Home › News

News

Podcast: Revenge Porn Exposed

Sponsored: Global Burgeoning Investment Phenomenon Comes to Sydney: The Impact Investment Summit

NFPs Get Digital Toolbox to ‘Win at the Internet’

Wendy Williams, Monday, 26th September 2016 - Not for Profits and social enterprises are being given a chance to harness the power of digital technology with the launch of Australia’s first online toolbox for the social sector.

Almost Eight in 10 Australians Believe Climate Change is Happening

Ellie Cooper, Monday, 26th September 2016 - A new poll has found 77 per cent of Australians believe climate change is occurring now, and 90 per cent think it’s up to the federal government to take leadership on the issue.

Union Canvassing to Sue Centrelink Over Privatisation of Job Schemes

Wendy Williams, Monday, 26th September 2016 - An organisation “by the unemployed, for the unemployed” is canvassing to take legal action against Centrelink amidst claims the “privatisation” of job schemes is penalising unemployed workers.

Changemaker

An Opportunity for Women to Help Themselves

Wendy Williams, Monday, 26th September 2016 - Kristina Keneally is a former premier of NSW and an ambassador for Not for Profit Opportunity International Australia, which helps provide microfinance and other support services to people living in poverty in developing countries. She is this week�

Analysis

The More Work-Life Balance We Have The More We Want: Global Study

Leah Ruppanner, Monday, 26th September 2016 - A global study has found that when it comes to work-life balance, if you give people more of something, it increases their expectations, writes report co-author and senior lecturer in Sociology at the University of Melbourne, Leah Ruppanner, in this

Most Australians Have No Idea Extreme Poverty Has Halved

Ellie Cooper, Friday, 23rd September 2016 - Over the past two decades the number of people living in extreme poverty has more than halved, but 89 per cent of Australians believe the problem has stayed the same or worsened.

Women Work Four More Years Than Men

Ellie Cooper, Friday, 23rd September 2016 - Women globally are working an average of four years longer than men over their lifetime, largely due to women’s additional unpaid housework and care work.

Analysis

Gen Y Carers Don’t Want a Free Ride, So Welfare Reform Shouldn’t Single Them Out

Shirley Jackson, Thursday, 22nd September 2016 - The Coalition’s shakeup of welfare investment could deter young carers from seeking help, writes Shirley Jackson from the University of Melbourne in this article that first appeared in The Conversation.

Opinion

Regressive Fundraising Regulations – Time for Change

David Crosbie, Thursday, 22nd September 2016 - The indefensible impost of jurisdictional fundraising regulations is a discredited and dysfunctional exercise in wasted resources, writes David Crosbie, CEO of Community Council for Australia.

Report Points to Six Areas of Competition Reform for Human Services

Lina Caneva, Thursday, 22nd September 2016 - Greater competition, contestability and informed user choice could improve outcomes in many, but not all, Australia human services, according to a preliminary report by the Productivity Commission.

Best Countries to be a Social Entrepreneur?

Lina Caneva, Thursday, 22nd September 2016 - The findings of a global perception poll on the best countries to be a social entrepreneur have been released showing that while Australia failed to make the overall top 10 there are encouraging signs of improvement.

Virtual Reality App Gives the Experience of Dementia

Ellie Cooper, Thursday, 22nd September 2016 - A new virtual reality app, targeted at family carers and the wider community, enables users to see the world through the eyes of a person living with dementia.

Nearly Half of Australians Back Hanson’s Muslim Immigration Ban

Wendy Williams, Thursday, 22nd September 2016 - Nearly half of Australians want to ban Muslim immigration, according to a new poll.

Govt Refugee Commitments Welcome But Not Groundbreaking Say NFPs

Wendy Williams, Wednesday, 21st September 2016 - Malcolm Turnbull’s commitments to boost the government's humanitarian refugee program are “welcome but hardly groundbreaking”, according to Not for Profits.

