White Ribbon Australia, the prominent anti-domestic violence charity, has shut down its operations and gone into voluntary liquidation.
In a statement released on Thursday, the organisation said it had decided to close its doors “following an analysis of the organisation’s future sustainability”.
“It is with profound sadness that the board of White Ribbon Australia informs the community and supporters that it has taken the very difficult decision to close its doors,” it said.
According to a notice filed with the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, the charity’s members agreed at a general meeting on Wednesday to wind up the company.
On Thursday the charity thanked its staff and volunteers, and paid tribute to other organisations and groups working against gendered violence.
“For all those who are already planning for White Ribbon Day, we encourage you to continue with those plans alongside the international White Ribbon movement,” it said.
“Even though White Ribbon Australia’s journey ends here, we know that the work of our partners and communities will continue. Eliminating men’s violence against women must remain a priority.”
According to White Ribbon Australia’s most recently filed financial report, it was running at an $840,000 deficit.
The appointed liquidators, Aaron Lucan and Graeme Beattie of Worrells Solvency and Forensic Accountants, said on Thursday they had just begun investigating the causes of the financial distress, and their first priority was to secure entitlements for staff while stabilising the organisation to preserve as much value as possible.
“At this early stage, we can’t discern all of the factors leading to insolvency. Any third party commentary on the reasons for the wind-up is likely speculation,” said Lucan.
“We understand that many people are affected by White Ribbon’s predicament and will provide timely updates to all concerned stakeholders as the investigation proceeds, including people participating in the organisation’s accreditation programs.”
The charity had been the subject of some controversy. In October last year it changed previous policy statements on its website and said it was “agnostic” on reproductive health issues like the decriminalisation of abortion. This was later changed back after a backlash.
The then chief executive, Tracy McLeod Howe, left the charity shortly afterwards.
Other board directors, including the former New South Wales director of public prosecutions Nicholas Cowdery, also resigned from the charity, and numerous sponsors pulled out.
White Ribbon also came under fire for accepting money from a Sydney hotel seeking government approval for poker machines.
In December 2017 the charity took the offered money but later declined it after realising the donation was being used as part of a licence application.
Last year the charity stripped then NSW Labor leader Luke Foley of his ambassador role after accusations emerged he indecently touched a female journalist. Foley strenuously denied the allegations.
The former Northern Territory attorney general John Elferink had his ambassadorship stripped in 2015 after he said in parliament he was “really tempted to give [a female MP] a slap right now ... figuratively speaking”.
White Ribbon Australia employed 30 full-time and 13 part-time staff, and had 1,260 volunteers.
According to documents lodged with regulators, it received $6m in revenue, but spent $6.9m, for the 2017-18 financial year.
It received $587,000 from the government, $1.8m from donations, and the remaining $3.6m from other sources. It spent nearly $4m on employee salaries, and nearly $3m on other expenses.
The charity also had $2m in current assets, and $1m that were non-current.
– additional reporting by Helen Davidson and Australian Associated Press
