We welcome feedback. A complaint tells us something has gone wrong, or could go wrong, and gives us the opportunity to put it right. This policy explains how to raise a complaint about Hearts of Hope Foundation, our staff, partners, or fundraising activities, and how we will acknowledge, investigate, and respond.
§ 01Purpose and scope
This policy applies to Islamic Aid Worldwide Project Ltd (trading as Hearts of Hope Foundation). It covers complaints about:
The conduct of any director, employee, contractor, or volunteer of the Foundation;
The conduct of any program partner, supplier, or fundraising agent acting on behalf of the Foundation;
Fundraising appeals, campaign mechanics, donation handling, and receipt issuance;
Program delivery including service quality, eligibility decisions, or treatment of beneficiaries;
Any other matter reasonably connected with the activities of the Foundation.
Disclosures about suspected serious misconduct, illegal activity, or improper state of affairs are handled under the Whistleblower Policy, which provides specific statutory protections under Part 9.4AAA of the Corporations Act. Privacy complaints are handled in accordance with the Privacy Policy.
§ 02How we handle complaints principles
Easy to raise. You can complain by email, by phone, by post, or in person, in plain language. You do not need to use any particular form.
Free. We do not charge you to make or pursue a complaint.
Confidential. We share information about your complaint only with people who need to know in order to investigate or respond.
Free from reprisal. No one will be disadvantaged for raising a complaint in good faith. Detrimental treatment of a complainant is itself a breach of this policy.
Fair to everyone involved. Anyone the subject of a complaint will be told what has been alleged (subject to confidentiality and safety considerations) and given a fair opportunity to respond.
Proportionate. Simple matters are resolved quickly and informally; serious matters are investigated more thoroughly and may be referred externally.
§ 03How to raise a complaint
The fastest way is to email us. Please include to the extent you can:
What happened, in plain terms;
When and where it happened;
Who was involved;
What outcome you would like;
Whether you have already raised the matter with anyone at the Foundation.
You can complain anonymously. If you do, we may not be able to give you feedback on the outcome, but we will still act on the matter to the extent we can.
Post: Complaints Officer, Hearts of Hope Foundation, 119 Telegraph Road, Bald Hills QLD 4036, Australia
§ 04Acknowledgement and response timelines
Acknowledgement: within 5 business days of receipt (where you have given us a way to contact you).
Substantive response: within 30 days for most complaints. We will tell you in writing if we need longer, why, and when we expect to respond.
Urgent matters for example, an immediate safeguarding risk, or a suspected fraud are escalated to the chair or another non-conflicted director immediately and are not held to the standard timeline.
§ 05Investigation
The Complaints Officer (or another suitable person nominated by the chair, where the Complaints Officer has a conflict) will:
Confirm the matter falls within this policy and identify any immediate risks (e.g. risk to a child, risk of asset loss);
Decide whether the matter can be resolved informally (e.g. clarification, apology, refund) or whether a formal investigation is required;
Conduct or oversee any investigation in a manner that is fair, objective, and confidential;
Where appropriate, give the person the subject of the complaint a fair opportunity to respond to the allegations;
Recommend an outcome and any corrective action to the chair (or, where the chair is conflicted, to a nominated non-conflicted director).
§ 06Outcomes and remedies
Depending on the nature of the complaint, possible outcomes include:
An explanation, clarification, or apology;
A refund of a donation made in error, in accordance with Donation Terms § 08;
A change to a process, policy, or campaign;
Disciplinary action, up to and including termination, against a person who has acted improperly;
Termination of a partner or supplier relationship;
Notification to a regulator or law-enforcement body where required;
No further action, where the complaint is not substantiated.
We will tell you in writing what we have decided and why (subject to confidentiality and the rights of any other person involved).
§ 07Escalation
If you are not satisfied with our handling of, or response to, your complaint, you can escalate it:
Internally to the chair of the board by emailing chair@heartsofhope.org.au with the subject line “Escalated complaint”.
Externally to the regulator or ombudsman with jurisdiction over the matter see § 08.
§ 08External regulators and ombudsmen
You can complain to an external body at any time, with or without raising the matter with us first:
State and territory fundraising regulators for concerns about the conduct of charitable fundraising; see the Fundraising Authorities section of the Donation Terms for the regulator in your jurisdiction.
Police or state child-safety body for safeguarding concerns involving children or vulnerable people.
ASIC for concerns about the conduct of a director or officer in their company-law role.
§ 09Record-keeping
We keep a record of every complaint received, the steps taken, and the outcome, for at least 7 years. The board receives a quarterly summary of complaints in a form that does not identify the complainant. Complaints data is reviewed at least annually for systemic issues that should be addressed at a policy or process level.
Board & Governance for the framework under which complaints are reported to and considered by the board.
§ 11Changes to this policy
We review this policy at least annually and on any material change in the law or in our complaints experience. Material changes are flagged at the top of this page for at least 30 days following the change.
Raise a complaint
Email complaints@heartsofhope.org.au, phone 03 9832 0690, or write to the Complaints Officer at our registered office. You can also raise a concern with the ACNC at any time.