Philanthropists Should Invest in Social Enterprise

Ellie Cooper, Wednesday, 21st September 2016 - Philanthropists can get more “bang for their buck” if they invest in social enterprise over programs where the impact ends once the funding runs out, according to the leader of an innovative US foundation.

Society Must Stand Up For Tolerance Says Discrimination Commissioner

Wendy Williams, Wednesday, 21st September 2016 - Society must not be complacent in believing racism is just part of “an initiation rite” for any immigrant group, according to Australia’s race discrimination commissioner.

Westpac Seeks Social Business for $10M Program

Ellie Cooper, Wednesday, 21st September 2016 - Westpac’s $10 million Businesses of Tomorrow program is open to applicants, and the bank said it wants for-purpose organisations and Not for Profits to nominate themselves for a piece of the pie.

NSW Promotes Partnership for Social Change

Wendy Williams, Wednesday, 21st September 2016 - Partnership is key to driving social change, according to the New South Wales Government which is “leading the nation” when it comes to social impact investment.

Australian B Corps Make Best for the World List

Ellie Cooper, Wednesday, 21st September 2016 - B Corps’ 2016 Best for the World Honorees list has recognised 28 Australian and New Zealand businesses for their significant social and environmental impact.

ASX 200 Boards On track for Gender Diversity Targets

Wendy Williams, Wednesday, 21st September 2016 - More women are getting a seat at the table but current appointment rates for boards need to be maintained if Australia is to achieve gender diversity targets, according to new research.

Spotlight

Capitalising on a Culturally-Diverse Workplace

Ellie Cooper, Wednesday, 21st September 2016 - With migration changing the makeup of Australia’s 12-million-person workforce, CQ Cultural Consulting helps organisations embrace and optimise the diversity within their ranks, writes Ellie Cooper in this week’s Spotlight on Social Enterprise.

The Rise of the Arts Donor

Lina Caneva, Wednesday, 21st September 2016 - Private donations continue to outdo corporate sponsorship of the arts in Australia, according to new research.

Opinion

Aus Govt Should Get On with the Job of Protecting Vulnerable Workers in Global Supply Chains

Staff Reporter, Wednesday, 21st September 2016 - Australian companies and government have a responsibility to meet human rights abuses such as forced labour and child labour head on, write Martijn Boersma from Catalyst Australia and Brynn O’Brien from The Australia Institute.

ARENA Cuts Impact Renewable Energy Businesses

Ellie Cooper, Wednesday, 21st September 2016 - Business investment in Australia's renewable energy sector will take a direct hit, with up to $5 billion of private funding at risk, as a result of the federal government’s decision to cut half a billion dollars from the Australian Renewable Energy

Opinion

Creating a Happier and More Engaged Workforce… On a Shoestring Budget

Mike Davis, Wednesday, 21st September 2016 - Improving workplace culture, and employee engagement and wellbeing doesn’t have to break the bank, writes Mike Davis, founder of Purposeful.

What It Means to Be a 21st Century Philanthropist

Ellie Cooper, Wednesday, 21st September 2016 - The breaking down of silos between the Not for Profit and for-profit worlds is changing the face of philanthropy, according to the 2016 leading philanthropist Audette Exel AO.

Hot Topic

Seven Ideas to Improve Volunteering Engagement and Effectiveness

Staff Reporter, Tuesday, 30th August 2016 - Taking a design-thinking approach to reframe the future of volunteering at a recent Not for Profit and corporate workshop has delivered seven key ideas to help improve volunteering engagement and effectiveness, write Spark Strategy’s Laura Reed and

Report Reveals Biggest Charity Earners

Lina Caneva, Tuesday, 20th September 2016 - Australia’s top 25 charities had a total annual revenue of $25.2 billion in 2014 – the same amount as the combined annual revenue of the country’s bottom 44,891 charities, according to a major analysis of financial data held by the charity regu

Government to ‘Revolutionise’ Approach to Welfare Spending

Ellie Cooper, Tuesday, 20th September 2016 - The Coalition has revealed a new plan for social security spending with the aim of ending welfare-dependency among at-risk groups, but it has already drawn criticism from community organisations.

