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This is a Joint Decision — Lisa & Laurence Hugo
Every milestone on this checklist is a co-founder decision. Neither Lisa nor Laurence acts alone. Both co-founders must agree before each step is actioned. Where a step says "both sign", both signatures are required. Tick each step below as you complete it together.
Phase 1 — Engage CoSai CFO Services
Sign the proposal and pay the commencement invoice to start the 6-week engagement clock.
Lisa Hugo and Laurence Hugo each sign the proposal acceptance on the CoSai CFO Proposal page. Both signatures are required. Either co-founder may sign first — the proposal is confirmed when both have signed and the joint acceptance block is shown.
Transfer $2,432.50 by EFT to CoSai (BSB 032-324, Account 405019, Reference: LWD-2601S0). Payment confirms acceptance of the engagement. Work begins upon receipt. The completion invoice ($2,432.50) is issued at Week 6 upon delivery of all six deliverables.
Both Lisa Hugo and Laurence Hugo must sign the Confidentiality Deed. This formalises access to the Confidential Materials and protects CoSai's intellectual property. Download, print, sign (wet or e-signature), and email the signed copy to [email protected].
Phase 2 — Establish the Legal Entity
ASIC registration creates the company. This is the legal foundation everything else rests on.
CoSai prepares the CLG constitution and all supporting documentation. Lisa and Laurence Hugo then lodge the ASIC Form 201 directly as founding directors — no separate solicitor is required. The ASIC registration fee ($512) is payable directly to ASIC. ASIC issues an ACN within 1–5 business days of lodgement.
Once the ACN is issued, CoSai lodges the ABN application via the Australian Business Register. Simultaneously, the TFN for the company is registered with the ATO. The ABN enables the charity to receive tax-deductible donations and apply for DGR Item 1 endorsement.
CoSai lodges the charity registration application with the ACNC. This requires the CLG constitution, governing documents, statement of charitable purposes, and financial governance framework. ACNC registration enables the DGR Item 1 and PBI endorsement application to proceed.
Phase 3 — Banking, Board & Governance
Open the charity bank account and formally appoint the inaugural board of directors.
Once the ACN and ABN are confirmed, open a Not-for-Profit business transaction account in the name of Life Without Debt CLG. Recommended: CommBank Not-for-Profit Business Account or Bendigo Bank Community Account (fee-free for NFPs). Both co-founders should be signatories. Requires: ASIC registration, ACN, ABN, and ID for all signatories.
Recruit and formally appoint a minimum of 3–5 independent board directors. CoSai has prepared the board recruitment framework, candidate profile, and EOI process. The board provides independent governance oversight, ratifies the CEO salary, and enables ACNC compliance. Laurence Hugo (CEO) sits as an executive director; Lisa Hugo (Community & Medical Liaison) may sit as a community director, with conflicts of interest managed by the standing disclosure and recusal policy.
Phase 4 — Funding Applications & Public Launch
Submit the first grant applications and activate the public-facing website and fundraising infrastructure.
CoSai submits the first wave of grant applications across the 7-Room funding architecture: Priority Room A (Corporate & Employee Giving), Room D (Government Grants — Qld Mental Health Levy, DFFH), and Room F (Foundations & Trusts). These applications require ACNC registration, ACN, and ABN to be complete.
The Life Without Debt public website is activated for public access, donation pages go live with payment gateway integration, client application form is connected to the database, and the Google Ad Grants account is submitted. This marks the formal public launch of Life Without Debt CLG as an operating charity.