Australia’s Most Reputable Charities

Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor Service has been ranked as the country’s most reputable charity for the fifth year in a row.

The 2015 Charity Reputation Index, conducted by research consultants AMR, ranked the 40 biggest national charities, according to a survey of almost 4500 Australians.

The annual index also showed that Guide Dogs had also maintained its strong reputation, coming in second place for the second year running.

Other charities to fare well included the Fred Hollows Foundation, which climbed two places to rank third overall this year, and Medecins Sans Frontières Australia (Doctors Without Borders), which ranked fifth overall in the first year it had been included in the index.

Beyondblue also saw a steady improvement of its overall reputation. In 2012 it was ranked 17th overall, and has strengthened its reputation each year since. This year, it was ranked fourth overall.   

AMR’s Managing Director, Oliver Freedman, said the charities’ reputations were measured against seven parameters; services, innovation, workplace, citizenship, governance, leadership and cost management.  

“The results continue to show the immense trust Australians have for the charity sector as a whole across a breadth of causes,” Freedman said.

“The top five charities now include those focused on the mental and physical well-being of individuals within Australia as well as across the globe.”

Freedman said the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) also ranked highly across the individual dimensions measured, coming first in all categories except leadership, where the Fred Hollows Foundation took top honours.

“The RFDS has now ranked first for the fifth year running. The consistent level of trust, admiration and respect highlights the emotional connection felt by Australians,” he said.

“Their reputation continues to be built on a broad foundation with the Royal Flying Doctor Service ranking first on six of the seven underlying reputation dimensions.”

CEO of the RFDS, Martin Laverty, said the charity’s ranking was an acknowledgement of the service it provided to Australians living in rural and remote areas.

"What a terrific acknowledgement for our front line health and aviation staff. But the Flying Doctor is only as good as the clinical care given to the next patient seen by any of our health, dental, or mental health professionals," Laverty, said.

"Despite Australia being the country of universal access to health care, people who live in the country die on average two-and-a-half years earlier than people in the city. People in country areas see doctors at half the rate of those people in the city, they see medical specialists at a third of the rate and they see mental health professionals at a fifth of the rate.”

"The problem we are trying to solve is crystal clear. People who support the Royal Flying Doctor Service are helping us in our work to achieve access to universal health care for all Australians.”

Several other leading charities also improved their rankings this year.

Starlight Children’s Foundation rose four places to rank eighth overall and Save the Children rose 12 places to rank 24th. The Salvation Army increased from 27th to 17th but remained below its 2013 rank of 10th.

The World Wildlife Fund broke into the Top 20, rising from 23rd last year to rank 18th overall this year. It is the first time an environmentally-focussed charity has been ranked in the Top 20 since tracking started in 2012.  

By contrast, Oxfam showed the biggest decline amongst all charities measured. It fell 13 places to rank 30th this year and The Surf Life Saving Foundation dropped six places to fall outside the top 10 and rank 13th overall.

“While Greenpeace remains ranked 40th out of 40, another of the environmentally related charities WWF is showing an improvement,” Freedman said.

“For the first time, we have an environmentally based Charity in the Top 20 and WWF has seen perceptions of its leadership and vision as well as its services and transparency improve significantly over the past four years,”