Legal structure and taxation
The ANZCA Foundation is a part of ANZCA, and not a separate legal entity. ANZCA is a company limited by guarantee registered as a charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for Profits Commission (ACNC).
ANZCA itself is endorsed by the Australian Taxation Office as a Deductible Gift Recipient (Item 1) under the Income Tax Assessment Act (1997). This means Australian donors to ANZCA Foundation may claim their gifts as tax deductions.
In New Zealand, the ANZCA New Zealand National Committee is on the Government’s Charities Services Register (registration number CC37419), and ANZCA is listed as a donee organisation with Inland Revenue. New Zealand donors may claim tax credits for one third of donations to the Foundation, provided that at least fifty percent of the amount of all funds donated are directed to activities in New Zealand. The foundation significantly exceeds this annual requirement through grants to New Zealand projects led by our fellows.
The tax deductibility (Australia) or tax credit status (NZ) of donations is outlined on the Patrons donation forms on the ‘Become a Foundation Patron’ page, and the ANZCA Foundation home page.
Governance
The ANZCA Foundation is governed by the ANZCA Foundation Committee, which is a committee of the ANZCA Council (board of directors). The Foundation Committee allocates all funding and oversees all aspects of foundation governance, including the use and management of funds. The general manager of the foundation is a responsible for day-to-day foundation management and development, and is a member of the committee.
Our medical research support program including grant assessment and administration is governed by the ANZCA Research Committee, while health equity programs and activities including health equity grants are governed by ANZCA’s Global Development and Indigenous Health Committees, with management support from the ANZCA Policy Unit.
Annual financial reporting on the foundation’s income and expenditure
As the ANZCA Foundation is not a separate entity, the financial information for the ANZCA Foundation is included in the consolidated ANZCA annual financial statements. Therefore, the following information is provided covering the three main areas supported through the Foundation – medical research, global health equity, and Indigenous health.
Funding sources
The foundation receives income annually from:
- an allocation from ANZCA operational income
- earnings from its investment fund (ANZCA Foundation Fund), built from donations to the foundation and contributions from operational surpluses since ANZCA’s establishment
- general and specific donations including bequests received each year
How funds are used
The Foundation Committee allocates this combined income to each of the areas supported by the foundation every year. After administrative expenses, eighty-five percent is allocated to research in anaesthesia, pain medicine, or perioperative medicine, including research grants, and fifteen percent is allocated to global and Indigenous health equity and medical philanthropy.
ANZCA Foundation income and expenditure summary 2024
The income and expenditure for the year 1 January to 31 December 2024 is reported below in Australian dollars, rounded to the nearest $1000. This will be updated annually and is based on the latest available audited college financials.
Notes:
- We use income from previous years to fund the current year’s grants. This allows us to determine how much funding we can offer before our Research Committee makes its grant decisions in September each year, based on applications received from 1 December to 30 April. Grants are paid from 1 January in the following year.
- Income received each year is not used immediately. Because grants have already been allocated for the current year, it is retained for subsequent grant rounds.
- Any unutilised funds or shortfalls are carried over to future years. This allows funding for Foundation-supported activities to be managed responsibly over time.
Income
| 1,777,000 | ANZCA operational funding allocation. The Foundation receives an annual allocation from the college to support research and health equity, Foundation administration, and the ANZCA Clinical Trials Network. |
| 400,000 | Allocation from earnings from the ANZCA Foundation Fund. |
| 341,000 | Allocation from the Foundation fundraising in prior years, including general and specific-purpose donations (1). |
| 2,518,000 | Total prior year income allocation |
| 415,000 | Donor-targeted donations |
| 361,000 | Donations received (2) |
| 12,000 | Allocation from the Foundation fundraising in prior years, including general and specific-purpose donations (1).Sundry income |
| 787,000 | Total current year income |
| 3,305,000 | Total income |
Expenditure
| 1,368,000 | Research grants and scholarships |
| 414,000 | Donor-targeted grants |
| 382,000 | Health equity grants and sponsorship |
| 197,000 | ANZCA Clinical Trials Network |
| 2,361,000 | Total grants and sponsorship |
| 465,000 | Administration and operating expenses |
| 2,826,000 | Total expenditure |
Program funds that donors may support
Donors may make general donations to the Foundation, with a focus on research in anaesthesia, pain medicine, or perioperative medicine. Alternatively, donors may target their gifts specifically to:
- Research in any of anaesthesia, pain medicine and perioperative medicine
- Global development
- Indigenous health
Further specific targeted donation options may be selected on the foundation’s online donation portal, accessible on the ANZCA website, or by searching ‘ANZCA gift options’. Donations to each of these options are tracked using specific codes so that funds may be correctly directed to each purpose or activity.
Donors may contact the Foundation directly if they wish to discuss large donations or to establish either one-off or ongoing named research or health equity awards or scholarships.
ANZCA Foundation Fund
Since its inception the foundation has received donations and allocations from ANZCA operations for the building of a dedicated fund, which has been carefully invested to generate a long-term future income stream for the work of ANZCA and FPM fellows and trainees in medical research and education.
Donations to the fund, reinvestment, and capital growth have grown the fund over many years. At the end of 2025 the fund reached just under $A15.594 million, with earnings providing a stable additional income stream to supports the foundation’s activities.
The fund is a separately managed investment portfolio and is not part of any other ANZCA fund. The ANZCA Investment Sub-Committee has responsibility for the governance and oversight of the ANZCA Foundation Fund performance, and its appointed managers. Membership of the sub-committee consists of external investment professionals and members of the Finance, Audit & Risk Management committee. The ANZCA Investment and Responsible Investment Policies provide approved guardrails for the management of the fund, to ensure the ongoing availability of monies for future Foundation programs and activities.