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Australian Not-for-Profit Technology Awards event night

Sponsored: What Does $87M of Giving Look Like?

Future of Disability Information Service in Limbo

Luke Michael, Thursday, 21st March 2019 - An information service helping hundreds of thousands of people with disability in New South Wales is set to close unless it receives an urgent, last-minute funding boost from the state government.

Opinion

Civil Society Must Help Hold Governments Accountable

Marcia Balzer, Thursday, 21st March 2019 - We’ve given up expecting accountability from our politicians… but it’s time for that to change, writes Marcia Balzer.

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Nominate Now for the Australian Not-for-Profit Technology Awards

Contributor, Thursday, 21st March 2019 - Entries close on 29 March for the Australian Not-for-Profit Technology Awards 2019. Make sure you have your say.

Opinion

Is Your Non-Profit Suffering From Regulatory Fatigue?

Oliver May, Thursday, 21st March 2019 - Regulatory change can be managed, anticipated, and provokes opportunities for growth, dialogue and advocacy, writes Oliver May in this article offering advice on how NFPs that might be suffering from regulatory fatigue can respond to it.

Free Speech Fears as Anti-Protest Laws Re-Enter Tasmanian Parliament

Maggie Coggan, Thursday, 21st March 2019 - Sector leaders fear the rewriting of tough Tasmanian anti-protest laws could still threaten free speech and public protests, as the bill is tabled in a newly resumed state parliament this week.

Welfare Advocates Attack Move to Digitise Employment Services

Luke Michael, Thursday, 21st March 2019 - Anti-poverty groups fear the government’s plan to digitise employment services will result in millions of penalties being automatically imposed on vulnerable jobseekers.

Sponsored

As Leaders We Can Learn From Christchurch

Jo Scard, Thursday, 21st March 2019 - Fifty Acres founder and managing director Jo Scard considers the role of leadership in bringing communities together in times of crisis and need.

Disability Advocates Gear up to Fight for More Than the NDIS

Maggie Coggan, Wednesday, 20th March 2019 - Australia’s disability policy beyond 2020 must focus on more than the National Disability Insurance Scheme and actually be implemented, advocates say in the lead up to a community consultation period to shape policy for the next 10 years.

Rural Volunteers in Crisis

Maggie Coggan, Wednesday, 20th March 2019 - Rural Western Australian volunteers are under immense stress, and receive little government support despite being the “lifeblood” of most communities, new research has found.

Opinion

My Seven Takeaways From the NDIS Leaders Breakfast

Fran Connelley, Wednesday, 20th March 2019 - In case you wanted to be there and couldn’t make it, here’s a summary of Fran Connelley’s personal key takeaways from the NDIS Leaders Breakfast held at the ICC in Sydney last week.

Advocacy Groups Struggle Amid Growing NDIS Waiting Lists

Luke Michael, Wednesday, 20th March 2019 - Advocacy services are being swamped with people needing help appealing their National Disability Insurance Scheme plans, disability groups have warned in the wake of new funding to the sector.

The ‘Hidden Gem’ of Philanthropy

Wendy Williams, Tuesday, 19th March 2019 - Sub-funds are being hailed as “Australia’s best kept secret”, in light of a new snapshot providing the first data on sub-funds in Australia.

Sponsored

What Does $87M of Giving Look Like?

Jodi Kennedy, Tuesday, 19th March 2019 - This week Equity Trustees released its inaugural Annual Giving Review. Jodi Kennedy, general manager charitable trusts and philanthropy, explains how it marks the beginning of their journey towards measuring impact.

Claims UK Religious Charities are Fracturing Society Prompts Australian Discussion

Maggie Coggan, Monday, 18th March 2019 - A UK report calling into question religious charities that promote beliefs that don’t align with British values and opinion, has sparked discussion among Australian charity experts over the role and position of such organisations.