Alliance Calls on Govt to Stop Criminalisation of the Unemployed

Wendy Williams, Thursday, 8th September 2016 - Poor Australians are being criminalised by the social security system, according to an alliance of organisations that are demanding the government address the country’s growing employment crisis.

Disability Service Sector Can’t Meet NDIS Demand

Ellie Cooper, Thursday, 8th September 2016 - A significant number of disability service organisations lack the financial capacity to meet the increased demand from the National Disability Insurance Scheme, according to new research.

Volunteering Australia CEO Brett Williamson Stands Down

Wendy Williams, Tuesday, 6th September 2016 - Volunteering is the heart and soul of society says Volunteering Australia CEO Brett Williamson OAM who has announced he is set to stand down at the end of the year.

Not for Profits Must Make a Profit

Ellie Cooper, Thursday, 1st September 2016 - Almost half of Australia’s Not for Profit organisations expect to only break-even or make a loss over the next three years.

Melbourne Youth Initiative Shuts Its Doors With Families Fearing For the Future

Wendy Williams, Tuesday, 30th August 2016 - Families of children with a disability have been left “devastated” after a Not for Profit specialising in children with complex behavioural problems has been forced to close its doors and cancel upcoming camps due to a lack of funding.

NSW Announces ‘Once in a Decade’ Opportunity to Tackle Homelessness

Ellie Cooper, Tuesday, 13th September 2016 - The New South Wales Government is calling on everyone with an interest in preventing homelessness to have their say in a new blueprint outlining the state’s strategy over the next decade.

Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way to Give to Charity

Ellie Cooper, Tuesday, 6th September 2016 - Philanthropy is not just for the mega rich and, at the beginning of the largest intergenerational wealth transfer in human history, bequests provide the chance to leave a legacy, according to financial advisers.

Nearly Half of Australians Back Hanson’s Muslim Immigration Ban

Wendy Williams, Thursday, 22nd September 2016 - Nearly half of Australians want to ban Muslim immigration, according to a new poll.

Philanthropists Should Invest in Social Enterprise

Australia Welcomes Girls in Tech

Wendy Williams, Monday, 12th September 2016 - Global Not for Profit Girls in Tech has officially launched in Australia to ramp up support for girls and women in the digital technology sector.

Westpac Seeks Social Business for $10M Program

Vic Govt Launches First Online Social Housing Register

Wendy Williams, Tuesday, 6th September 2016 - Australia’s first online social housing register has been launched by the Victorian Government in a bid to tackle the state’s housing crisis.

Australian CEOs Sign Statement of Support for UN Sustainable Development Goals

Ellie Cooper, Wednesday, 7th September 2016 - More than 30 business leaders from some of Australia’s largest companies have publicly signed a statement to support the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Australia’s First 24-Hour Online Community Giving Day Kicks Off

Ellie Cooper, Wednesday, 31st August 2016 - More than 70 Not for Profits and community organisations in central Victoria have joined forces in the name of fundraising, holding Australia’s first 24-hour online community crowdfunding campaign.

NDIS IT Debacle Blamed On Technical Glitch

Wendy Williams, Wednesday, 31st August 2016 - The “IT debacle” that hampered the roll out of the $22 billion National Disability Insurance Scheme has been blamed on a “short-lived technical issue” and a lack of information provided to users

NFPs ‘Delighted’ With $15M Funding For Asylum Seeker Training

Wendy Williams, Monday, 5th September 2016 - Not for Profits have welcomed the Victorian Government’s announcement to give asylum seekers “a fair go” with $15 million in funding allocated for training opportunities.

Voice Your Choice Video Empowers Support Workers

Wendy Williams, Monday, 29th August 2016 - Support workers for young people with disability have been given a “breakthrough” tool to help transition their practice to suit the new NDIS system and empower those in out-of-home care or preparing to leave care.

