Financial management

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Enhancing your financial management skills can improve your organisation's ability to deliver services, budget accurately, apply for grants and produce financial reports.

This section describes some of the legal and financial obligations of community organisations and their management committees. The issues covered are taxation, fundraising and consumer rights.

How healthy is your organisation?

Thu, 19/07/2018 - 7:00am

Organisations are just like the human body. They need a periodic check-up to stay healthy. The Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) has launched a free, online self-assessment tool to help NFPs assess their governance and financial health. Participants will be asked a series of questions...

National legislative changes to payday lending and predatory leases

Tue, 08/05/2018 - 7:00am

Consumer leases and payday loans are often targeted at the most vulnerable members of society. Community legal centres and consumer groups frequently assist victims of this predatory behaviour, that ignores or hinders the borrower’s ability to repay the debt. There has been some progress in terms...

How new accounting standards will affect non-profit business

Fri, 27/04/2018 - 7:00am

The Windsor Group and BDO Australia will be holding a free event to discuss the changes to accounting standards announced by the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) that will affect your non-profit business. The event will be led two experts Russell Postle, Partner at BDO Australia and Mel...

SEQ's not-for-profits given a helping hand after TC Debbie

Mon, 10/04/2017 - 9:11am

Media Statement Minister for Communities, Women and Youth, Minister for Child Safety and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence The Honourable Shannon Fentiman Financial assistance is now available for south-east Queensland’s not-for-profit organisations that have been affected...

Queensland’s first Social Benefit Bond to address Indigenous disadvantage

Tue, 04/04/2017 - 6:45am

Breaking the cycle of over representation of Aboriginal and Torres Islander children in out-of-home-care is the focus of Queensland’s first social impact investment initiative, announced by Queensland Treasurer Curtis Pitt in Cairns today. The ‘New Parent Infant Network’ (NEWPIN) service is the...

New Issues Paper launched on Accounting Standards for the Not-For-Profit Sector

Wed, 29/03/2017 - 2:38pm

Anglicare Australia, together with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profit Commission (ACNC) and the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) today launched a new issues paper on not-for profit sector reporting and accountability. The paper, entitled: Issues Paper: Better Financial...

Financial advice for not-for-profits

Mon, 20/03/2017 - 12:00pm

If your not-for-profit organisation is in need of financial guidance and has an annual turnover of under $250,000, you can sign up to the Mentor the Treasurer program . In partnership with Pro Bono Australia, CPA Australia assists not for profits by connecting them with qualified CPA Australia...

New eTraining course for managers and organisations new to the social service sector

Thu, 23/02/2017 - 2:00pm

We have launched a brand new course on the Community Door eTraining website which provides an introduction to the social service sector in Queensland for managers and organisations new to the sector. It is free for anyone to access. It features a profile of the sector in Queensland, insights into...

ACNC Annual Information Statement now available

Fri, 20/01/2017 - 8:52am

If your organisation is a charity registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), your 2016 Annual Information Statement may be due soon. The ACNC has a wealth of resources to assist you with completing the Annual Information Statement, including a checklist, a step-...

Love your tender webinar series

Tue, 20/12/2016 - 6:48am

Back by popular demand The State Councils of Social Service (COSS) are partnering to once again deliver a webinar series to uncover what every not-for-profit organisation needs to know about effectively responding to government procurement processes. The webinars will cover: Getting “tender ready”...

oneplace community services directory

Are you looking for support in Queensland, or trying to find a service that meets your needs? Now you can search oneplace , the service directory hosted by the Queensland Family and Child Commission. oneplace is an easily accessible directory of community services to help Queensland families to get...

Financial Counsellors' Association of Queensland

The Financial Counsellors' Association of Queensland is the peak professional body representing the membership of 74 Financial Counsellors throughout inner city, suburban and regional Queensland. The FCAQ is also a not for profit organisation whose members provide a fee and accessible financial...

Foresters Community Finance

Foresters Community Finance is a non-profit organisation that has been delivering community finance and social investment products in Australia for the past 20 years. It is a Community Development Finance Institution (CDFI). CDFI’s are socially focused organisations that use community finance and...

Legal Health Check

The Legal Health Check is a collaboration between the Queensland Public Interest Law Clearing House (QPILCH) and the National Association of Community Legal Centres Inc. The Legal Health Check provides a number of resources and tools to help organisations identify their clients' legal needs and...

Social benefit bonds - a new source of funds

In the first reading of the 2015 Queensland Budget Speech on 14 July 2015, Treasurer Pitt announced that the Queensland Government will pilot 3 social benefit bonds aimed at sourcing funds from the private sector to finance the achievement of quantifiable social outcomes in the community. The pilot...

Community Resource Handbooks

The Community Resource Handbooks were launched by Volunteering Queensland on 12 May 2015. They consolidate the knowledge gained through Volunteering Queensland's community leadership work with more than 2,000 community groups over the past fifteen years. The handbooks are aimed at small to medium...

Damn Good Advice for Board Members

Our Community Pty Ltd has published practical advice on finances for not-for-profit board members. The book is part of CommunitySmart, a national financial literacy program development by Commonwealth Bank Not for Profit Sector Banking and the Institute for Community Directors Australia (part of...

