Patriotic funds are used to provide welfare for:
- needy ex-service veterans
- needy serving members of Australia’s military and peacekeeping forces
- their dependants and dependants of deceased veterans.
Patriotic funds can also pay for building or maintaining club or meeting rooms used by veterans, serving members and/or their dependants.
It is an offence for trustees to deal with patriotic fund assets (including money) in a way other than consistent with the purposes of the fund. Trustees must:
- be satisfied that use of the fund, or part of it, would accomplish the purposes for which the fund was established
- exercise discretion diligently, in good faith, having regard to all relevant information reasonably available
- be satisfied each use of funds is in keeping with the fund’s objectives and the Veterans Act 2005.