Help us take your stories straight to the new federal government by completing the Australian Community Sector Survey

With rich data, new opportunities are on offer to strengthen the sector and its future.

Undoubtedly the sector has endured a torrid decade. Chronic under-investment in services nationally culminated in three hard, exhausting years of unprecedented disasters. Current cost pressures are pushing organisations beyond breaking point.

A new federal government offers our sector the chance to create a better and brighter future for our organisations, our workers, and the people we support in the community every day. The recent Jobs and Skills Summit shows that the government is listening to the country and looking for new ideas and better solutions.

The Australian Community Sector Survey provides us the opportunity to collect rich and accurate data on what it’s like in our sector, for both workers and the people our sector helps. It is the longest-running survey of the community sector, by the community sector. It is undertaken by researchers at the Social Policy Research Centre at UNSW Sydney, commissioned by the Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) alongside the state and territory Councils of Social Service, with the support of Bendigo Bank.

We need community sector workers to help us by doing 3 things:

1. Complete the following survey
2. Share it with colleagues
3. Promote the survey in professional networks

You can take part here. We want to hear from all people in the sector, frontline workers, office administrators, managers and senior leaders.

Completing the survey is voluntary and takes about 10 to 15 minutes. It may take a few minutes longer for CEOs and senior managers, who have been asked some extra questions. The survey closes on 23 September 2022. 

Why should you do this survey?

The new government committed to strengthening the community sector before the last election. Now is the opportunity to come together and advocate for increased investment in quality jobs and quality services, and better care for the people with the least in our community.

Obtaining a range of views from workers and leaders across the sector in response to the Australian Community Sector Survey means we can ensure we have the necessary insights to demonstrate to the government and the public how important the sector is, and what supports it needs to thrive.

The full report will be published in early 2023. 

To view the previous report and its findings, please visit: www.acoss.org.au/australian-community-sector-survey/