Leaders of some of Australia’s biggest charities and not-for-profit organisations will meet today to discuss how to make the sector stronger.
It comes with the release of a new report from the Community Council for Australia - "Owning Our Future: Better Using Our Assets" - that suggests many inside the sector are concerned about its future.
The not-for-profit sector has experienced rapid growth in the past six years, with a turnover of more than $107 billion, the report stated.
But David Crosbie, CEO of Community Council for Australia, said despite promising figures the outlook was not good.
"The sector has simply never felt poorer," he said. "The needs of communities and the expectations of funders have dramatically risen. Many not-for-profits now have less real money to use in their budgets than they did before. Increases in philanthropy and government funding are stalling."
"Late last year in one major survey, over half the respondents expected sector performance to deteriorate in the next 12 months, pointing to negative impacts from Federal Government funding, Federal Government regulations and State Government policy/regulation."
He said many charities were "concerned about being able to deliver services to meet the increasing level of need."
Chair of the Community Council for Australia and CEO of World Vision Australia, Tim Costello, said in a statement that there was not enough discussion about where Australia was going.
"It is critical we start to decide on what kind of communities we actually want to live in and be part of," he said.
Mr Crosbie said that was evident in the way many groups were operating.
"Some organisations are almost entirely focused on rowing and bailing the boat, without taking a bearing on where they are on the journey towards achieving their purpose," he said.
Reverend Costello said the meeting was about "finding ways of making the best contributions for Australia in 2020."
Among those attending will be representatives from a number of Australia’s leading charities and not-for-profits including: RSPCA, Lifeline, SANE, The Smith Family, beyondblue, Mission Australia, Save the Children, World Vision, Relationships Australia, St. John Ambulance Australia, Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education, Pro Bono Australia, Community Sector Banking and Volunteering Australia.
Federal Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg is also expected to attend the event. It will be held at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra.
Share
