philanthropyOz Blog

Trustee Handbook launch & workshops

We are pleased to announce the upcoming release of the Trustee Handbook: Roles and Duties of Trustees of Charitable Trusts and Foundations in Australia, published by Philanthropy Australia and supported by the Westpac Foundation.

The Trustee Handbook provides an easy-to-understand, plain language guide to what trustees should do and also what they must do, without offering legal advice. It is an ideal base for new trustees and foundation staff; useful to those providing advice on setting up foundations and trusts; and an excellent reference document and aide memoire to those already familiar with its subject. Created in consultation with our Members, this Trustee Handbook is an essential document for PPFs, Community Foundations, Family Foundations, Charitable Trusts and Ancillary Funds.

The Trustee Handbook will be launched in Sydney and Brisbane in July. Philanthropy Australia will also be running workshops for trustees to attend in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. Dates, cost and further information can be found on the Trustee Workshops page on our website.

The Handbook will be available for free electronic download following its launch.

The Nation & Beyond: The New Philanthropy - Alfred Deakin lectures 2008

On June 12 in Melbourne a crowd gathered to hear Rupert Myer AM and Sir Gus Nossal AC CBE, among others, speak on ‘The New Philanthropy’, as part of the Alfred Deakin Lectures. In an insightful and inspiring speech, Mr Myer challenged the audience to think carefully about the language of philanthropy - for him the term ‘giving back’ smacks of something taken or obligation, neither reflecting true philanthropy which derives from generosity of spirit.

You can read his paper on the PhilanthropyWiki.

New Events

Funding Social Change Workshop (Melbourne, July 17)
Philanthropy Australia Indigenous Affinity Group (Melbourne, July 30)

For more information, see the Events Calendar.

Fringe benefits protection for charitable sector employees

The Rudd Government will move urgent amendments in the Senate this week to protect employees in the charitable and not-for-profit sectors from losing up to $100 a fortnight because of the previous government’s changes to fringe benefit tax arrangements due to come into effect on 1 July 2008.

The Government’s amendments will restore the use of the net reportable fringe benefit in income definitions for Family Assistance, ensuring that staff in not-for-profit organisations will not suffer a loss of family tax or child care benefits after 1 July 2008 if their circumstances have not otherwise changed. The measures had enormous potential impact on the not-for-profit sector as many not-for-profit organisations compensate for lower wages by providing salary packages boosted by fringe benefits.

Further information available from the Press Release on Treasurer Wayne Swan’s website.

News, Position Vacant

New on the Website - Position Vacant: Program & Communications Coordinator - AMP Foundation (Sydney)

‘World Poverty for Dummies’ Book Launch

Tim Costello of World Vision Australia will launch this new book that aims to make poverty a little more understandable to all of us.
Those attending will hear about the book and Tim’s recent trip to Myanmar. Author Sarah Marland from Amnesty International will also speak.

All are welcome to the Carilllo Gantner Theatre at the Sidney Myer Asia Centre (corner of Swanston st. and Monash rd) on Friday the 20th June from 5.30 - 7.30 pm.

Please contact dominic.keyzer@worldvision.com.au for more details

Queen’s Birthday Honours

Philanthropy Australia would like to warmly congratulate the following Members who have been honoured in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List:

Paul Clitheroe (Clitheroe Foundation, and Philanthropy Australia Council Member)
Member of the Order of Australia for service to the financial sector through the promotion of financial literacy, and to the community.

Martyn Myer (The Myer Foundation and Telematics Trust)
Officer of the Order of Australia for service to business and the community, particularly through contributions to medical research and the establishment of the Florey Neurosciences Institute and through executive and philanthropic roles with a range of organisations.

We offer congratulations to Paul and Martyn.

Find the complete Honours List on the Governor General’s website.

We would be pleased to hear from any other Members not acknowledged here who have received Honours.

New reports on the PhilanthropyWiki

‘Our Children, Our Future - Achieving Improved Primary and Secondary Education Outcomes for Indigenous Students’

A new report was launched recently, published by the AMP Foundation, Effective Philanthropy and Social Ventures Australia, offering an overview of philanthropic investment opportunities and approaches to improving outcomes for Indigenous students.

The report ‘Our Children, Our Future - Achieving Improved Primary and Secondary Education Outcomes for Indigenous Students’ provides an overview of current Indigenous education challenges and outcomes, and the impact these have on Indigenous students’ opportunities to access post-secondary qualifications and employment. It identifies the key underlying factors that contribute to this state of affairs, including the social, community and home contexts in which students participate, and their own personal life experience.

The authors, Louise Doyle and Regina Hill, provide a framework for making philanthropic investments that will produce sustainable outcomes, identifying 8 interventions. Case studies for each intervention category are provided, along with key success factors to assist philanthropic investors to assess the effectiveness of individual intervention programs.

Acting wikily: how networks are changing social change

For those wanting to understand how new technologies are contributing to social change efforts, ‘Acting wikily: how networks are changing social change’ is a great place to start. This article explores how new technologies are changing the way we communicate and connect, with particular emphasis on the what this might mean for not-for-profit organisations and philanthropic foundations.

Such fundamental practices as how groups get formed and work gets done are changing, as social media (also called Web 2.0) technologies offer “new networked ways of behaving - ways of acting wikily - that are characterized by principles of openness, transparency, decentralized decision-making, and distributed action.”

The authors question what impact this might have on social change movements and philanthropy, now that organisations are no longer the only way to organise effort; effectiveness is no longer equated with longevity but with mobilization; and the power balance between experts and amateurs is shifting.

On a reassuring note, human elements still matter, with trust and authentic relationships being essential elements of successful online networking.

Position Vacant

Executive Assistant - Victoria Law Foundation (Melbourne, applications close June 11)

Indigenous Governance Awards - Celebrating Indigenous Governance

Reconciliation Australia have published Celebrating Indigenous Governance, a publication based on the applications from the 2005 Indigenous Government Awards.

The Indigenous Governance Awards were created by Reconciliation Australia in partnership with BHP Billiton to identify, celebrate and promote effective Indigenous governance. The national awards highlight success in Indigenous Australia - strong leadership, good management, effective partnerships and brave, creative thinking.

The first two years of the awards (2005 and 2006) drew 104 applications, with a total of $50,000 awarded to organisations to continue building and developing good governance. The achievements of the applicants, finalists and winners in previous years were widely reported in the Indigenous and mainstream media.

The publication, Celebrating Indigenous Governance - Success stories of the Indigenous Governance Awards is available for free download from the IGA website.

Click here to find out more about the Awards.

Office for the Community Sector Director Announced

The Department for Planning and Community Development has appointed the Director of Victoria’s new Office for the Community Sector, which will be responsible for leading, coordinating and implementing the policy priorities affecting the not-for-profit sector across Victoria.

The new Director is Lynne Wannan AM, one of Victoria’s most influential education and child care advocates.

The Office for the Community Sector will be established as part of the Victorian Government’s $13.87 million action plan to ensure the long-term sustainability of the not-for-profit sector. The Office for the Community Sector will be dedicated to supporting community organisations, helping them to manage new challenges such as population ageing, changing work patterns and rapid population growth.

The Victorian Government’s Action Plan: Strengthening Community Organisations was in response to extensive consultation and two reviews commissioned by the Victorian Government – the Stronger Community Organisations Project, led by Professor Alan Fels, AO; and the Review of Not-for-Profit Regulation, led by the State Services Authority.

The action plan features 25 actions to reduce red tape, build the capacity of sector workforce and strengthen the long term sustainability of community organisations.

For more information about the Office for the Community Sector contact 03 9208 3102.