The core work of Palms Australia is to recruit, prepare and send Australians, qualified and skilled to tackle the most pressing needs identified by communities seeking to reduce poverty.  We rely on donor funds to do so and as a Tax-deductible Gift Recipient such donations attract tax-deductibility.

Where all the costs[1]of placing a volunteer in a community are covered by solid pledges Palms will also support and provide tax-deductibility for donations that positively impact on small development projects assisted by the Palms’ volunteer.

In any project partnered by Palms Australia we prioritise the following:

  1. Locally owned and initiated economic or community developments, particularly in rural areas that facilitate community self-help and self-reliance in setting goals, formulating development strategies, and contributing to costs, management and implementation;
  2. Social action that builds human dignity and respect for human rights and creates new opportunities for people to participate in their community and economic advancement by overcoming the causes of structural poverty and injustice;
  3. Programs that focus most on developing the capacity of those in poverty with least opportunity to live life to the full;
  4. Processes and technologies that appropriately complement the strengths of a community;
  5. The maximum involvement of different members and groups within a community;
  6. Provision of materials, equipment, freight or buildings where they are integral to a broader development program; appropriate to the local environment and where the recipients have capacity and responsibility to maintain and meet any recurrent costs.

Palms cannot offer tax-deductibility on donations for the following:

  1. Individuals i.e. personal projects/sponsorships;
  2. Payments/Allowances for Consultants and/or Advisors;
  3. Conferences;
  4. Refinancing Projects;
  5. Materials, equipment, freight and buildings not part of a broader development;
  6. Support for religious and welfare activities

The following questions are designed to assist anyone proposing a small development project.

In what ways and to what degree is the development:

  1. Encouraging and facilitating community self-help and self-reliance and ensuring that the community is not made more dependent and disempowered in the process of the development?   E.G:
    • Did the project originate from a need identified by a local member or organisation of the local community? Was it a locally identified initiative?
    • Prior to the development of a facility was it established that alternative approaches traditional to culture were not superior? (E.G. Children who lose parents are often cared for through existing extended family networks already integral to cultural practice.  Rather than supporting the institutionalisation of children in an orphanage, supporting sustainable, income producing community developments may be more effective.
    • Was the development built on local community strengths and assets and do the objectives identify a point of time that the development will be able to be sustained using local materials, equipment and skills?
    • Do members of the local community participate in setting goals, formulating strategies and/or contributing to costs, management and implementation of activities?
  2. Assisting to overcome causes of poverty and injustice in the broader community?  How are initiatives to support individuals structured to ensure advantage to the broader community rather dividing the community?
  3. Encouraging sound environmental and ecological practices?
  4. Consistent with the priorities and plans of the national and district government and utilise the supervisory services of the existing government or non-government agencies.

[1] Go to the  Projects page on Palms website to see if we have required pledges to cover relevant placement costs.