Ourcommunity Community Financial Centre

The Community Financial Centre has been established by Our Community to give not-for-profit organisations of all types and sizes access to tools and resources to help improve their financial management, and better and more cost effective banking services. The site covers managing money,...

ImproveIT

Information technology and online solutions can help your community organisation work better. ACOSS, Infoxchange and the Department of Communications have teamed up to bring you Digital Business Kits which give you the tools and information to do more online. Digital Business Kits are hosted on...

Rethinking Resources

In March 2014, QCOSS produced the Rethinking Resources: Case Studies of Financial Resilience from Community Services report, in which community organisations from Queensland share how they are working to increase their financial sustainability. The strategies they employ include social enterprise,...

How to decide on a Client Relationship Management system

Authored by: Craig Ford, Polymorphic Solutions Your community organisation might have run on spreadsheets, shared folders and Access databases until one day, when you realised the systems don’t talk to each other and your organisation can’t grow without a single integrated system. Then it is time...

Queensland Government Resources for Business

Many not-for-profit organisations are now developing income-generating activities to reduce the reliance on government and philanthropic funding, and others are establishing social enterprises to respond to client needs in a sustainable way. The development of business skills and systems is very...

Financial literacy video resource

With funding provided by the Australian Government Child Care Services Support Program (CCSSP), Network SA have developed a financial literacy video resource to support directors and management committees of community based child care centres to read and understand financial reporting requirements...

Industrial Relations Legislation

Industrial relations legislation in Queensland can be found on the Fair Work Commission's website . The main pieces of legislation are: Fair Work Act 2009 Fair Work Regulations 2009 Fair Work Commission Rules 2013

Powers of Attorney Act 1998

Power of Attorney A power of attorney is a formal document allowing someone else to make decisions on your behalf; both personl and financial. This person can apply for a Domestic Violence Order on the behalf of someone experiencing domestic and family violence. The Powers of Attorney Act 1998...

Not-for-profit Legislation

There are a range of legal structures which may be suitable for Queensland not-for-profit community groups. The four main options are: an incorporated association: Associations Incorporation Act 1981 (QLD) and Associations Incorporation Regulation 1999 (QLD) a company limited by guarantee:...

Social Benefit Bonds expressions of interest

Thu, 10/03/2016 - 11:03am

Author:

The Social Benefit Bond Program, Queensland Treasury

The competitive tender process for the Queensland government's new Social Benefit Bonds program has recently been launched, and the Invitation for Expressions of Interest (EOI) documents are available via...

Five must-dos for surviving a volatile funding environment

Wed, 05/08/2015 - 2:43pm

Author:

Darren Smith, Breaking New Ground

A new chapter in the story of the not-for-profit sector is being drafted. How do small to medium organisations ensure they're written into the script?

The not-for-profit sector has already experienced significant change and uncertainty over the last few years:

funding

The Organisational Development Toolkit

Wed, 29/04/2015 - 12:25pm

Author:

Kylie Hogan, National Disability Services

The Community Services Industry is facing a myriad of reforms and challenges now and into the future.

Challenges such as an ageing population, workforce shortages, sector-wide reforms, technological advances and economic uncertainty are making it more important than ever for...

Regional Cost of Living report

Fri, 19/12/2014 - 10:09am

Author:

Shelley Dunlop, QCOSS

The Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) has just released a new cost of living report examining the cost of living pressures across six Queensland regional centres – Brisbane, Gold Coast, Cairns, Mount Isa, Rockhampton and Kingaroy.

The report uses the existing Cost of Living...

Access to capital is key to the future of community organisations

Tue, 16/09/2014 - 4:54pm

Author:

Alyce Maschio, Foresters Community Finance

For social enterprises and non-profit organisations, access to capital means they can build financial independence, own assets, leverage greater community benefits, and develop capacity to build a sustainable long-term future.

As the funding landscape changes and major sector...

Where you spend your money matters: social enterprise in Australia

Tue, 15/07/2014 - 10:10am

Author:

Mindy Leow, Social Traders

As the Australian social enterprise sector grows, it’s easier for consumers and organisations to deliver social impact through their spending.

Social enterprises are businesses that sell goods and services into the marketplace in order to deliver community benefit. The...

The Queensland Budget 2014/15

Wed, 11/06/2014 - 1:10pm

Author:

Gail Slocombe, Senior Project Officer, QCOSS

Last week saw the third budget for Queensland Treasurer the Hon Tim Nicholls, MP.

You can see the Treasurer's presentation at the QCOSS Budget Breakfast on StudioQ.

It’s clear...

Rethinking Resources: what can we learn from each other?

Thu, 08/05/2014 - 11:39am

Author:

Anne Curson, Queensland Council of Social Service

This month QCOSS releases the Rethinking Resources: Case Studies of Financial Resilience from Community Services report, in which community organisations from Queensland share...

The who, what, where, when, why and how of grant writing

Wed, 07/05/2014 - 2:02pm

Author:

Tiffany Tento, Queensland Council of Social Service

The Tasmanian Government together with Regional Development Australia and the Tasmanian Early Years Foundation have published a useful guide on the ...