Charities are an expression of trust in our communities and our democracy, yet trust is declining in Australia and worldwide. So we must continue to honour and enhance the trust charities enjoy if we are to be an effective antidote against increased fear and loss of hope, writes CEO of Community Council for Australia, David Crosbie in Pro Bono News, 31 August 2017:
News
CCA provides media commentary on issues important to charities and NFPs and CCA CEO David Crosbie writes fortnightly in Pro Bono News on sector issues. We keep our member CEOs and senior staff up to date via CCA's Daily Diary - a frank daily analysis of the national context, issues and news of interest to charity leaders (all in a two-minute read). Charity leaders who would like to know more, please contact our Partnerships Manager, Deborah Smith, info@communitycouncil.com.au
Tim Costello talks about the mess of fundraising regulation that is costing millions. We can fix it now. With minor amendments to the Australian Consumer Law and the work of the ACNC.
Consumer Affairs Ministers are meeting on 31 August. It's time for regulation that works. Improved accountability. Improved transparency. More money going to work for communities. ABC News 24, 30 August 2017:
It's time to fix the out-dated, dog's breakfast of fundraising regulation that wastes millions.
It can be done. With simple amendments to Australian Consumer Law.
Consumer Affairs Ministers are meeting on 31st August 2017. The opportunity for real change is there and needs to be seized. Charities want to do the right thing but the rules work against them. With one fundraising regime as part of Australian Consumer Law, the problem can be fixed. Let's fix fundraising. Now.
The Saturday Paper, 19 August 2017, News
Mike Seccombe reports that the government is waging a multifaceted campaign to reduce the influence of charities, requiring disclosure of how donations are spent, seeking to ban electoral campaigning if overseas funds are received, and choosing not to renew the tenure of the respected head of the sector’s regulatory body.
There is much our current leaders could learn from the views of Australia’s longest serving prime minister, Sir Robert Menzies about how to make Australia a better place, writes Community Council for Australia CEO David Crosbie in Pro Bono News, The Forgotten People, 17 August 2017.
Recent events in Australian politics have focused attention on internal divisions within the Liberal party and how differing ideologies play out in government policy.
As part of a move to ban foreign donations to political parties, the Government has flagged that it also intends to ban overseas funding to other organisations. The impact of this wider push may mean that registered charities are prevented from accepting international philanthropy.
This position paper has been prepared by a consortia of charities, led by the Australian Council for International Development, Philanthropy Australia and the Community Council for Australia.
If we want stronger communities, a more prosperous, productive and happier Australia, inclusive education must be a higher priority, writes David Crosbie CEO of Community Council for Australia (CCA) in Pro Bono News, 3 August 2017, Making Education Our Business:
Building the Australia we want starts with education
This Community Council for Australia (CCA) submission briefly outlines some of the key issues for Australia’s not-for-profit sector in response to the Productivity Commission Inquiry Into Introducing Competition And Informed User Choice Into Human Services and the Draft Report May 2017.
Begin with what the policy is trying to achieve – what is the goal of DGR concessions?
The goal of the DGR process should be to encourage community involvement, engagement and ownership of issues they are concerned about. Encouraging civil society to own their issues of concern is not only good public policy, it is very good economic policy. Governments around the world acknowledge the benefit of community involvement and actively seek to promote philanthropy.