Kearney News Donation Acceptance Policy

Kearney News is a trading name and publication operated by The CK Group Limited. We are an independent news and media business and are not a registered charity. Our operations are funded through a combination of reader donations, advertising revenue, memberships, sponsorships, business listings, commercial partnerships, and other lawful business activities.

While we are a commercial business, reader donations play an important role in helping us maintain and develop independent local journalism, community reporting, public-interest news coverage, and the services we provide to our readers.

Acceptance of Donations

Acceptance of any donation, contribution, gift, sponsorship, grant, or other financial support is at the sole discretion of Kearney News and The CK Group Limited.

Kearney News will not accept any donation unless it can be used in a manner consistent with our mission, editorial principles, business objectives, legal obligations, and operational requirements.

We reserve the right to decline, return, or refund any donation, contribution, gift, sponsorship, grant, or support where acceptance may:

• Compromise or appear to compromise our editorial independence.
• Create a conflict of interest.
• Damage the reputation of Kearney News or The CK Group Limited.
• Be inconsistent with our values, policies, or legal obligations.
• Impose unreasonable restrictions on the use of funds.
• Create excessive administrative, legal, financial, or operational burdens.

Donor Financial Responsibility

Kearney News encourages all donors to ensure that any donation they make is affordable and appropriate for their individual circumstances.

We do not seek or accept donations where, under any reasonable set of circumstances, the donation may jeopardise the donor’s financial wellbeing or security.

Independent Advice

Kearney News and The CK Group Limited do not provide legal, financial, tax, investment, or accounting advice in relation to donations.

Donors are encouraged to seek guidance from their own professional advisers regarding any financial, tax, legal, or other implications of making a donation.

Types of Donations Accepted

We may accept:

• Cash donations.
• Bank transfers.
• Debit card and credit card donations.
• Online payment donations.
• Publicly traded securities, where appropriate.
• In-kind services, products, or resources at our discretion.
• Corporate sponsorships and grants.
• Other lawful forms of support approved by management.

Review of Certain Donations

Certain donations may require additional review before acceptance, including:

• In-kind gifts.
• Corporate or institutional grants.
• Contributions with restrictions attached.
• Donations where the source of funds is unclear.
• Contributions that may create legal, financial, regulatory, reputational, or operational risks.

Kearney News reserves the right to undertake appropriate due diligence before accepting such contributions.

Donation Acknowledgements

Kearney News will provide confirmation or acknowledgment of donations where appropriate and required by applicable law.

As Kearney News is a business and not a registered charity, donations may not qualify for charitable tax reliefs or benefits. Donors are responsible for obtaining independent advice regarding any tax treatment of their contribution.

Except where required by law, Kearney News will not assign a monetary value to non-cash donations, gifts, services, or other in-kind contributions.

Restricted and Anonymous Donations

Kearney News will make reasonable efforts to respect donor wishes regarding the intended use of donations, provided those wishes are lawful, practical, and consistent with our editorial independence and business operations.

We may decline donations that impose restrictions which conflict with our policies, editorial standards, legal obligations, or operational requirements.

Where a donor wishes to remain anonymous, Kearney News will take reasonable steps to protect their identity and will limit access to donor information to authorised personnel who require such information for legitimate business purposes.

Editorial Independence

No donation, sponsorship, grant, or contribution shall entitle a donor to influence, control, review, suppress, approve, or direct the editorial content, news coverage, opinions, investigations, or reporting activities of Kearney News.

All editorial decisions remain solely under the control of Kearney News and The CK Group Limited.

No Finder’s Fees or Commissions

Kearney News will not compensate any individual, organisation, intermediary, agent, consultant, or third party through commissions, finder’s fees, referral fees, or similar arrangements for directing donations or donors to Kearney News unless expressly disclosed and permitted by applicable law.

Changes to This Policy

Kearney News and The CK Group Limited reserve the right to amend, update, or replace this Donation Acceptance Policy at any time without prior notice. Any updated version will be published on our website and will take effect immediately upon publication.

Kearney News is part of The CK Group Limited and operates as an independent media business. We are not a registered charity. Donations help support our journalism alongside advertising revenue, memberships, sponsorships, business listings, and other commercial activities that enable us to continue providing independent news and community reporting.