Calls For Stricter Charity Approval Process

Maggie Coggan, Monday, 18th March 2019 - Fundraisers are calling for a deceleration on new charity approvals, saying the hundreds of new organisations being registered each month is resulting in more competition for funding, and causing confusion among funders on where best to spend money.

Opinion

Inclusive Education High in the NSW Election Agenda, But Future of Students with Disabilities Still Unclear

Cecile Sullivan Elder, Monday, 18th March 2019 - We need systemic reform to move from the parallel systems we have now to an education system that is inclusive of all children, writes Cecile Sullivan Elder, executive officer of Family Advocacy.

Changemaker

Figuring Out the Protein Problem

Maggie Coggan, Monday, 18th March 2019 - Thomas King is the CEO of Food Frontier, a not for profit that helps food manufacturers and entrepreneurs get into the business of making plant-based and cell-based meat alternatives. He’s this week’s Changemaker.

Opinion

Landmark High Court Decision Guides How Compensation for Native Title Losses Will be Determined

Contributor, Friday, 15th March 2019 - William Isdale and Jonathan Fulcher, from the University of Queensland, examine the significance of the High Court’s decision about native title compensation claims, in this article which first appeared in The Conversation.

Aussie Students Strike for Climate Change Action

Luke Michael, Friday, 15th March 2019 - Thousands of students across Australia are protesting to demand action on climate change as part of a global day of youth activism.

A Lighter Note

Therapy Chickens Bring Joy to Aged Care Home

Maggie Coggan, Friday, 15th March 2019 - A pet chicken might sound like an unusual choice of a therapy pet, but staff at a Brisbane aged care home are hopeful some new clucky arrivals will help fight off loneliness and depression in their residents.

Around the World

US Foundation Pledges $150 Million to Fix Gaps in Impact Investing

Luke Michael, Friday, 15th March 2019 - A leading US foundation is launching a new initiative to help fund impact investments deemed too risky for conventional financing.

Opinion

Loneliness and Villages

David Crosbie, Thursday, 14th March 2019 - Being a part of the It Takes A Village campaign has highlighted how important it is that we think about the village around not just our students, but each member of our community, writes Community Council for Australia CEO David Crosbie, as he reflects on our increasing levels of loneliness or disconnectedness.

Gen Y Emerge as Australia’s Most Generous Givers

Luke Michael, Thursday, 14th March 2019 - Millennials are the most giving generation in Australia and are nearly twice as likely to volunteer for a cause than baby boomers, according to new research.

Cafe Roasted for ‘Appalling’ Sign Mocking Disability Abuse

Luke Michael, Thursday, 7th March 2019 - Social media backlash over a cafe sign with a joke about abusing a woman in a wheelchair has sparked calls for action on the high rates of domestic violence experienced by women with disability.

The ‘Hidden Gem’ of Philanthropy

Wendy Williams, Tuesday, 19th March 2019 - Sub-funds are being hailed as “Australia’s best kept secret”, in light of a new snapshot providing the first data on sub-funds in Australia.

‘A Crisis is Coming’: Buy-Now-Pay-Later Services Target Vulnerable Young Women

Luke Michael, Thursday, 14th March 2019 - Buy-now-pay-later schemes like Afterpay have revolutionised the way Australians shop. But as Luke Michael reports, these services are also sending vulnerable young women into vicious cycles of debt that follow them long after they stop spending.

Advocacy Groups Struggle Amid Growing NDIS Waiting Lists

‘It Takes a Village’ to Help Kids Succeed in Education

Luke Michael, Tuesday, 12th March 2019 - Charities are calling on Australians to play a greater role in the education of young people, warning of a $1 million cost to the community for each student not completing high school.

Gen Y Emerge as Australia’s Most Generous Givers

Luke Michael, Thursday, 14th March 2019 - Millennials are the most giving generation in Australia and are nearly twice as likely to volunteer for a cause than baby boomers, according to new research.

Why Digital Matters?

