When Australians search for the best charities to donate to, they're often asking a more specific question underneath: how much of my donation reaches the people who need it?
It's a reasonable thing to want to know. And it's a question that most charity websites answer poorly — if at all.
CARE Australia publishes its donation effectiveness figures openly. 89 cents of every dollar donated goes directly to programs. The remaining 11 cents covers administration, fundraising, and the operational infrastructure that makes international aid delivery possible at scale. That breakdown is audited and publicly available.
Why overhead ratios only tell part of the story
A low overhead percentage doesn't automatically mean a charity is effective. A small organisation with minimal staff and no accountability systems can have low overheads and poor outcomes. What donors are really asking when they query overhead is: is this organisation run well, and does it reach the people it's supposed to reach?
CARE's answer to that question is grounded in operational scale. CARE works across more than 30 countries, with programs focused on emergency response, food security, clean water, and women's economic empowerment. The effectiveness page isn't just a ratio — it links to program outcomes that show what those donations fund on the ground.
DGR status and tax deductibility
Every donation to CARE of $2 or more is tax deductible. CARE holds Deductible Gift Recipient status, which means donations can be claimed in your Australian tax return. With June 30 approaching, donors making end-of-financial-year giving decisions can use CARE's tax calculator at care.org.au/appeals/tax-calculator/ to estimate their return.
For Australian donors who want to give to an accountable, transparent international charity — one that publishes where the money goes rather than asking you to take it on faith — CARE's donation effectiveness page is a useful place to start.
Read the full breakdown → https://care.org.au/donate/