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Articles by Nick Place
National campaign to save Ask Izzy gathers signatures and momentum
A national campaign to restore federal funding for Ask Izzy has attracted such strong grassroots support that organiser Infoxchange Australia is exploring new ways to harness the momentum. Ask Izzy is a free directory that helps Australians battling adversity to find housing, food, family violence support and mental health services. Infoxchange says the directory logged 9.1 million searches for assistance in the past year.
Charities minister to urge Australians to stop scrolling, join in their communities
In the wake of an act of violence against federal independent MP Helen Haines, Charities Minister Dr Andrew Leigh will tonight deliver an impassioned plea for Australians to see social media harm for what it is and to work harder, collectively, to protect democracy and one another. The text of Leigh’s Joan Kirner Social Justice Oration was written before the attack on Haines, but it centres on what is required to prevent and reject such violence.
Electoral laws allow pre-vote activities but not endorsements, ACNC reminds charities
If your charity takes a stance that happens to align with a political party’s stance in a public debate, that’s okay. But telling people to vote for that party? Not okay. These are the subtleties of pre-election activities for charities registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). In a recent advisory, the ACNC reminded charities what they can and can’t do in the heat of an election campaign – for most charities, the advice will seem like common sense.
Why Carol Webb took a while to even realise she was a carer
Carers Victoria is holding an event this afternoon (October 14) during National Carers Week to celebrate and acknowledge carers in all their incarnations. One of the speakers will be Carol Webb, a Carers Victoria board member and carer to her son Davie, who was born with hearing loss and a rare genetic condition called Treacher Collins Syndrome. We chatted to Carol about her life as a carer. Carol, were you involved in the world of carers before your son was born?
Card surcharge ban leaves charities with questions – and costs
The Reserve Bank’s move to ban card payment surcharges has led to complications for charities and not-for-profits who rely on donations, with some organisations unclear whether they need to absorb transaction costs formerly borne by donors. The sector appears confused by the change and how to deal with it, and EP Law, a legal offshoot of Equitable Philanthropy, has held more than 60 conversations in the past week alone with charities seeking guidance.
‘The mind boggles’: federal envoy blasts NT housing decision
The federal government’s special envoy for social housing and homelessness, Josh Burns MP, has admonished the Northern Territory government for not using available federal resources to help reduce the rate of homelessness in the Territory – which he said is nearly 12 times the national average. Speaking at the Australian Homelessness Conference in Darwin last Thursday, Burns said the 2021 census had identified about 13,000 people experiencing homelessness in the NT.
Juukan Gorge history looms over Rio Tinto language partnership
The Australian Literacy & Numeracy Foundation (ALNF) has announced a partnership with mining giant Rio Tinto to help several First Nations communities preserve and strengthen their languages. The three-year partnership will enable communities to develop digital resources to keep languages strong and accessible for future generations.
From passion project to a national prison newspaper, speaking to and for those doing time
Joseph Friedman is co-founder and publisher of About Time, Australia’s only newspaper for prisoners, their families, ex-inmates and others interested in the corrections system. We spoke to Joseph about the paper’s evolution. What led to the creation of About Time? I co-founded it with Rosie Heselev. The first edition launched in July 2024, but we started putting things together behind the scenes as far back as 2021.
Ending homelessness is possible, conference told
A conference in Darwin will this morning hear detailed, strategic plans for how Australia could “end” homelessness. Australian Alliance to End Homelessness (AAEF) chief executive David Pearson told the Community Advocate in the lead-up to this morning’s session that such an ambitious goal was realistic, and communities have proven it’s possible.
Save Izzy: campaign calls on government to restore funding for vital services directory
A major public campaign launched this morning is calling on the federal government to restore millions of dollars in funding for Ask Izzy, an Infoxchange service that connects people in need with essential services, food, housing, health and safety. A free and anonymous website, Ask Izzy offers “Australia’s largest and most comprehensive directory of social support, with more than 500,000 listings,” Infoxchange said.
Sector on alert as sophisticated scams target NFPs
Not-for-profit leaders have been warned to be wary of approaches from potential “funding partners” as sophisticated scams target the sector. Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF) has released a statement confirming that scammers were purporting to represent the foundation while asking charities to pay a fee to be considered for grants. This is something that the foundation would never do, the statement said. One of the scam emails.
Scholarships today for better community outcomes tomorrow
More than 200 fully funded Centre for Social Impact (CSI) scholarships will help equip for-purpose leaders with the tools and knowledge required to tackle society’s biggest challenges. The 220 scholarships, to be awarded over five years starting in 2027, will offer NFP board directors a chance to enrol in CSI’s Governance for Social Impact program, or its Giving Academy, which supports funders and NFP professionals looking to strengthen their philanthropic practice.
