philanthropyOz Blog

Arts in Community Settings report

Strengthening Local Communities: Arts in Community Settings is the latest research report from the Department for Victorian Communities. The report presents the outcomes of two programs which provided grants to communities with limited access to the arts to create opportunities for artistic experiences. One key finding was that arts projects can be effective tools to engage hard to reach populations, and can provide avenues for those groups to explore and express issues. Such programs also create greater connectedness and integration within communities.

The report can be downloaded from the Research and Publications page of the DVC website at http://www.dvc.vic.gov.au/

Grantseeker Workshops in Sydney and Melbourne

Philanthropy Australia’s Grantseeker Workshops provide grantseekers with an introduction on how to look for funding from philanthropic sources. The half-day workshops provide an overview of Australian trusts and foundations and the environment in which they operate. Learn how to research potential funding sources, what to include in a submission, what to leave out, how to make your application easy to understand, and what makes foundations different to other funders!

We’ve just opened for bookings the next workshops to be held in Sydney and Melbourne:

Melbourne
Friday 3 August, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Sydney
Friday 12 October, 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM

Go to the Workshops page for more information, to register your interest and to download a booking form.

Tax Law Amendments

The Tax Laws Amendment (2007 Measures No. 2) Act 2007 received Royal Assent on 21 June 2007.

This Act has made technical amendments and corrections to the way the income tax law applies to exempt entities. The ATO has stated that the Act “will ensure that Public Ancillary Funds or Prescribed Private Funds do not lose their income tax exempt status if they distribute money to Commonwealth, State or Territory bodies which are exempt from tax and also deductible gift recipients”. It is important for members not to act on this legislative change at this stage, as there are a number of steps that will need to be undertaken first and the details have not yet been finalised. Philanthropy Australia is currently seeking further details on how the Act will apply to grants made by our members and on guidelines for members wishing to take advantage of the new provisions.

The Act also includes provisions to allow a tax deduction for donations of listed shares to deductible gift recipients; from 1 July 2007, a tax deduction is available for donations of listed shares valued at $5,000 or less and acquired at least 12 months before the gift was made. This provides another potential avenue for DGRs to raise funds.

Finally, the Act extends the thresholds for deductible contributions to fundraising events, applicable to contributions made on or after 1 January 2007.

Refer to http://www.ato.gov.au/nonprofit/content.asp?doc=/content/00102662.htm for more information. The Bill and its explanatory memorandum can also be viewed on the Parliament of Australia website at http://www.aph.gov.au/bills/index.htm. Select Current Bills (by Title), scroll through the list to Tax Laws Amendment (2007 Measures No. 2) Bill 2007 and select it.

Corporate Community Investment in Australia

The Australian Centre for Corporate and Public Affairs, in conjunction with the Business Council of Australia (BCA), have recently released a report on Corporate Community Investment in Australia. Commissioned by the Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership, the report indicates that many businesses are pursuing a more strategic, business-focused approach. The report also details the extent to which volunteering is becoming a driver of corporate community investment (CCI) activity, and finds that almost half of all companies set a specific CCI budget.

The report can be downloaded from the BCA website here.