Election Call to Action - NFP Sector Reform Survey

On the heels of the dramatic Federal Labor leadership victory to Kevin Rudd, the Australian Not for Profit sector is being urged to deliver strong and clear messages on the sector’s reform agenda to the country’s political leaders in the run up to the next election.

The call to action comes from the Community Council of Australia and Tomorrow’s Agenda Research Institute which have partnered with Pro Bono Australia to formulate an incisive online survey around the extensive sector reform that has taken place in recent years and the future of that reform.

“There are few opportunities for the Not for Profit sector to make a stand and elections are one of those times, when parties are in listening mode and potentially responsive to key constituencies,” according to the Director of Research at Tomorrow’s Agenda Research Institute, Les Hems.

“We have formulated an online survey designed to capture these messages and which we will present to the main political parties as we head to the September Poll.

“The survey is aimed at all those interested in the Not for Profit sector and reflects on the progress made over the last three years and seeks to capture the aspirations and expectations for the next three years,” Hems said.

“The Not for Profit sector is not only a key part of the Australian social fabric but also a significant economic force.”

The Australian sector comprises over 600,000 charitable, Not for Profit, voluntary, community and social business organisations. These organisations play key societal roles in relation to individual and community well-being, education, health, disability, welfare, housing, employment, environment, animal welfare, religion, arts, sport and recreation, and overseas.

The Australian NFP sector has a turnover of approximately $100 billion per annum, has over 1 million paid employees and benefits from the voluntary efforts of 5.2 million Australians.

Prior to the last election in 2010 the Productivity Commission concluded that the sector was not achieving its full potential and faced complex and long standing problems (Productivity Commission ‘The Contribution of the Not for Profit Sector’).

In response, over the past three years a range of Government initiatives have been implemented to provide a platform for the sector to achieve its potential.

“The survey provides an opportunity to give the Sector’s views on these initiatives,” Hems said.
“Looking forward, this survey also provides an opportunity to provide views on what strategies and policies the Sector would like to be implemented by the next government to support the development of a vibrant, efficient and effective Not for Profit sector.

“We carried out a similar survey to great effect prior to the 2010 election giving the Not for Profit sector a wide voice on the appetite for reform,” Pro Bono Australia founder, Karen Mahlab said. 

The short and incisive survey will take about 10 minutes to complete and offers opportunities to add further comments. Please encourage colleagues and associates to complete the survey too.

Each respondent providing an email address will receive a summary of the findings and be invited to contribute to a future debate on the forthcoming election.

Click here to take the survey now.