philanthropyOz Blog

Managing in a Downturn Survey

PricewaterhouseCoopers is running a survey in partnership with the Fundraising Institute of Australia and the Centre for Social Impact to assess the effect of the economic downturn on Australian charities and nonprofit organisations. It is the only comprehensive research in Australia that will capture how charities and nonprofit organisations are coping with the economic downturn.

A similar survey(PDF link) was run in the UK in November 2008 and this has been useful in informing the decisions policy makers and charities must make to ensure their organisation and nonprofit sector is buffered from the economic downturn if income streams dry up and the demand for services rises. In Australia, early indications are that charities are anticipating a drop in their donations and have begun to reduce the number of services offered.

The survey will close on Monday 11 May 2009. Click here for the survey or access via: https://secure2.au.pwc.com/surveynet/TakeSurvey.aspx?SurveyID=7lKJnp2

The survey has already been distributed on a number of websites and through the FIA. If your organisation has already completed the survey please ignore this post. If not, we would be very grateful if you could take the time to complete the survey before the deadline. The findings of the survey will only be as good as the quality and depth of the input so we are dependent on the sector’s cooperation to generate meaningful results.

We encourage all our not-for-profit readers in Australia to contribute to this survey and help the gathering of some good Australian data on the effects of the current crisis!

New Position Vacant

The Wyatt Benevolent Institution has an opening for an innovative Grants Consultant at their South Australian office.

• Grants Consultant, The Wyatt Benevolent Institution (Adelaide)

For more information please see the Positions Vacant page.

Vale Richard Pratt

Philanthropy Australia is saddened to note the loss of one of Australia’s best-known philanthropists, Richard Pratt, who died at his home on April 28.

Well-known both for founding the Pratt Foundation and for making personal contributions, particularly for the arts but across a wide variety of other causes, Mr Pratt was also a vocal and enthusiastic advocate for philanthropy. Philanthropy Australia would like to extend our sympathies to Mr Pratt’s family and to the Trustees and staff of the Pratt Foundation.

New Events

• National Pro Bono Day (National, 15 May)
• Philanthropy Australia Indigenous Affinity Group Meeting (Members Only, Sydney, 27 May)
• Reconciliation Week (National, 27 May - 3 June)

For more information please see the Events Calendar.

New Social Inclusion website launched

A new social inclusion website has been launched by Senator the Hon Ursula Stephens, Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and the Voluntary Sector. Designed to become a hub for information on social inclusion, the upgraded website “provides a platform for building and strengthening relationships between all levels of government, the community and business sectors through sharing information, ideas and viewpoints.” The site includes information on social inclusion principles and priorities, and the National Compact between the Australian Government and the not-for-profit sector.

http://www.socialinclusion.gov.au/

Gates Foundation grant to UNSW

The University of New South Wales has received its largest ever philanthropic grant. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has donated $18 million to the National Centre in HIV Epidemiology and Clinical Research, based at the university for an international research project which could increase drug therapy to HIV-AIDS sufferers in developing countries.

The study will take in almost 700 HIV sufferers internationally and will seek to identify the “buffer” in the drug’s effectiveness as a method of discovering the minimum effective dose. Discovering proof that lower doses could be used without affecting the drug’s effectiveness would mean that millions of extra lives could be saved for the same amount of the drug.

More information about the grant is on The Age or via audio from today’s Breakfast program on ABC’s Radio National.

Voiceless Media Prize

Voiceless, the animal protection institute, has launched the Voiceless Media Prize. The $5,000 prize will recognise the most valuable contribution towards debate on the treatment of animals. “Animal protection is becoming the next great social justice movement in Australia,” according to Ondine Sherman, co-founder of Voiceless.

The prize is open to journalists - for a story published in newspapers, magazines, television, radio or online - addressing one of the following subjects: factory farming; live exports; kangaroo culling; animal hunting and poisoning; animal experimentation; animals in entertainment (zoos, circuses and rodeos) or animals killed for fur and skin. Alternatively it could examine the ethical relationship between human and animals, or the sentience of animals.

Eligibility criteria and entry details can be obtained at www.voiceless.org.au.

