Celeste Barber unintentionally misled her donors. Donations should be going to RFS NSW.

Australian comedian Celeste Barber raised over $50million in a Facebook fundraiser during the devastating Australian bushfires.

She said “Raising a ..tonne of money comes with a ..tonne of people telling you what you should do with it “

Celeste should have listened to some of those people because it also comes with a tonne of responsibility.

Although an outstanding and well-intentioned effort, Barber has misled her fans and donors about her online fundraising campaign saying on her Instagram story: "I’m going to make sure that Victoria gets some, that South Australia gets some, also families of people who have died in these fires, the wildlife.”

Barber is reportedly calling in the lawyers because the funds are not going to bushfire victims and other charities. Oh the faux outrage!

Ms Barber selected the NSW RFS as the beneficiary of funds raised (their income for 2018/9 was only $762,249.00, 93% of this from government grants). On the Australian Charity and Not for Profit (ACNC) website, the charity’s trust deed states that funds will be used:

“to or for the brigades in order to enable or assist them to meet the costs of purchasing and maintaining fire-fighting equipment and facilities, providing training and resources and/or to otherwise meet the administrative expenses of the brigades which are associated with their volunteer-based fire and emergency service activities.”

When raising funds for a charity, it’s up to the charity’s discretion how the funds are used in accordance with their trust deed’s ‘objects’. A fundraiser can not dictate to the charity how the funds will be used.

If Barber wanted to help communities and wildlife around the country, she should have done her research and due diligence when nominating a beneficiary. She could have chosen a platform that allows multiple charities on one campaign and even splits the funds evenly.

News outlets have since reported that both Ms Barber and the NSW RFS are currently investigating "loopholes" to see if they can get funds to other states and communities. I cannot see any solution in sight. At the end of the day, the charity is regulated by the ACNC. If the charity diverts its funds away from their trust deed’s objects, they could be at risk of losing their charitable status.

News outlets are running sensationalist headlines and social media is in over-drive with people commenting that they "will not donate again", or "trust government red tape" and the like.

The truth is that we are seeing everything working as it should. Funds were donated via the Facebook campaign to The PayPal Giving Fund (PPGF) and donors were issued with a tax receipt. PPGF disbursed the funds to the RFS NSW Donation Fund. RFS NSW will use the funds according to its objects. This is the regulations working to protect donors and hold charity accountable. Nothing to see here.

The RFS NSW has an aging fleet of vehicles without cabin sprinklers or heat shield protection, a lack of safety roll cages, and inadequate communication equipment. These funds will go to upgrading the RFS to ensure that the 15,000+ volunteers who put their lives on the line for weeks on end, can do so fully trained with the best equipment for their safety in the future.

Unfortunately Barber's words before, during, and now after, the campaign will have a detrimental effect on public trust in future disaster relief fundraising.