) does not currently have tax deductible status. Such status, if approved, would allow donors to claim a tax deduction on future donations to the charity.
We will shortly be submitting a further application to AusAid requesting consideration for this status. We understand we would expect to hear the result of our submission six months later. We will post the result of our application as soon as we know it.
AMF (Australia) applied for tax deductible status in 2009. AusAid turned us down for three reasons and told us the following:
- CRITERION (iii) It is a community-based organisation accountable to its membership.
In order to fully meet this OAGDS assessment criterion, [Against] Malaria Foundation (Australia) needs to report on all costs of the organisation’s operations, including fund-raising and administration costs, even though these may be covered by separate donations in cash or in-kind.
Our comment: We believe we did this. We have no cash costs in Australia and we reported in detail on the pro bono support we receive.
- CRITERION (vii) It and its overseas partners are both effective in conducting their activities.
In order to meet this OAGDS assessment criterion, [Against] Malaria Foundation (Australia) needs to demonstrate full interaction with its partners in all areas of the project cycle. In particular, it needs to provide evidence that it collects data from its partners to evaluate the impact of its specific programs and uses the results of such evaluations to strengthen future project activities.
Our comment: We believe we did so and comprehensively. We provided evidence and pointed to documents online.
- CRITERION (v) Its activities are focused on development and/or relief covering least one and preferably two years.
In order to meet this OAGDS criterion, [Against] Malaria Foundation (Australia) needs to provide documentation from itself or its partners consciously demonstrating a sustainable development paradigm.
Our comment: We believe we did so and comprehensively. The criterion says ‘development and/or relief’. It would seem to us that either or both cover well what we do.
We believed we had submitted a further application in 2010. AusAid told us they considered we had not. Discussions took place though 2011 and beyond. We were not clear how we could add information to our application.
Prior to submitting a new application we will a) try and understand if there is/are some structural aspect/s of what we do and how we do it that may mean we will not be eligible for such status and, if that is not the case b) we will work hard to try and address any concerns AusAid may have.
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In February 2013, AMF agreed to fund the net and non-net costs for the distribution of some 300 - 400,000 LLINs in two districts in Malawi, Balaka and Dedza. We have now published detailed non-net cost budgets and will report on actual costs in due course. This information allows donors and others to see how we spend funds allocated to non-net costs. You can read about our approach to non-net costs on the website. The final number of nets to be distributed will be known when the household level pre-distribution assessment in Dedza is complete. The distribution of 149,500 nets in Balaka is underway.
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149,500 long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) are currently being distributed in Balaka District, Malawi to achieve universal coverage - all sleeping spaces covered - to protect some 270,000 people. The first of several mid-distribution reports are now available on our website.
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When people, be they donors or not, contact us and ask to visit an AMF net distribution, be it to help out or view the process, we say yes. We are always supportive of people seeing for themselves what goes on with a distribution of nets.
Sophie and Richard Morgan chose to raise funds for AMF from January 2013 as an activity to accompany their return by car from Sydney, Australia to the UK involving driving from the south to the north of Africa. All funds they raised ( http://www.AgainstMalaria.com/morgansafari) were allocated to a distribution in Malawi and they were keen to visit the distribution to help distribute the nets they helped fund. Our distribution partner - Concern Universal, Malawi - was happy to help out and welcome them to the distribution team.
Sophie and Richard have written, with photographs, about their distribution experience. It gives a good first-hand insight into what goes on during a distribution.
It is worth mentioning, no-one at AMF has met Richard and Sophie, although we hope to when they are back in the UK, and their blog post was unsolicited.
We will report in the coming months on the levels of net use and on malaria rates in Balaka District.
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149,500 nets are now being distributed in Balaka district, Malawi. All nets will be distributed by the end of October.
These nets will achieve universal coverage of all sleeping spaces in the district of some 388,000 people.
Pre-distribution work led by our distribution partner, Concern Universal Malawi, and carried out with the local government health teams, has involved visiting all 90,336 households in the district to establish net need per household. This allows an efficient, targeted distribution with each household receiving the number of nets each needs.
This pre-distribution activity allows significant engagement of community and health leaders in the net distribution process and associated malaria education elements. Community involvement is instrumental in ensuring an organised distribution and helping to achieve high levels of immediate net hang-up and sustained use.
Detailed distribution records, including household level data, will allow us to verify nets were distributed as intended. Independent supervision at the ‘moment of distribution’ ensures no nets are misappropriated.
The data collected during the pre-distribution phase will be used in the six-monthly post-distribution net use and condition check-ups, when 5% of households are selected at random and visited unannounced to gather net use and condition data. These (anonymised) data are made public, allowing us to report on the levels of net use achieved over time. The District Health Officer (DHO) and his/her team are able to use this health-centre level information to influence additional local malaria control interventions as they deem necessary.
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