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Knowing is not better than willingness ~ Cambodian proverb

<< Newsletter

The dilemma of tax deductibility

6/1/2014

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Your support many years ago continues to help people

Healthland has received little funding support since I left, however, it has sold more than a quarter-of-a-million US dollars worth of product during that time. The donation you gave 5 or 10 years ago is continuing to help Vissot provide jobs for needy people, buy produce from peasant farmers and provide valuable experience and inspiration for young people.  Soon, we plan to use profits from export sales to help fund a health clinic.  Cambodian people making quality products to generate funds to help their own people. That is what Healthland is all about.

Why all the fuss about tax deductibility? 


Some people choose not to support Healthland because it cannot provide tax-deductibility. There are many funding sources for non-profit organisations as well as means for raising tax-deductible donations.  Unfortunately, these funding sources  are usually very heavily regulated by government policy (to be eligible for tax-deductibility) as well as the purposes and philosophies of the donating agencies. 

Tax deductibility provides a small reduction in your tax, however, investing in Vissot yields great returns on your donation.  With tax-deductibility, Vissot would lose a lot of its freedom to operate as a business and to make decisions and mould itself as it chooses.  Australian government law excludes not-for-profit agencies from funding projects with the purpose of expanding business or activities of a faith.  

Should Healthland seek venture capitalists to grow Vissot?

For similar reasons, I would prefer Vissot not to seek funding from investors who want profit from the industry for personal gain. I would like the industry to remain 100% Cambodian and I would like the industry to be managed by Healthland board.  This will help the industry to be able to operate freely and to be able to reinvest profits where it chooses.

So how can Healthland get support to grow?

Some friends are helping me to register a not-for-profit organisation to support Healthland. We are negotiating with ADRA for a training project to support students which may be tax-deductible. However, by choice, the organisation will remain largely non-tax deductible. This means the organisation will be free to operate as it chooses and expand its business to generate profits to support projects it wants to support. But it also means that funds are more difficult to raise. Our organisation in Australia will help Healthland raise support for training, machinery and land for Vissot. It will help Vissot find export opportunities and it will help find experts and professionals to train Vissot staff. Another aim will be to help raise support for the health centre.  After the organisation is registered, I will let you know how you can support.

I would be interested in your suggestions regarding these ideas to share with the Healthland board and management. Please pray that we can raise the support that Healthland needs to continue the good work it is doing.
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    Musings of Ross McKenzie, one of the founders of Jomnin

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