philanthropyOz Blog

Fellowships for disability sector CEOs

Applications are now open for the Harvard Club of Australia — Victoria Nonprofit Fellowships, which enable up to two CEOs of Victorian-based disability sector organizations to attend the week-long Harvard Business School program ‘Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management’, which runs in mid-July each year.

Application materials can be accessed online, at http://www.hcag.org.au/NPFs.htm

Necessitous circumstances funds update

The Australian Taxation Office has updated its information page on Necessitous circumstances funds. Necessitous circumstances funds are tax deductible public funds maintained to provide relief for persons in Australia who are in necessitous circumstances. “Necessitous circumstances” refers specifically to financial necessity rather than being in need generally.

The updated webpage includes a description of the requirements to be endorsed as a necessitous circumstances fund, a checklist and information on deductible gifts.

More information: Necessitous circumstances funds.

Final Productivity Commission Report Available

The Productivity Commission’s final report into the Contribution of the Not-for-Profit Sector has been released and is now available for viewing or download from the Productivity Commission’s website.

The report recommends wide-ranging reforms to remove unncessary burdens and costs faced by the not-for-profit sector as well as to improve its accountability. The recommendations include:

• Establishment of a Registrar for Community and Charitable Purpose Organisations to act as a ‘one-stop shop’ for Commonwealth-based regulation
• Establishment of an Office for Sector Engagement to drive reform and policy development at the Commonwealth level
• Creation of a national measurement framework and a Centre for Community Service Effectiveness to act as a clearinghouse to promote best practice evaluation
• a more coherent endorsement process for tax status, to be administered by the proposed Registrar, and a new definition of charity
• broadening the scope of gift deductibility, promoting planned giving and national harmonisation of fundraising regulation

For more information see the Productivity Commission’s website.

Grants to pursue your philanthropic ambitions

Vodafone is calling on Australians to trade in their day-jobs and get paid to make a difference. The Vodafone Foundation want to give five passionate people a grant to dedicate an entire year to pursue their personal philanthropic ambitions complete with full salary and expense accounts, so are calling for entries in their 2010 World of Difference program.

Candidates are invited to submit their applications at www.vodafone.com.au/worldofdifference. Applicants should include a summary of their nominated charity or not-for-profit organisation, plus details of their own personal goals and aspirations for their chosen charity or cause in 2010.

Entries close on soon - on 7 February 2010.

Children’s Law Awards calling for nominations

Nominations have opened for the 2010 Children’s Law Awards. Organised by the National Children’s Youth and Law Centre and Mallesons Stephen Jaques, the Awards recognise the achievements and commitment of individuals and organisations who advance the legal rights and interests of children and young people in Australia.

The Awards also raise awareness of the legal issues affecting children and young people, for example:

• Are Australian children adequately protected by the justice and welfare systems?
• Why have the numbers of children found to be at risk of abuse or neglect, and children under care and protection orders, risen significantly?
• How can children best participate in legal proceedings and processes affecting their rights?

Nominations are sought in the following Award categories and are open to both individuals and organisations:

• The National Award for Outstanding Legal Representation of the Rights and Interests of Children and Young People;
• The National Award for Outstanding Advocacy in Policy or Law Reform to Advance the Legal Rights and Interests of Children and Young People; and
• The Media Award for Raising Awareness of Important Children’s Legal Rights Issues.

Nominations close on Friday 19th February. The Awards will be presented on Friday 16 April 2010, during National Youth Week. For more information on the awards, or to download a nomination form, visit http://www.ncylc.org.au/

Australia Day honours

Congratulations to our Members who were the recipients of Australia Day 2010 Honours, including:

• Neil Balnaves (Balnaves Foundation)
• Robert Maple-Brown
• Peter Hall (Hunter Hall International)
• Diane Kargas (Capital Region Community Foundation)
• Eda Ritchie (R.E. Ross Trust)

Australian Business register changes

The Australian Business Register’s ABN Lookup website now makes it much easier for ancillary funds (including Public Ancillary Funds, formerly PPFs) to identify whether a particular DGR is an item 1 DGR or an item 2 DGR. Ancillary funds, which are item 2 DGRs, are legally unable to donate to other ancillary funds.

Using the ABN Lookup, you will now see that each entry for a DGR entity lists whether it is an item 1, Item 2 or item 4 DGR.

• Item 1 refers to lists of funds, authorities and institutions such as public hospitals, overseas aid funds and public museums (including entities listed by name).
• Item 2 describes funds set up solely for providing money, property or benefits for item 1 DGRs. The funds that meet the requirements of item 2 are called ancillary funds.
• Item 4 describes the funds, authorities or institutions eligible to receive certain cultural gifts.

Item 1 DGRs, which are eligible recipients for donations from ancillary funds, are identified as follows: (Organisation) is endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient from (date). It is covered by item 1 of the table in section 30-15 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.

Ancillary funds are identified with the following descriptor: (Foundation) is endorsed as a Deductible Gift Recipient from (date). It is covered by item 2 of the table in section 30-15 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997.

Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation calling for applications

If your organisation is a not-for-profit charity serving at least part of the Melbourne metropolitan area, if it possesses Deductible Gift Recipient status and is covered under Item 1 of the table in Section 30-15 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, you can apply for a 2010 General Grant or a Major Grant to assist your organisation’s work for the community.

Applications focusing on the areas of health and human care are encouraged, especially those that address one or more of the priorities of homelessness, youth and ageing. Other categories such as those for the environment, arts, sport and education will also be considered.

The General Grant application form can be downloaded from www.lmcf.org.au.

For Major Grants you will need to email grants@lmcf.org.au or ring 03 9633 0021 to obtain an Expression of Interest form.

Applications for General Grants must be lodged at the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, Melbourne Town Hall, Swanston Street, Melbourne by 5 p.m. on Wednesday 31 March 2010.

Holiday Office Closure

Please note that Philanthropy Australia’s Melbourne and Sydney offices will both be closed from Monday 21 December 2009, reopening on Monday 4 January 2010. Emails and publication orders will not be attended to during this time.

It’s Giving Week this week

Did you know it’s Australian Giving Week from November 29 - December 5 2009?

According to the website, the aim of this annual event is to focus attention on the many ways that individuals, families, businesses, and groups can make a difference to their community. “It’s about helping people take some small, simple steps that open the way for a better supported, more inclusive, more vibrant community – not just during the Christmas period but all year long as well.”

http://www.givenow.com.au/givingweek/