Third Sector News

Not-for-profit boards are used to scrutinising spending closely. Program costs, staffing, compliance and overheads are regularly held up against the mission and asked to justify themselves. Telecommunications is one line item that can slip through with far less attention than the rest. Most organisations choose a phone or internet provider the way they choose a lightbulb, on price and reliability, and then move on. It is treated as a commodity decision rather than a mission decision.

Most Australians have stood at a self-service checkout and been asked, right as they’re about to pay, whether they’d like to round up their total or add a small donation for a partner charity. It takes seconds. But research suggests a majority of shoppers have started to resent being asked at all.

Soap, toothpaste, shampoo, nappies, period products, laundry detergent — the kind of everyday items most of us barely think twice about buying. But for a growing number of Australians, these basics have become a genuine trade-off against rent, food and petrol. Research from national charity Good360 Australia puts a number on what’s often an invisible problem.

For years, Australia’s social enterprise sector has grown in pockets; strong examples scattered across states and industries, but without a shared plan tying them together. That’s changed with the launch of the country’s first National Strategy for Social Enterprise, coordinated by Social Enterprise Australia and owned collectively by the sector it represents.

A safe home gives young people a foundation for education, work, relationships and wellbeing. When that foundation disappears, the effects can reach almost every part of their lives. Mission Australia’s An Unequal Foundation report shows the extent of that impact, drawing on responses from more than 17,000 young Australians aged 14 to 19. Among young people who answered questions about their housing situation, 3.6 per cent said they had experienced homelessness in the previous 12 months.

Workplace culture is the result of relational experiences. In a safe and vibrant culture, people experience a sense of authenticity, connection and strength. The environment allows them to be heard, speak up without fear, and contribute without being judged. They feel safe and empowered. In a toxic and depleting culture, people feel isolated and judged. They operate with a fend-for-yourself attitude or capitulate and give in to the system.

Alice Spraggon spent her early career dealing with the fallout of broken systems. As a police officer in London, she arrested young people whose offenses stemmed from loneliness and neglect, while their parents never appeared, leaving social services to step in. She realised she was treating symptoms, not causes. That insight, that systems often respond to crises rather than prevent them, has driven her career ever since.

Australia’s social economy contributes billions of dollars to the economy. It employs more than 1.6 million people, yet growing financial, workforce and operational pressures are testing whether the sector can continue to meet rising community demand without greater investment. Charities, not-for-profits, social enterprises, cooperatives and mutuals play an essential role in supporting communities across Australia.

The success of child reform will depend not only on new funding or program design but also on whether governments strengthen the workforce already supporting children and families. That question sits at the heart of growing concerns about the New South Wales Government’s Thriving Kids initiative. Occupational Therapy Australia and the New South Wales Allied Health Providers Group support the reform’s goal of improving outcomes for children and families.

A growing number of disadvantaged young Australians are leaving school before completing Year 12. Many are finding it increasingly difficult to find work or continue their education after they leave. New research from The Smith Family suggests the transition from school to employment or further study is becoming increasingly challenging for young people already facing disadvantages.