Australia’s Asylum Seeker Policies Cost Taxpayers $9.6B Over Three Years

Wendy Williams, Tuesday, 13th September 2016 - Australia’s immigration policies are “expensive, inhumane and blunt”, according to a new report that has revealed the current asylum seeker framework has cost Australian taxpayers $9.6 billion since 2013.

Poll Reveals Strong Rejection of Newstart Cuts

Wendy Williams, Wednesday, 7th September 2016 - The majority of Australians do not agree with the government's proposed cuts to Newstart, according to a new poll.

NFP Coalition Calls for Urgent Fundraising Law Reform

Lina Caneva, Monday, 19th September 2016 - The current state of fundraising regulation in Australia is inconsistent, fragmented, outdated and rarely enforced and is in need of urgent major reform, according to a coalition of Not for Profit peak bodies.

New Grants Impact Mental Health and Youth

Wendy Williams, Tuesday, 20th September 2016 - A philanthropic collective is addressing mental health and youth with $200,000 of grants.

Newstart Cuts Would Be ‘Crushing’

Lina Caneva, Wednesday, 31st August 2016 - Proposed cuts to welfare support payment Newstart could leave almost 77,000 people with less than $24 a day to live on after they’d paid rent, according to the peak body for homelessness.

Podcast: Revenge Porn Exposed

Ellie Cooper, Tuesday, 13th September 2016 - Jurisdictions across the country are slowly cracking down on revenge porn – a form of online sexual abuse which affects as many as one in 10 Australians. But is it being taken seriously enough?

GOOD PITCH² series

Documenting a David-and-Goliath Battle

Wendy Williams, Tuesday, 6th September 2016 - The Opposition tells the story of a David-and-Goliath battle over land in Papua New Guinea, with community leader Joe Moses at the heart of the story in a fight to save a four-generation strong settlement in Port Moresby from being evicted.

Changemaker

Everyone Deserves A Second Chance

Wendy Williams, Monday, 5th September 2016 - Rachel Porter is an author and general manager of Whitelion, a charity supporting thousands of vulnerable young people across Australia. She is this week’s Changemaker.

Podcast: Discrediting Online Gambling

Ellie Cooper, Tuesday, 30th August 2016 - Australians are the biggest gamblers in the world, losing more money per adult on gambling than any other developed country.

Changemaker

The Pursuit of Being Awesome

Wendy Williams, Monday, 29th August 2016 - Iain de Jong is a Canadian based academic and social change advocate who has been described as a leader of an international movement to end homelessness. He is this week's Changemaker.

Feature

What Should You Do If You See Someone Sleeping Rough?

Wendy Williams, Thursday, 25th August 2016 - People sleeping rough are the most visible form of homelessness and with the numbers increasing year on year, Pro Bono Australia News spoke to people on the ground about what you should do if you see someone sleeping rough.

GOOD PITCH² series

Songs and Stories of Indigenous Incarceration

Ellie Cooper, Tuesday, 23rd August 2016 - The over-representation and treatment of Indigenous Australians in the justice system is once again making headlines, but a documentary, Prison Songs, puts a human face to the experiences of inmates.

Podcast: The Purpose of Plebiscite

Ellie Cooper, Tuesday, 16th August 2016 - In this episode of Not for Podcast, Pro Bono Australia investigates whether the question of same-sex marriage should be put to the people via a plebiscite or go straight to Parliament.

GOOD PITCH² series

Through the Eyes of a Boy

Wendy Williams, Thursday, 4th August 2016 - Zach’s Ceremony is a deeply personal coming-of-age story about a boy caught between two worlds, the city versus the outback, black versus white, and the struggles between a father and a son, but at it’s core it shines a lights on the issues of ra

GOOD PITCH² series

The Hidden Lives of Carers

Ellie Cooper, Tuesday, 2nd August 2016 - On Richard’s Side, the final installment in a trilogy of films charting the life of a man with a complex disability, provides a rare insight into the hidden lives of carers as Richard’s parents fight to ensure his quality of life.

