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A handy newsletter

26 Oct
Posted by Victoria Lister

Treasury is now producing a newsletter on nonprofit reform. This first edition summarises the emerging issues and developments quite neatly. You can also join a mailing list at NFPReform@treasury.gov.au to receive notice of exposure draft legislation and consultation papers.   

Recent Posts

Self-care in the Workplace - a one day personal and professional development workshop

Every day it's a challenge not to lose myself in busy-ness at work. Before I even know it, I can be pushing myself to do more or just complete that 'one last thing' - and end up exhausted. I'm learning (but sometimes not fast enough it seems) that the only true indication of where I'm really at, or capable of doing at any given moment, lies in my body. 

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Bullying in the nonprofit workplace

A startling piece entitled Workers at War by Richard Guilliatt appeared in The Australian's weekend magazine late last year on the rise of workplace bullying - or rather, the rise of internal grievances and workplace bullying claims lodged with state compensation bodies, many of which do not represent true incidences of bullying.

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Keeping up with the ACNC taskforce

The Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission Implementation Taskforce now has its own Facebook site. 

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Scholarships for nonprofit Chairs

75 places are being offered to Chairs in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne to attend a nonprofit Chairman course. Access the application online via the Australian Scholarships Foundation. 

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Self care - why it matters, and how to start

 

Jane Keep is a British colleague currently completing a PhD on self-care at work, using her role as an individual and organisational coach to present some wonderful insights into - and practical tips on - self-care and why it matters.

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Speaking up

Yesterday I attended an interesting seminar on research currently being conducted at QUT's Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies on board behaviour. 

Early research indicates, perhaps counter-intuitively, that the board members who are the least informed on particular topics (such as financials) are often the most instrumental in facilitating discussion on said topics. 

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High drama

 

A while back I referred to the wonderful ‘Downton Abbey’, and a curiosity about things nonprofit on the small and big screens, of which there are relatively few examples. Actually, it surprises me no one has produced a drama - or perhaps more appropriately, a comedy - set in and around the goings-on of a nonprofit organisation. The only one I can think of is ‘Wildside’, an ABC TV series from the late ‘90s in which a “renegade crisis centre” (as described in their archives) provided part of the backdrop for the high drama that unfolded each week. 

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Two useful links

First up, the ATO (Australian Taxation Office) has recently released a handy checklist designed to help organisations review their status as a nonprofit entity, and their tax obligations. It includes a downloadable self-assessment form for this purpose and it looks to be useful.

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How are we living?

If you're a follower of this blog, you'll know of my concern for the health and welfare of nonprofit folk, particularly those in the human/community services sector, who are often choosing to run themselves into the ground on behalf of their organisations and their clients. 

However it must be said the tendency to live and work outside of our natural rhythms is by no means confined to one particular sector - it's pretty much enshrined as a way of life.

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What is happening to our sector?

The nonprofit sector in Australia is not without it's challenges. It's widely acknowledged that change is long overdue in a number of areas if the sector is to raise it's game overall, with areas such as accounting and fundraising standards and the way the sector is perceived as a whole now under review.

What is not publicly observed however is the darker side of nonprofit life - the issues faced by the people who work in the sector on a daily basis, often in an environment of hostility, overwhelm, stress and poor mental and physical health.

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