![Study reveals what Australians really think of the community sector](https://ourcomm-craft.s3.amazonaws.com/general/Articles/_large/DiversityMelbourne_Crowd_iStock-1086630220_2024-07-17-035105_xuwe.jpeg)
Study reveals what Australians really think of the community sector
Posted on 17 Jul 2024
New research has laid bare Australians' vastly differing attitudes towards the community sector.
Posted on 07 Feb 2024
By Nina Laitala, lead trainer, Institute of Community Directors Australia
Collaboration is the key to success for a resource starved not-for-profit sector, says Nina Laitala, lead trainer, Institute of Community Directors Australia.
A concern shared by many NFPs across Australia is a lack of resources, whether it’s funding, time, volunteers, skills, diversity of thought, or experience on the board. This will come as no surprise to anyone working in the sector.
So, what can we do about it?
By design, the sector relies on volunteers, members, staff and other concerned people to do the work we do. The problems we’re trying to solve can’t be solved by just one organisation, so we must work together.
In 2024 we will see an increased need for collaboration as the struggle to adequately resource our organisations continues.
When resources are tight, competition becomes fiercer, but it is in these trying circumstances that collaboration is most effective and most powerful. We have many, many NFP and community organisations in Australia and many voices that are fighting to be heard.
So how do we work better together to amplify our messages, use our limited funding more effectively and share volunteers to avoid burnout?
Collaborate requires negotiation skills, including the willingness and ability to compromise and adapt for the sake of the big picture. ICDA has worked with many small organisations in regional communities that have developed effective ways of working together to maximise their individual as well as their collective impact.
"When resources are tight, competition becomes fiercer, but it is in these trying circumstances that collaboration is most effective and most powerful."
Here are some of those techniques that all NFPs and community organisations should be considering:
The organisations we’ve worked with have been able to establish these practices and structures by holding regular network meetings and developing a strong collective understanding of what they are trying to achieve.
This kind of collaborative approach means that individual organisations are able to continue with their specialist work while also contributing to the bigger picture that benefits the broader community.
ICDA looks forward to supporting the sector to create stronger collaborations and partnerships through training, resources, news and information in 2024.
Posted on 17 Jul 2024
New research has laid bare Australians' vastly differing attitudes towards the community sector.
Posted on 17 Jul 2024
Charities Minister Andrew Leigh was put on the spot this month in ICDA’s quarterly newscast, the…
Posted on 12 Jun 2024
If you’re not careful, your annual general meeting (AGM) can be a deadly dull affair: the bare…
Posted on 12 Jun 2024
The end-of-year reporting process and the audit that comes with it are often seen as a challenging…
Posted on 12 Jun 2024
Annual reports have a bad rap, with many people thinking of them as dull and dusty doorstops.
Posted on 12 Jun 2024
AGMs are sometimes seen as irritating annual bureaucratic hurdles, as meetings that must be held…
Posted on 14 May 2024
Nearly 1000 coders, data scientists and artificial intelligence experts have converged to witness a…
Posted on 09 May 2024
Not-for-profits wanting to win the political and influence game can boost their negotiating power…
Posted on 09 May 2024
I recently wrote about the impotent campaigning of the Yes campaign. The current debate and…
Posted on 09 May 2024
A foremost expert in helping not-for-profits build better connections with government decision…
Posted on 09 May 2024
Many in the philanthropic and charity sectors have tremendous policy reform ideas that would help…
Posted on 09 May 2024
One of the most powerful tools any community group can have is the ability to inspire and mobilise…