Philanthropy Australia news

Joanna Fulton
We briefly welcomed our newest staff member Joanna Fulton in the March Philanthropy Review. As Jo is often the voice on the end of our telephone, and will be contributing regularly to the philanthropyOz Blog, I thought I’d introduce her to you properly.

Jo is our Web and Communications Administrator - she manages our various websites and listservs, contributes to the Blog and the PhilanthropyWiki, responds to the ‘info@philanthropy.org.au’ email and assists with general office administration. Having worked in online communications and the web production industry for several years, Jo brings us a valuable depth of knowledge around the use of IT. She has also been involved over the years with a number of not-for-profit organisations including the Starlight Children’s Foundation and the Wilderness Society. Jo is gradually getting to know our Members, so please say ‘hello’ to her next time you have need to contact us.

Cheryl Van Der Hor
We also also delighted to welcome Cheryl Van Der Hor to our team. Cheryl has joined us for two days per week on a pro-bono basis to assist with various projects. Previously Cheryl was a Senior Manager working in a specialist tax role with a large accounting practice based in Melbourne. She has a particular interest, and over ten years of experience, in tax matters affecting the not-for-profit sector including income tax exemptions, GST concessions and FBT concessions. So far Cheryl has assisted us with projects including provision of FBT guidance to Philanthropy Australia members, preparation of information to the Corporate Network regarding salary sacrificing staff donations, and input to the Senate Review submissions - for which we are extremely appreciative.

If you have any tax queries relating to the status or operations of your organisation, please feel free to pass these along as Cheryl is very happy to provide guidance as appropriate. (Please note, however, that neither Cheryl nor Philanthropy Australia is able to provide binding advice on technical matters). Cheryl can be contacted via Vanessa’s email v.meachen@philanthropy.org.au

Hot off the press: Australian Philanthropy, April 2009 edition
Issue 72 ‘Giving in hard times: Philanthropists at work in an uncertain economy’ has just been published and will shortly arrive in Members’ and subscribers’ letter boxes.

In this issue we hear from philanthropy leaders about their experience of, and predictions for, grantmaking in times of recession: Teresa Zolnierkiewicz’s article on ‘Embracing Perpetuity’ is essential reading, and don’t miss our interview with Paul Clitheroe.

Our regular readers will notice that we have a dynamic new design for ‘Australian Philanthropy’ and have moved to print on 100% recycled paper. We would love to hear your opinion on our new look - email me on l.arkles@philanthropy.org.au

If you are not a Member of Philanthropy Australia you needn’t miss out - an annual subscription (3 issues) costs just $76. Click here to read more about the journal and subscribe.

Trustee Workshop 15 May (Sydney)

Perhaps you’ve come across some of these questions in relation to your foundation. Can you answer them all?

• How can I be told that some organisations with both DGR and TCC are not eligible for grants from my PPF?
• What is wrong in having a grant condition stating that if money isn’t fully spent on this project the organisation must give the remainder back?
• Why cannot my foundation support good small TCC Charities that desperately need help?
• Why can this foundation only distribute in Victoria when others can fund deserving projects in the Northern Territory?

If you don’t know the answers, the Trustee Workshop will help.

Presented by David Ward, author of the Trustee Handbook, this workship explores issues and considerations for charitable trusts and foundations in Australia. Topics to be covered include the structure of charitable trusts, governance and the role trustees play; what trustees must do and what trustees should consider doing; and governance failure.

This workshop 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. This workshop also provides an opportunity for those with significant interaction with foundations and trusts to understand the responsibilities and issues considered by Trustees.

Only $385.00 for Members of Philanthropy Australia, and $605.00 per attendee for non-members, this workshop is presented by David Ward, Treasurer of Philanthropy Australia and author of the Trustee Handbook. David is a Director of ANZ Trustees and ShareGift Australia and is Trustee Representative on several charitable trusts including the Hugh DT Williamson Foundation, the Alexander Miller Estate and the Alexander Wright Wales Trust.

See our Trustee Workshop page for details and to book your place!

New Events

Some additional Members Only events:

• CEOs of Large Trusts and Foundations Meeting (Members Only, Melbourne, May 5)
• CEOs of Large Trusts and Foundations Meeting (Members Only, Melbourne, May 6)

These meetings have been split into two dates to accommodate the large number of attendees.

For more information please see the Events Calendar.