Public Compliance & Regulatory Notice
11th September 2026
Life Eternal Trust Australia (LETA) wishes to update our community of Sahaja Yogis regarding a recent regulatory review conducted by NSW Fair Trading under the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW).
Following a complaint submitted to NSW Fair Trading, the regulator reviewed LETA’s fundraising operations in NSW.
LETA advised NSW Fair Trading that donations were received from NSW individuals recorded on its database whom LETA considered to be members. Under Section 5(3)(b) of the Act, fundraising conducted exclusively among an organisation’s members is exempt from requiring a fundraising authority. Although LETA’s records established a connection between the donations reviewed and persons appearing on the database, NSW Fair Trading determined that a listing on an email database does not constitute legal membership under the Act. Consequently, NSW Fair Trading formed the view that LETA breached Section 9 of the Act by conducting charitable fundraising appeals in NSW without an authority in place, and issued LETA with a formal warning in relation to this breach.
In resolving the Section 9 review and deciding no further enforcement action was needed beyond the formal warning, NSW Fair Trading considered several background factors, including that LETA acted under a genuine belief the relevant donors were members, and that the records provided by LETA connected donation transactions to its member email database. The regulator also took into account advice it provided to LETA in August 2025 that the Trust was not required to apply for a charitable fundraising authority if it was not fundraising to the public and was only receiving donations from members. LETA furthermore demonstrated full regulatory cooperation throughout the review process.
Findings Regarding Operational & Financial Matters
The complaint to NSW Fair Trading also raised broader matters concerning the handling and application of funds, private benefit, record-keeping, and representations made to donors.
NSW Fair Trading considered these matters against the provisions of the Charitable Fundraising Act 1991 (NSW). Following its review, the regulator advised LETA that while these matters were examined, no adverse findings were made: certain allegations could not be pursued under the specific legislative provisions relied upon, while others were not established on the evidence reviewed.
Accordingly, NSW Fair Trading concluded its review with the issuance of the formal warning under Section 9, with no further regulatory sanctions, penalties, or administrative orders issued against LETA.
Current Regulatory Status
To ensure full compliance moving forward, LETA has completed the deemed authority election via the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) under the national fundraising framework, effective 1 April 2026. LETA is now fully authorised to conduct charitable fundraising in NSW and remains dedicated to serving our community with complete transparency and integrity.
