Mission Office Governance

Organisation Overview

• MSC Mission Office commenced on the 1st March 1998, with an initial donation of $5,000.00 received from the MSC Australia Province on the 18th March 1998.

• Fr Adrian Meaney MSC was appointed as inaugural Director, a position he held for 20 years until his death.

• On the 27th November 1998 it was agreed by the MSC Mission Office Board of Management, that MSC be incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act of 1984. This was approved by the NSW Department of Fair Trading on the 31st of may 1999.

• The initial project objective was the provision of Clean water.

• The projects categories that are the key focus of MSC grants are: Relief, Clean Water, Disadvantaged Youth, and HIV/Aids.

• The Mission Office supports works in locations where there is an MSC person or someone from a related Sister organisation operating 'on-the-ground' to vouch for the bona-fides of the project and confirm that the works are completed.

• Projects are largely in Africa, Asia, the Pacific and Australia. Occasional projects have been supported in the America's and Europe.

It is a corporate entity.

• MSC was incorporated under the Associations Incorporation ACT 1984 on the 31st of may 1999.

• MSC was issued with the Australian Business Number 28 988 744 595 on 01 Novemebr 1999.

• MSC was registered for GST purpose on 01 July 2000.

• On 01 July 2000 MSC was also endorsed as an income tax exempt charitable entity under subdivision 50-B of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.

• MSC is exempt from having to obtain authority to fundraise under section 7(1)(c) of the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991.

• MSC Mission Office became a company limited by guarantee as required by legisltion when total donations exceeded $2 million dollars in two consecutive years

It is voluntary, not-for-profit and non-government.

It is a community-based organisation accountable to its membership.

• Board Members (Directors) are appointed by the Superior of the MSC Australian Province in consultation with the Provincial Council and the Directors of the MSC Mission Office

• Ordinary Members are support by two existing members and are approved by the Board

• Ordinary members play a very active role in raising money and promoting, within Australia, the reputation of the Association.

• The governing body of the Association is the Board of Directors.

• The members and directors of MSC act vigiliantly to ensure that no conflict of interest arises between the members and thepeople and organisations involved in the projects. The association is guided by section 3.4 of Australian Council for Overseas Aid Code of Conduct.

• One of the core values that inspires the work of MSC is stewardship. The association's members strive to be good stewards of all resources entrusted to them, to be openly accountable for their work, systematic in evaluating their effectiveness, professional in managing their funds and responsible in their outlays and overheads.

• At the monthly Board Meeting staff members present their department reports to the Board.

• The management structure is 'flat', meaning that all members are involved in the decision making process.

Community support base.

• The total number of benefactors who either have, or are continuing to donate to MSC is 9,500 nationally. These people are kept on the MSC database. They are made up of lay people who financially support the works: schools, parishes, religious communities, and civilian charity groups such as Rotary and Lions Australia.

• MSC Mission Office is required to hold an Annual General Meeting under its Constitution, on accordance with the provisions of the Associations Incorporation Act 1984.

• The financials of MSC Mission Office are audited annually.

• MSC Mission Office produces an Annual Report that is posted on our website.

• MSC Mission Office is very proactive in updating benefactors on the decisions of the Governing Body. MSC Mission Office provides transparency for the fundraising it does and the processes by which money is allocated to respective project applications. The organisation's financial reports are on display in the Mission Office for inspection and minutes of Board Meetings are also available if requested.

• MSC Mission Office keeps its community support base engaged and informed through the publication of its Mission Outreach Newsletter. The newsletter is distributed quarterly and 130,000 copies are distributed per publication. Each newsletter reports on the funding, progress and success of every project being pursued. Benefactors who contribute substantial amounts of money are contacted by MSC Mission Office personally and thanked for their generosity. Mission groups visit parishes and schools for speaking engagements and appeals. Various publications, such as calendars, are printed each year and distributed nationally.

MSC Mission Office is proudly Australian.

• The Association Members are all Australia citizens or reside in Australia.

• The Directors of the Association all reside in Australia.

• The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (MSC) have been working in Australia since 1885.

• Beneficiaries are made aware that the assistance provided by MSC Mission Office is coming from an Australian Organisation and that support is derived from the Australian Community.