In November 2024 The Pearl Lotus Fund was officially registered as an Australian charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. Alongside it came Tax Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status from the Australian Taxation Office, which means donations to The Pearl Lotus Fund are now tax-deductible. Our ABN is 58387646165.
Behind that single line sits a year of unglamorous work that few supporters ever see. To meet the standards expected of a registered charity, The Pearl Lotus Fund had to write and adopt a full set of policies and procedures: safeguarding vulnerable people, governance, conflict of interest, complaints, and financial management. This was careful, patient work, and it was led by our Secretary and Public Officer, Louise Whiting, who steered the policy writing and the registration through to completion.
It is the kind of effort that does not photograph well, but it matters a great deal. These foundations put The Pearl Lotus Fund in a much stronger position to support the very remote villages of Mikwakhola: to attract donors, to run charity events, and to grow our reach. Tax-deductible status, in particular, gives supporters a clear reason to give, and to give again.
So while the year’s most visible work happens in the Nepal Himalaya, this quieter milestone is what holds the rest up. If you would like to be part of what comes next, your support now goes further, and your gift is tax-deductible.
