Heraldâs reporting, saying that due to provisions in the law the commission was unable to comment on the âparticular circumstances of a charityâ other than what was on the public register. Dr Gary Johns said any profit made by a charity âmust be used for its charitable purposesâ. Credit:Paul Jeffers âThe ACNC recognises that charities can make a profit. However, any profit must be used for its charitable purposes. It can keep profits as long as there is a genuine reason for this and it is to do with its charitable purposes,â Dr Johns said. âIf an organisation continues to hold onto significant profits indefinitely without using them for its charitable purpose, this may suggest that the organisation is not working solely towards its stated charitable purpose, and therefore is not operating as a not-for-profit organisation.â