Podcast: The New NDIS Players

Ellie Cooper, Tuesday, 2nd August 2016 - The National Disability Insurance Scheme is worth $22 billion a year and it’s estimated it will create a $16 billion contestable market, providing a huge business opportunity for new service providers.

Podcast: Is the Disability Sector NDIS Ready?

Ellie Cooper, Thursday, 7th July 2016 - The National Disability Insurance Scheme promises choice and control for people with disability, but both Not for Profits and participants face teething problems as the service is rolled out nationwide.

Affordable Housing Beyond the Scope of Government

Ellie Cooper, Tuesday, 21st June 2016 - The impact of Australia’s lack of affordable housing is far reaching, driving rental stress and homelessness. But, according to experts, the affordable housing solution may lie beyond the halls of parliament.

Community Leaders Recognised in Queen’s Birthday Honours

Lina Caneva, Monday, 13th June 2016 - Arts philanthropist Roslyn Packer and social entrepreneur and founder of Engineers Without Borders Danny Almagor are two of the hundreds of community sector leaders who have been recognised in the 2016 Queen’s Birthday Honours list.

Election Analysis

Politicians Want Progress on Unemployment and Homelessness? Change the Discussion

Sara Bice, Thursday, 9th June 2016 - Australian Not for Profits are continuing to push the agendas on meaningful social issues like unemployment and homelessness despite another election campaign week littered with trivial distractions, writes Sara Bice, socio-political commentator from

Election Analysis

For Renewables & Women’s Health Agendas, Research is Key

Sara Bice, Thursday, 2nd June 2016 - As the longest election campaign in almost 40 years grinds on, renewable energy and women’s health have emerged as front-running issues for the NFP sector this week, writes Sara Bice socio-political commentator from the Melbourne School of Governme

Federal Election

Charity Peak Body Sends Personalised Letters to Candidates

Ellie Cooper, Tuesday, 31st May 2016 - The Community Council for Australia (CCA) has sent personalised letters to political candidates across the country asking eight questions on how they plan to support the charity and Not for Profit sector.

Charitable Giving in Australia Not Wasted – ACNC Commissioner

Lina Caneva, Tuesday, 24th May 2016 - Mainstream media suggestions that the number of charities in Australia is undermining charitable giving has raised the ire of the charity commissioner, Susan Pascoe AM. “Australia actually has fewer charities per capita than Canada, England …

Federal Election

Australia’s Not for Profit Sector Must Push the Election Agenda

Lina Caneva, Tuesday, 24th May 2016 - Australia’s Not for Profit sector must speak with a collective voice and push the election agenda if it is to have an impact in the federal election outcomes, according to socio- political experts in Pro Bono Australia’s latest podcast.

NFP Survival in a Tech Society

Ellie Cooper, Thursday, 19th May 2016 - Not for Profits have a huge opportunity to leverage support from donors and supporters if they can understand technological changes and respond to trends, according to a leading social researcher and data scientist.

Election Analysis

Election Analysis for the NFP Sector – Needs a Global Policy Context

Sara Bice, Thursday, 19th May 2016 - The federal election will require Not for Profits to extend their imaginations and position their concerns within a global policy context, writes Sara Bice socio-political commentator from the Melbourne School of Government at the University of Melbo

Federal Election

Australian Arts Party Made Pozible

Ellie Cooper, Thursday, 12th May 2016 - In an Australian first, a political party dedicated to arts and culture has successfully crowdfunded to run in the federal election, and the party leader said advocating for arts-based Not for Profits was at the “absolute centre of our purpose”.

Consumers Affairs Takes Action Over Self-Proclaimed Charity Fundraiser

Lina Caneva, Saturday, 7th May 2016 - Consumer Affairs Victoria (CVA) is preparing to take legal action against controversial fake cancer survivor and self-proclaimed fundraiser Belle Gibson over false cancer claims made in her top-selling book and for allegedly defrauding charities.