Not-for-profit blueprint needs broad support to work

The NFP Sector Development Blueprint was presented to the federal government in November with strong backing from sector advocates and scholars, and the involvement of federal Treasury and the Department of Social Services.

The government is due to respond by March 31.

The project has been guided by the Blueprint Expert Reference Group (BERG), a 10-member panel comprising leaders of major NFPs such as ACOSS, the St Vincent de Paul Society, Anglicare Australia, Volunteering Australia and the Federation of Ethnic Communities Councils of Australia.

Following the Blueprint’s release, BERG member Cassandra Goldie, the CEO of ACOSS, called on the government to support it.

“The community NFP sector is one of the most trusted and respected voices in national debates. Our sector connects people together, helps them in the hardest of times, and offers leadership for improving the lives of people across Australia.

“I call on the Prime Minister, Treasurer and key members of the cabinet to back our sector on the investments we clearly need. We deliver every day, on the frontline delivering care in our communities. We now need the government to deliver and play its part.”

Professor Jo Barraket, an expert advisor to the BERG and the Blueprint’s lead author, said the government was expected to respond in March with a timeline and funding commitments.

Key priorities in the Blueprint include:

• reforms to the deductible gift recipient (DGR) system
• support for NFP advocacy and peak bodies
• financial sustainability for the sector through indexation and “full-cost funding”
• support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander self-determination
• assistance with digital transformation and capability.

“Given that the NFP sector is such a major national contributor to our workforce, economy, social and environmental wellbeing, the government has a unique moment to embrace the reforms set out in the Blueprint,” Barraket said.

“Importantly, the Blueprint is an independent, non-partisan and sector-led roadmap, so I also hope that all major parties and crossbenchers in the federal Parliament support its implementation.”

She described the coming election as “but one milestone in a longer reform journey”, and said that she would like the main parties to commit to implementation in the coming parliamentary term, regardless of who forms government.

The Blueprint’s success depended on broad political support “in our national interest”, she said.

She noted that the Opposition Charities Minister, Senator Dean Smith, had been briefed on the Blueprint, and had expressed his support in his guest appearance on ICDA’s Not-for-profit Agenda webcast late last year.

Barraket encouraged all not-for-profits to familiarise themselves with the Blueprint.

“I'd love to see NFPs across the country reading the Blueprint, and determining for themselves what initiatives resonate for them, and where they see the opportunity to take action without waiting for government,” she said.

“The Blueprint initiatives are not confined to government-led reforms and include a range of priorities that can be taken up by sector organisations and through partnerships, including with philanthropy.”

She urged organisations to approach members of the expert reference group, to get involved in key proposals or to establish “coalitions for change”. She pointed to the work of ACOSS in hosting public webinars on the Blueprint, as well as the efforts of NFP tech advocacy group Infoxchange in hosting a recent digital transformation workshop.

ICDA hosted a webinar explaining the blueprint in December.

Barraket emphasised that the Blueprint was different from past studies and reports.

“The Blueprint is not a wish list, it's a reform roadmap. It is also not a government inquiry, but a sector-led process that was enabled by the federal government. It integrates priorities for sector reform with broader national priorities related to our collective wellbeing, our economic productivity, and the strength of our democracy.”

She said the Blueprint had “stepped out the proposed initiatives along a 10-year timeframe, identifying which items are for immediate action, and who is responsible, recognising accountabilities for both governments and the sector itself”.