Make a complaint about a registered charity


Charities Services takes concerns about registered charities seriously. Part of our role is to investigate serious wrongdoing and deliberate breaches of the Charities Act 2005.

We receive many concerns each year. We cannot investigate every concern. Some matters sit outside our regulatory role or are better handled by the charity or another agency.

 This page explains:

  • what we may investigate
  • what matters we cannot investigate
  • who to contact if your concern should be raised elsewhere
  • how to make a complaint.

What we may investigate 

We may investigate concerns that a charity is:

  • losing significant amounts of money
  • using charitable funds unlawfully or corruptly
  • directly or indirectly funding terrorism
  • causing serious harm to people it helps or others who interact with the charity
  • set up for illegal or improper purposes, including abusing tax laws
  • being used for significant personal profit or gain
  • involved in oppressive or discriminatory conduct
  • governed by a person disqualified from being an officer under the Act
  • not reporting accurately or in line with the Act
  • not entitled to be registered under the Act.

 
We may also investigate organisations that claim to be registered charities when they are not.

What we do not investigate 

We cannot investigate every complaint. Many matters fall outside our role or are better handled by other agencies.

Criminal or illegal activity 

Refer these concerns to the Police or other relevant law enforcement agency.

Internal disputes 

We do not investigate internal disputes unless they involve serious wrongdoing or a breach of the Act. This includes issues such as meeting processes or disagreements about decisions.

Charities are self‑governing. You should raise these concerns directly with the charity or seek independent advice.

Services provided by a charity 

If your concern is about the quality or delivery of services, contact the charity directly.

Employment matters 

See guidance on the Employment New Zealand website.

Health and safety concerns 

Contact WorkSafe if the situation could lead to death, serious injury or serious illness.

Child welfare concerns 

Contact Oranga Tamariki or the Police if a child may be unsafe, at risk of harm or experiencing abuse or neglect.

How to make a complaint 

Please make your complaint in writing:

Write to:

Charities Services 
PO Box 12138 
Thorndon 
Wellington Central 6144

Information to include 

To help us assess your complaint, include:

  • the name of the charity and or people involved
  • the charity’s registration (CC) number, if known
  • a short, clear description of your complaint and its impact on the charity
  • any steps you have taken, such as raising the issue with the charity or another agency, and any response received
  • your relationship with the charity or people involved, such as employee, volunteer or board member
  • your contact details, including email address and phone number.

You may remain anonymous. This may limit our ability to investigate the concern.

Supporting information 

You can also provide evidence, such as:

  • bank or credit card statements
  • invoices or receipts
  • contracts, policies or procedures
  • internal complaints or reports from other agencies
  • legal or professional advice that has not been followed
  • media reports involving the charity
  • material issued by the charity that relates to your complaint.

After you submit a complaint 

We assess complaints to decide:

  • whether we have the legal power to act, or
  • whether another regulator or agency should handle the matter.

 
If we need more information, we will contact you. In many cases, we cannot provide updates or outcomes due to legal and privacy requirements.

Privacy and your information 

Information about complaints, including your personal details, is subject to the Official Information Act 1982 and the Privacy Act 2020.

If we receive a request for your information under these Acts, we will contact you before any release. In some cases, we may withhold personal details to protect your privacy.

The Protected Disclosures Act 2000 may also apply. This Act allows employees, contractors and volunteers to report serious wrongdoing without fear of detrimental action. See the Ombudsman’s website for more information.