philanthropyOz Blog

New Position Vacant

Chief Executive Officer - Marie Stopes International Australia (Melbourne)

Go to the Positions Vacant page for more information.

PPF draft submission available

Philanthropy Australia’s draft submission to Treasury in response to the discussion paper ‘Improving the Integrity of Prescribed Private Funds’ was last week emailed to members as an attachment to Philanthropy Review. We welcome the comments and suggestions of members, and also encourage members to make their own submission to Treasury.

The final version of our submission will be available on our website on 8 January 2009. In the meantime, non-members who wish to see a copy of our submission are welcome to contact Philanthropy Australia’s Melbourne office on (03) 9620 0200, or via email on info@philanthropy.org.au

GST and grants

New from the Australian Taxation Office: guidance on GST and grants.

The ATO has indicated that they have started a review of ‘GSTR 2000/11 - Goods and Services Tax: grants of financial assistance‘ and will be issuing a draft public ruling; until GSTR 2000/11 is withdrawn, organisations should continue to follow the guidance provided in this ruling.

As previously noted, the Tax Office website will be shut down over the Christmas break, so if you need to download, print or read GSTR 2000/11 you should do so before 24 December.

Philanthropy Australia holiday office closures

Both Philanthropy Australia offices will be closed from Wednesday 24 December until Monday 5 January. During this time there will be no filling of orders and no response to requests for publications, information or services.

Our offices will reopen on Monday 5 January.

A Taste of Harmony

An initiative of the Scanlon Foundation, A Taste of Harmony is a new national campaign celebrating cultural diversity in Australian workplaces. The inaugural event will take place from 16 to 22 March 2009, coinciding with National Harmony Day, which is held on 21 March. The campaign is also supported by the Australian Multicultural Foundation and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.

All Australian workplaces are invited to register for A Taste of Harmony. During the week, workers can bring multicultural meals to share with their colleagues at lunch, or eat together at a locally participating restaurant or cafe. Restaurants and cafes can participate by hosting lunches for local workers.

Registering is free and easy and no fundraising is involved - it’s simply about celebrating Australia’s rich cultural diversity.

For more information and to register your workplace, restaurant or cafe visit www.tasteofharmony.org.au

Tax Office website shutdown over Christmas

The Australian Taxation Office have announced that they will be shutting down all IT and communication systems and applications over the Christmas and New Year period to complete maintenance. This includes the ATO website. All ATO systems and services will be unavailable from 4pm EDST Wednesday 24 December 2008 until 9am EDST Monday 5 January 2009.

New edition of ‘Australian Philanthropy’ Journal - Women and Philanthropy

Women and Philanthropy: Giving by and for Women and Girls is the theme of our latest issue of Australian Philanthropy, issue 71 Summer 2008.

In this issue we look at the growth in numbers and influence of philanthropic women. In the changing landscape of women’s wealth, now often earned rather than inherited, what motivations and concerns drive their giving choices?

On the other side of the equation, in communities in the developing world, where financial assistance is given to the women of the village, food reaches the table, the children get to school and the whole community benefits. This issue also explores value of supporting women and girls as a way to strengthen society.

• Read selected articles online or browse the full contents list on the PhilanthropyWiki; or
• Find out more about Australian Philanthropy on the Philanthropy Australia Website.

Members and Journal Subscribers will receive their copy of this edition in the mail early next week.

New on the Wiki: Managing in a Downturn

This report from PricewaterhouseCoopers (UK) in association with the Association of Charitable Foundations, Charity Finance Directors’ Group and Institute of Fundraising, constitutes the results of a survey of UK-based charities on their expectations for the coming year and beyond, and on what actions they are taking as a result of the economic crisis.

This report includes information on charities’ expectations of how the crisis will affect their income and expenditure as well as management practices. It concludes that there are opportunities for charities to use the crisis period as “akin to a “pit stop” in a grand prix” and that there are some key priorities and actions which a charity should consider taking in order to better weather the crisis.

The report concludes with a list of ten key messages for charities to consider in the coming months.

To download the report, go to Managing in a Downturn on the PhilanthropyWiki.

New Senate Report on Charity Regulation

A new report has found that non-profit organisations in Australia are labouring under a heavy burden of inconsistent and inappropriate regulation and that there is a pressing need for improved regulation and increased transparency. The report was tabled yesterday by the Senate Standing Committee on Economics inquiry into disclosure regimes for charities and not-for-profit organisations.

The Committee has recommended comprehensive changes to the non-profit regulatory environment including:

• Greater consistency in legislation governing non-profit organisations
• A single body to register and regulate non-profit organisations
• National fundraising legislation
• Appointment of a Minister for the Third Sector to manage issues arising for non-profit organisations
• A Taskforce to implement reform of the non-profit operating environment

Copies of the report can be downloaded at:
http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/economics_ctte/charities_08/report/index.htm

New Events

• Philanthropy Australia PPF Consultation (Sydney, December 9)
• ACCSR’s 3rd Annual Conference (Sydney, February 5)
• OurCommunity’s Best Practice in Grants Management Conference (Melbourne, February 20) & Board Builder Conference (Melbourne, February 27)

Go to the Events Calendar for more information.