Lived experience stories are vital but so is protecting the people who tell them
Personal stories are among the most powerful tools a charity can have to raise funds and awareness, but gathering and telling those stories with sensitivity and care is often left to chance and instinct. To combat this, Kate May from the values-based communications firm Common Cause has created training in “lived experience storytelling”.
Have your say on whether new rules should lift the veil on charity regulator investigations
Eight years after a report to Treasury first suggested the charities regulator should be more transparent, Treasury is accepting submissions from the charity sector on the issue. Treasury’s window for consultation on draft changes to Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) regulations closes on Friday, October 2.
Fairfax–Yiliyapinya funding agreement is a meeting of minds
Fresh from welcoming delegates to last week’s Philanthropy Australia conference in Brisbane, philanthropist Tim Fairfax has announced a new nine-year commitment to a major Indigenous corporation. An agreement between Tim Fairfax Family Foundation (TFFF) and the Yiliyapinya Indigenous Corporation provides flexible operational support that will allow Yiliyapinya to invest according to its own priorities.
Less funding, more demand: charities globally are feeling the heat
A just-released major global survey of charities has found that demand for charity assistance has ballooned across the planet. Two-thirds of charities say they have seen an increase in need, and most are finding it hard to cope. The extra burden comes as fewer than two in five charities feel they are financially and operationally set up for success over the next three years, while less than one in ten feel “very well set up”.
Unique survey examines effective strategic decision-making in NFPs
While there is no shortage of studies examining not-for-profits from every angle, a new research project from the Centre for Social Purpose Organisations aims to chart new territory: how effective NFP leaders are at strategic decision-making. The Centre for Social Purpose Organisations is part of the Melbourne Business School at the University of Melbourne. It aims to bring the school’s business management and leadership training to the NFP sector.
How Kangaroo Island turned crises into community strength
Tourism is a large source of income for Kangaroo Island, 210 km south-west of Adelaide, but the marketing campaign probably shouldn’t involve the word “lucky”. So far this decade, the island has endured a catastrophic bushfire, the covid pandemic, a drought, a devastating algal bloom outbreak, and now bird flu.
Funds put $3 million on the table for climate change help – and invite others in
A new partnership between Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF) and Atlassian Foundation aims to attract further impact investment to help communities grappling with the effects of climate change. Atlassian Foundation has committed $US1 million (roughly $A1.4 million), which has been matched by PRF’s Impact First Fund.
You can’t control the tide, but you can change the way you swim: UNICEF Australia boss
In the face of challenging conditions in the giving sector, UNICEF Australia chief executive Tony Stuart has urged not-for-profit (NFP) leaders to be adaptable in how they approach their work, how their organisations are structured and how they help others negotiate difficulties.
The other inequality: the haves and have-nots of Australian charities
Australian giving platform Good Company has used artificial intelligence to examine the financial inequalities baked into the Australian charity sector. Good Company used AI to see if the distribution of donations, government funding, and volunteer support in data reported to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) matched the Pareto principle that 80 per cent of outcomes come from 20 per cent of inputs. What the company found was even more confronting.
Young leaders need to be more than a token presence in decision-making, says former Australian United Nations Youth Ambassador
At last week’s Amplify Alliance National NFP Summit, Satara Uthayakumaran, 23, brought the voices and ideas of the next generation to the stage. The former Australian Youth Representative to the United Nations led the Next Generation Leadership Assembly as part of the summit. We spoke to Satara about her work. Satara, what is your day job? I’m in my final year of uni (arts-law at Australian National University).
Two years on, the NFP blueprint is working: expert
One of the architects of the 2024 Not-For-Profit Sector Development Blueprint says the document remains relevant, has been embraced by important ministries and could still lead to a breakthrough in sector-government relations – as long as the sector continues to champion it.
The cheque will no longer be in the mail. Are you ready?
Charities and not-for-profits still relying on cheque donations have been urged to explore alternative donation strategies, as Australia’s deadline looms for the phasing out of cheques as a means of payment. The Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) and the Australian Payments Network are warning charities that they need to move away from cheques before that form of payment begins to shut down on June 30, 2028. By September 30, 2029, no cheques of any kind will be accepted.
From spinners to musicians, the tiny Victorian Goldfields groups taking on the world
In a low-slung community hall at Campbell’s Creek, near the Victorian Goldfields town of Castlemaine, Rev Tim Costello yesterday told a group of local community leaders that resistance against the world’s troubles started in that hall, with them.