Wendy Williams, Thursday, 7th March 2019 - Dr Lucy Bernholz talks to Wendy Williams about the risks, and the opportunities, for civil society in the digital age, and why we should all be paying more attention to data.

A Lighter Note

Therapy Chickens Bring Joy to Aged Care Home

A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night… And Still Isn’t Safe in 2019

Maggie Coggan, Wednesday, 13th March 2019 - Tiana’s house is a five-minute walk from the train station, but when she’s walking home from work alone at night, that five minutes seems like a lifetime.

Impact 25 Winners Revealed

Wendy Williams, Tuesday, 12th March 2019 - What do the world's first supermodel with Down Syndrome, two human rights lawyers, the director of a breast cancer support charity and a leader transforming how the world sees waste, all have in common? They have been crowned winners in Pro Bono Australia’s Impact 25.

Disability Royal Commission a Step Closer

Luke Michael, Wednesday, 13th March 2019 - Prime Minister Scott Morrison has committed the federal government to fully funding the disability royal commission, as the draft terms of reference for the inquiry are released.

Where Are All the Women? Campaign Questions Lack of Female NGO Leaders

Maggie Coggan, Friday, 8th March 2019 - Major humanitarian organisations are backing a campaign calling on civil society organisations to match the low percentage of women in leadership roles with the high percentage of women in staff.

Opinion

Evidence: Taking the Guesswork Out of Grantmaking

Contributor, Thursday, 7th March 2019 - Philanthropy and corporate giving can learn from the way policymakers are incorporating objective evidence of “what works” in their policy decisions, write Robyn Mildon, Natasha Morris and Sarah Hollingworth from The Centre for Evidence and Implementation.

New Policy Centre Encourages Australia to Look Abroad for Tax Reform

Maggie Coggan, Friday, 8th March 2019 - Progressive think-tank The Australia Institute has established a new policy centre in a bid to learn lessons from Nordic countries, to re-shape economic and social policy in Australia.

Around the World

US Foundation Pledges $150 Million to Fix Gaps in Impact Investing

Luke Michael, Friday, 15th March 2019 - A leading US foundation is launching a new initiative to help fund impact investments deemed too risky for conventional financing.

Welfare Advocates Attack Move to Digitise Employment Services

Disability Advocates Gear up to Fight for More Than the NDIS

Calls For Stricter Charity Approval Process

Energise, Enhance and Connect at Volunteering Victoria’s 2019 State Conference

Contributor, Tuesday, 12th March 2019 - With only a few months to go until its second state conference, Volunteering Victoria is thrilled to announce an impressive lineup of speakers that will energise, enhance and connect the volunteering sector in Victoria.

Contributor, Tuesday, 5th March 2019 - The AICD Principles document is an extremely valuable resource for NFPs, their directors, and other stakeholders, writes Darryl Swindells, from HLB Mann Judd Sydney.

Changemaker

The Power Behind a Not-So Rubbish Cause

Maggie Coggan, Monday, 4th March 2019 - For 30 years, the first weekend of March has brought Australians of all walks of life together to do a simple, yet effective act – pick up rubbish. As CEO of Clean Up Australia, Terrie-Anne Johnson is leading the charge. She's this week’s Changemaker.

Opinion

More South Australians Struggling – Health and Housing

Dr Alice Clark, Thursday, 28th February 2019 - Dr Alice Clark, the executive director of Shelter SA, reflects on the links between housing and health, following the release of a report looking at prescription data from people experiencing homelessness in Adelaide.

Changemaker

Contributor, Tuesday, 5th February 2019 - The impact of your purchase is much more powerful than you think, writes Small Giants founder and CEO Danny Almagor.

Sponsored

Transitions Film Festival Presents Visions for a Better World

Contributor, Tuesday, 5th February 2019 - The eighth annual Transitions Film Festival returns to Cinema Nova this February with another inspiring line-up of world-changing films.