Use Case: ACNC Self-Evaluation

ACNC Charity Governance Self-Evaluation - Free in GovernApp

Find out exactly where your charity stands against ACNC governance expectations, and get a clear action plan to fix the gaps. No cost. No commitment. Start today.

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Start with the standard the ACNC already uses

The ACNC provides charities with a self-evaluation tool designed to help them assess whether they are meeting their governance obligations and identify issues that may prevent them from doing so. It's a valuable resource, but it's a downloadable document. You fill it in, file it away, and create your own action plan manually.

GovernApp takes that same framework and gives it an engine.

Our ACNC Charity Governance Self-Evaluation assessment framework is built directly from the ACNC's own self-evaluation structure, covering the same obligations, the same governance domains, and the same questions your charity should already be asking itself.

But instead of a static Word document, you get:

A guided digital assessment experience that walks your Board through every governance domain

Whole-Board participation: every Board member completes the assessment online in their own time, and GovernApp automatically consolidates all responses into a single, unified view of where the Board stands

A full assessment report showing exactly where you're strong and where your governance has gaps

A risk-prioritised action plan that tells you specifically what you need to do to address each gap and meet ACNC expectations, not just a blank template to fill in yourself

The whole Board, one shared picture

Governance isn't one person's opinion - it's a shared responsibility. That's why GovernApp is designed to capture the entire Board's perspective, not just the Chair's or the Company Secretary's.

Each Board member completes the assessment online, independently, in their own time. GovernApp then consolidates and merges all responses into a single, integrated assessment report that reflects the Board's collective view. That's rather difficult to do with a paper document.

GovernApp gives your Board something genuinely valuable: a shared, common understanding of where you stand on ACNC compliance, built from every member's perspective, not just one. Differences in perception across the Board are surfaced clearly, so you can have informed, evidence-based conversations about governance rather than assumptions and guesswork.

Board members discussing governance findings together

What the ACNC self-evaluation covers

The ACNC self-evaluation considers four key areas of governance:

What does your charity do?

Objectives, activities, programs, and where services are delivered.

Who is involved?

Beneficiaries, volunteers, employees, and contractors.

How is your charity run?

The mix of skills and experience of Responsible People, how decisions are made, and how the charity is funded.

What are the most relevant risks?

Identifying and managing the risks arising from the above.

The GovernApp version works through these domains in a structured survey format, prompts each Board member for the practical steps your charity is taking in each area, and then generates consolidated outputs that the ACNC document cannot produce on its own.

What GovernApp adds (that the ACNC document doesn't)

ACNC downloadable document
GovernApp ACNC Self-Evaluation

ACNC document

Static Word document

GovernApp

Guided digital assessment

ACNC document

A single person fills it in

GovernApp

Whole Board participates online, in their own time

ACNC document

No consolidated view

GovernApp

Board member responses are automatically merged into one Board-wide picture

ACNC document

Blank action plan template - you have to work out what to do

GovernApp

Risk-prioritised action plan generated automatically

ACNC document

No report - you work out the implications of the result

GovernApp

Full assessment report with strengths and gaps identified

ACNC document

Sits on an individual's desk

GovernApp

Tracked in app, repeatable, measurable over time

ACNC document

Free

GovernApp

Free

No credit card required

This is our free framework - no credit card required

The ACNC Charity Governance Self-Evaluation is GovernApp's free framework. It is the best way to experience what GovernApp does, without any financial commitment.

A single free subscription gives your organisation access to the framework for as many Board members as you like, for as many assessment completions as you need, within the subscription period.

If you find value in the free framework, our range of paid frameworks are ready when you are.

You'll experience firsthand

How the whole-Board assessment process works

How individual responses are merged into a single consolidated view

What a GovernApp assessment report looks like

How the action plan is generated and structured

How progress is tracked in the app

Who should use this framework

This framework is designed for any charity registered with the ACNC that wants to:

Understand whether it is meeting its ACNC governance obligations

Ensure all Board members share a common, evidence-based understanding of the charity's governance position

Identify specific governance gaps before they become compliance issues

Produce a clear, actionable improvement plan without starting from scratch

Prepare for an ACNC review, regulatory inquiry, or funder due diligence request

Demonstrate to funders, stakeholders, and the Board itself that governance is taken seriously

It is particularly useful for smaller or newer charities that haven't yet conducted a formal governance assessment, and for Boards reviewing their governance health ahead of a strategic planning cycle or leadership transition.

How to get started

1

Create a free GovernApp account - no credit card, no commitment

2

Select and subscribe to the ACNC Charity Governance Self-Evaluation framework.

3

Invite your Board members - each completes the assessment online, in their own time

4

GovernApp consolidates all responses into a single, whole-Board assessment view

5

Receive your assessment report and action plan immediately on completion.

6

Start acting on your results - track progress in the app, and reassess when you're ready

The ACNC recommends keeping your self-evaluation on file so you can refer to it and update it as your charity's circumstances change. GovernApp makes that easy - your results are stored, trackable, and repeatable.

Guidance note

A note on what this framework is (and isn't)

GovernApp's ACNC Charity Governance Self-Evaluation is based on the ACNC's own guidance and is designed to help charities reflect honestly on their governance practices. Like the ACNC tool itself, it is a guide, not a legal compliance certificate, and not a substitute for professional advice where your circumstances require it.

Answering "no" to a question doesn't automatically mean your charity is non-compliant, but it does mean the issue most likely deserves attention. GovernApp helps you take that next step with a clear, prioritised plan rather than a blank page.

Start your free ACNC self-evaluation