Disability Club: How Nathan Johnston has created an all-abilities algorithm
Nathan Johnston lives in Bega, NSW, and lives with cerebral palsy. He’s the creator of Disability Club, a social media app and website, and it’s starting to build momentum. We chatted to Nathan about his work. Nathan, how long have you been working on the Disability Club platform, and why? For four years. It's a social media platform for people with disability. I started it during the pandemic with all the lockdowns because I felt isolated.
Let us do business our way: Indigenous leader’s challenge to governments and funders
Delegates at the Amplify Alliance National NFP Summit in Canberra yesterday were asked to truly include Indigenous community representatives in deciding and implementing First Nations projects, without mob having to navigate endless layers of western administration, acquittals and demands. The founder and managing director of First Nations Economics, Rick Macourt, spoke passionately about the need to reform funding of Indigenous programs to stop perpetuating inequity.
Broome-based Morrgul wins major Supply Nation award for helping Aboriginal businesses grow
Broome-based not-for-profit Morrgul has taken out the major impact award at Supply Nation’s Supplier Diversity Awards. The annual awards acknowledge businesses, NFPs, government agencies and individuals who have strengthened the Indigenous business sector, with Morrgul – the name means “working together” – taking home the Dr Dean Jarrett Award for Outstanding Impact.
NFP leader calls time on ‘master–servant’ relationship with government
Sector leader Violet Roumeliotis has called on government and funders to stop treating not-for-profit organisations as second-class citizens, describing the treatment as “toxic”.
People with Purpose: Why Coralie Wales says lifting weights is essential for a healthy future
Coralie Wales is the founder of Strong Australia, an ACNC-registered health promotion charity that aims to educate and inspire Australians about the need to build strength, especially as they age. We caught up with Coralie to find out why she’s doing the heavy lifting to raise awareness. Coralie, why are you so intent on asking Australians to consider lifting weights? Well, I’m going to be quite personal because it is all very personal; your muscles are a very personal thing, aren’t they?
One of the best forms of dispute prevention is at your fingertips – if it’s up to date
Attendees at last Friday’s Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) Governing for Good forum heard that it was essential that charities treated their constitution as a “live” document, to be reviewed, read and considered regularly. Some charities view their constitution as an annoying legal obligation, but that could not be further from the truth, the panellists agreed, saying it was a vital document that mustn’t be allowed to drift out of date.
Small Kiwi charities finding nothing boring about untied, report-free funding
Who knew the revolution would be so boring? New Zealand not-for-profits, voluntary groups and charities are currently being offered an opportunity that sounds too good to be true: The Boring Fund Aotearoa offers $NZ500 in randomly drawn, untied funding with no reporting necessary.
New report warns authorities not equipped to deal with coordinated online hate
A report being released in Canberra this morning calls for urgent changes in the way online hate campaigns are recognised, monitored, shut down and prosecuted. The report, from the Online Hate Prevention Institute, details a year-long campaign of hate against Collective Shout, an all-female organisation that challenges the objectification of women and the sexualisation of girls in media, advertising and popular culture.
Community organisations invited to apply for $200 million in funding to increase participation by people with disability
The federal Department of Health, Disability and Ageing is calling for submissions on how to help people with disability participate in the wider community, with $200 million earmarked for making the best ideas happen. The government plans to spend the Inclusive Communities Fund over three years, creating more opportunities for people with disability to participate in social, recreational, arts, sporting, cultural or other community activities.
International aid NGOs persevere despite shrinking donations and workforce
A major report on the state of donations in the international aid sector has found that fewer donors are giving more, and employee numbers and projects are strained. Yet it also found that the organisations surveyed continue to record significant achievements. The research was undertaken by the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), the peak body for Australian non-government organisations (NGOs) involved in international development and humanitarian action.
Revamping DGR system would ease angst over tax on trusts: sector leaders
Charity sector heavyweights say a federal Treasury plan to introduce a 30 per cent minimum tax on discretionary trusts will see donations to Australian charities drop unless there is meaningful reform of Australia’s deductible gift recipient (DGR) system.
Census promises vital data for the NFP sector
One of the richest sources of vital data for Australia’s NFP sector will be tapped next Tuesday, August 11, when the census happens across the nation. Held every five years, the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ census is a comprehensive questionnaire put to Australian households, a method of gathering information that is crucial to charities and foundations that need to know where help is needed, where vulnerable demographic groups are, and other information.
The power of community meets the power of the internet in auDA community grants
If you have a plan to use the internet to make the world a better place, Australia’s .au domain regulator might be able to help. auDA - .au Domain Administration, the not-for-profit organisation charged with managing Australia’s four million-plus .au domain names, has announced that applications are now open for its 2026 community grants program.
