New Actions
Important compliance information for school P&Fs
For: Principals
Due: Now
Contact: Mark Rix (pandf@dow.catholic.edu.au)
First notice
As advised in the June Gateway News message (Term 2, Week 9 – 24 June), a new item has been added to the CEDoW assurance testing program in 2026: Parent and Friends (P&F) financial accounts. Ensuring each P&F fund has had its annual accounts audited and submitted to the CEO will be one of the key areas covered as part of this testing.
Actions:
There are a number of other compliance requirements for school P&Fs that will be components of the 2026 assurance testing program. These requirements are:
- Each school P&F needs to have its own Australian Business Number (ABN).
- If it hasn't already done so, each school P&F is required to register with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). Registering with the ACNC means that P&Fs will not need to self-assess for income tax exemption purposes, and ACNC-registered charities are automatically eligible for an authority to fundraise in NSW. Also, P&Fs that are registered with the ACNC do not have to report to NSW Fair Trading.
If your school’s P&F has not been registered with the ACNC, it can be done here. Once registered, the school P&F is required to lodge its most recent Annual Information Statement to the ACNC.
- The names and contact details for each school’s P&F office holders need to be provided. This can be done via this Google Form. The form includes a section to upload the school’s P&F Constitution.
- As mentioned in the June Gateway News message (Term 2, Week 9 – 24 June), at the end of each year, each school is required to share with the CEO its P&F audited accounts from that school year (e.g., the 2025 audited accounts are due in December 2025). Thank you to the schools who responded to the request for copies of their school’s P&F's financial audits. If your school’s P&F audited report has not yet been submitted, please send it to pandf@dow.catholic.edu.au, ‘Attention Mark Rix’. If your school’s P&F is finding it challenging to locate an auditor to undertake a financial audit, please email ‘Attention Mark Rix’ at pandf@dow.catholic.edu.au.
- School P&Fs are required to keep accounting records relating to fundraising for at least seven years.
We understand that it can be difficult to stay up-to-date with the compliance obligations of P&Fs. To help, some opt-in Zoom Q&A sessions will be provided during Term 3 and Term 4 for any principals, SSSOs, or school P&F office holders who would like to learn more about P&F governance. Dates for these sessions will be advertised in upcoming Gateway News messages.
We are also building a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ page which will be loaded in Gateway. In the meantime, this simple Compliance Checklist might be helpful.
These links might also be useful:
- ABN Look up
- Applying for a charity registration
- Changes to charitable fundraising laws
- ACNC website
- Video (and transcript): Helping P&Fs with ACNC requirements
Thanks so much for your support. If you need help, contact Mark Rix at pandf@dow.catholic.edu.au or mobile 0417 442 018.
AWE HUNTING 2025 - A Faith Encounter in Nature
For: Secondary Principals, Secondary RECs/Leaders of Mission, Year 10 Coordinators
Due: Now
Contact: David Gearin (gearind01@dow.catholic.edu.au)
First notice
CEDoW's Lighting The Way strategic plan identifies that our communities are to be places where every student finds meaning and purpose in faith, learning and wellbeing.
In October 2024, a pilot program was launched in response to recent research in NSW indicating that Year 10 boys in Catholic schools show higher rates of disaffiliation from Catholic identity and faith than any other student group.
Building on the success of last year’s program, a group of Year 10 boys from CEDoW secondary schools are invited to participate in a two-day immersion from Tuesday 14 October to Wednesday 15 October 2025 (Week 1, Term 4) at The Tops, Stanwell Park and The Royal National Park.
Each school will be given the opportunity to identify four Year 10 male students that meet the following criteria:
- Disaffiliation with their faith
- Not currently holding leadership roles
- Open to an outdoor, physically challenging experience in nature, where students will work as a team and engage in reflection, prayer, liturgy, and outreach activities.
More information will be provided in the coming weeks via Gateway News.
Action: In the meantime, schools are asked to give consideration to suitable student representatives.
Please contact David Gearin for further information.