Crowded charity market in Australia

Figures released by a spokeswoman from The Office of Fair Trading yesterday showed nearly 4000 charities were registered in Queensland alone last year, making it harder for smaller charities to compete in the overcrowded market.

The office said a new charity was registered almost every working day in Queensland last year excluding religious denominations, parent and citizen associations, hospital foundations and the Queensland Ambulance Service charities.

Chief executive of MontroseAccess, one of Queensland's longest established charities, Darrel Bourke said the increased competition was because of the global financial crisis and last year's summer of natural disasters.