Vulnerable women warned to silence secret phones ahead of AusAlert trial
Domestic violence sector leaders have voiced concerns over a planned test of the AusAlert disaster warning system set for July 27. AusAlert is a government initiative designed to send warning messages to all mobile devices in a designated area when a natural disaster, security threat, biosecurity incident or public health emergency looms. The warning emits a loud siren for about 10 seconds and makes phones vibrate.
Vote now: Celebrating resilience through a camera lens
The finalists in the Resilient Australia Photography Awards capture such moments, as well as preparations and recovery, as bushfires and other natural disasters threaten towns, forests, and people. Public voting has opened for the awards, an initiative of the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR) and the Australian and New Zealand Council for fire and emergency service (AFAC). Australians are invited to visit Facebook to look at all the finalists and vote.
How new community charity laws are helping NFPs attract donations
Small, remote and other charities unable to access deductible gift recipient (DGR) type 1 status are starting to benefit from new community charities tax laws. The CEO of Australian Communities Foundation, Andrew Binns, said the federal government’s introduction of ‘community charity’ status for more than 30 community foundations was having a positive affect on donations.
Many hands make light work – but only if there’s a strategically minded volunteer coordinator in the mix
The charity sector’s reliance on a volunteer workforce is well documented, but the ramifications when volunteers don’t show up are less often discussed. Charity founder Kellie Wishart tells a story about a family violence charity that makes major deliveries for Mothers Day and Christmas. On one occasion, the charity needed to pack thousands of hampers to be delivered by community agencies to women and children escaping violence.
Kate McQuestin’s global view of what it means to be Australian
Kate McQuestin is CEO of Global Australians, a not-for-profit aimed at connecting Australians living overseas, returned from overseas, or with family connections across the globe. Global Australians organises meet-ups, knowledge sharing, career assistance and celebrates expatriate success through awards. We spoke to Kate about her work. Kate, what is Global Australians and what does it do? We describe it as connecting the dots around the world.
People with Purpose: Anthea Skinner proves living with disability can’t stop the music (Nobody can stop the music)
Anthea Skinner is a musicologist, a senior lecturer in disability creative performance at the University of Melbourne, and a co-founder of IncLab, an organisation that enables people living with disability to play music. We talked to her about her work. Anthea, what do you do? I’m still figuring it out myself, I won’t lie.
Report says workplace age discrimination is on for young and old
Age discrimination is happening at both ends of the age spectrum and is intensified by other social factors, according to a new report by the Diversity Council Australia and the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Show me the coffee! Fundraisers to celebrate collective contribution
Australia’s fundraising community is set to come together this Friday for a nationwide group hug on the third annual Fundraiser Appreciation Day. The day started three years ago when a few Brisbane-based fundraisers decided July 3 was the perfect day to high-five one another and acknowledge all the hard work of their respective EOFY campaigns. One of their number, Ryan Ginard, now with Minderoo Foundation, had just returned from the United States, where Fundraiser Appreciation Day is celebrated.
The biggest barrier to mental health support? The systems that are supposed to be helping
A mental health study conducted among multicultural men’s groups in South Australia has concluded that existing systems and funding models are the biggest barriers to meeting the needs of these communities and wider society. “The findings are clear and directly relevant to anyone working in or alongside community-led organisations,” said project report author Ukash Ahmed, from the Multicultural Communities Council of South Australia (MCCSA).
Joan Kirner Emerging Leaders graduates have a chance to lead in a way that reflects ‘the way women do things’
Victoria’s Minister for Women and Girls, Gabrielle Williams, reflected that it was “a strange time to be alive, and a strange time for women stepping into positions of leadership” as she congratulated graduates of the 2026 Joan Kirner Emerging Leaders program on Monday. The minister was referring to the fact that some governments around the world, and some with ambitions of governing in Australia, were seeking to wind back long-established women’s rights.
Lizzie Mettam loves empowering domestic violence survivors, one safe phone at a time
Lizzie Mettam manages corporate partnerships for DV Safe Phone, an organisation that provides refurbished mobile phones free of surveillance software to survivors of domestic violence. We chatted to Lizzie about this vital work. Lizzie, what is DV Safe Phone? DV Safe Phone is a national charity that provides safe, recycled mobile phones to people impacted by domestic and family violence.
Executive salaries rise as charities struggle to avoid high staff turnover among cost-of-living challenges
The pay cheques of charity CEOs rose significantly in the past year, according to the 2026 Pro Bono NFP Salary Survey, as charities worked to hang on to senior leaders in the face of sector challenges. Pro Bono founder and chair Karen Mahlab admitted she was surprised by the finding, although the wider survey indicated that salaries were a significant driver of employee retention at all levels. “Remuneration is fundamental,” Mahlab said.
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