Top not-for-profit thinkers spell out your priorities for COVID-19
In this essential reading, the Community Directors Council reveal the actions your group must take…
Save Our Sector: Our covid-19 response
Helping the not-for-profit sector to survive, reinvent and sustain.
#SaveOurSector
These are unprecedented and difficult times ...
We’re giving the not-for-profit sector free and affordable access to a library of capacity building resources to help you cope with the ongoing impact of covid-19.
It’s time to survive, reinvent and sustain!
You'll find a variety of help here including research, covid-19 news, trusted sources, policy templates, guides and free webinars. These will help you work out how your preparations compare with others in the sector, and help give you an overview of the challenges ahead. We continue to update this page with resources as they are made available.
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Top links
Vax Pack: Resources for your NFP
NFP news blog: Sector response
Covid-19 tips from top NFP thinkers
Trusted sources for COVID-19 help
Funding Centre: Find financial help
Comment: Borders aren't protection
Our pledge to not-for-profits
GiveNow: Cool COVID-19 causes
Ask Agony Uncle for advice
Subscribe for the ICDA updates
Help Sheets
Scroll through 20+ COVID-19-focused help sheets | More ICDA Tools & Resources
How to win grants for your not-for-profit during the pandemic
With 160 grant rounds aimed at mitigating the effects of COVID-19 now listed on the Funding Centre…
Dealing with volunteers during COVID-19
Justice Connect’s Not-for-profit Law service has compiled these answers to questions about dealing…
How to take your AGM online
Annual General Meetings are essential business for not-for-profits, with most states requiring…
Questions every not-for-profit board should ask about the finances
The COVID-19 crisis highlighted the importance of financial literacy in not-for-profit…
How to manage COVID-19 risks at fundraisers and events
Insurance experts Aon have cast their eyes over the issues you’ll need to consider when hosting…
How to use social media to help your organisation through COVID-19
No matter which way you cut it, 2020 has been (and continues to be) a tough year for your…
FAQs about your not-for-profit’s AGM
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way not-for-profits are run, and AGMs will never be the same.…
Why a growth mindset could be one of your organisation’s most powerful funding tools
The shockwaves from the COVID-19 crisis have shaken many organisations to the core.
Ten things not-for-profit directors should do during the COVID-19 crisis
Okay, everyone’s telling you this, but that doesn’t mean it’s got any less important. Before going…
Your COVID-19 funding questions answered
Many organisations run into trouble because they rely on too few sources of funding, or because…
How you can ‘flatten the curve’ of mental ill-health during the pandemic
There are worrying signs that the health, social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are…
Use this script: Agony Uncle helps you get a better deal
In this help sheet series, Our Community’s resident agony uncle, Chris Borthwick, offers answers to…
Free exercise program helps NFP workers stay flexible and mission-focused
This help sheet was graciously written by Shelly Harper, an accredited exercise physiologist from…
Show them you love them: how to thank your volunteers
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the good in Australians. When we become aware of people in…
Aon answers your COVID-19 insurance questions
The COVID-19 crisis has had a huge impact on community sector organisations, and many have been…
Tech tools for not-for-profits working from home
Do you find yourself suddenly working from home, but struggling to get on top of all the tech you…
What should I do about my AGM in the midst of COVID-19?
This help sheet is just one of the ways the Our Community Group is working to support…
Ways to help your not-for-profit survive the COVID-19 turmoil
Not-for-profits are used to keeping a tight budget and working efficiently and effectively with…
Agony Uncle: Can we keep trading while ‘pandemic-ated’ and facing an insolvency risk?
In this help sheet series, Our Community’s resident agony uncle, Chris Borthwick, offers answers to…
Five key steps to becoming impact-led in the new environment
Every organisation can become more impact-led, and these are some steps that will assist your group…
Agony Uncle: How do I make the most of my organisation’s time in lockdown?
Our Community’s resident agony uncle, Chris Borthwick, offers answers to frequently asked questions…
Twelve ways to stay playful in isolation
This help sheet is just one of the ways the Our Community Group is working to support…
Trusted sources to help not-for-profits cope with COVID-19
Here you’ll find curated resources for not-for-profits and community groups affected by the…
Agony Uncle: How do I give all my staff a fair deal during the coronavirus crisis?
In this help sheet series, Our Community’s resident agony uncle, Chris Borthwick, offers answers to…
Basic working from home survival skills
Our Community’s Alex McMillan is the organisation’s content conductor, producing articles and…
FREE GUIDE
The Big Rethink
Fundraising in the era of COVID-19
News
Latest covid-19 news and comment
How your not-for-profit can successfully navigate 2023
Posted on 01 Feb 2023
Australian not-for-profits must continue to work hard to adapt to a world facing endemic covid-19,…
NFP news blog: Latest developments in the sector
Posted on 13 Dec 2022
Stay in touch with news and information on the politics affecting the community sector.
What next for not-for-profits? Experts pick the trends leaders must know
Posted on 25 Feb 2022
Australian not-for-profits have the chance to reshape their sector in the wake of covid-19…
National borders offer no protection against global problems
Posted on 29 Dec 2021
In his latest column, Our Community's Denis Moriarty argues community responsiblity is the key to…
Not-for-profits more plugged into tech after covid-19 shocks
Posted on 27 Nov 2021
Not-for-profits are accelerating their digital transformation in the wake of the pandemic, but…
Pulse poll results: 40% of NFP workers tempted by the 'Great Resignation'
Posted on 27 Nov 2021
Not-for-profit employers should brace for a huge movement of workers in the next year, according to…
Seven ways to adapt to covid-19, from the nation's best NFP thinkers
Posted on 27 Oct 2021
As organisations begin to adapt to a world with covid-19, here's some advice from the Community…
If you believe you’ve got rights, you’re wrong
Posted on 04 Oct 2021
Australians get most of their ideas about politics from television, and most of their television…
Red tape is choking the community sector just when we need it most
Posted on 06 Sep 2021
When you hear the word ‘charity’, what’s your first thought? I’d suggest that ‘charity’, like…
‘Recovery’ reveals path out of pandemic
Posted on 23 Aug 2021
Policymaker, public servant, and author Andrew Wear is sick of problems and is hell-bent on finding…
Pandemic pressure grows on volunteers, demand, fundraising but there's hope on the horizon
Posted on 23 Jun 2021
Not-for-profits in Australia are coming under intense pressure a year on from the start of the…
Don’t reform, but transform, sector leader urges community directors
Posted on 14 Jun 2021
Not-for-profit sector doyen Robert Fitzgerald has issued a rallying cry to Australian board members…
Top treasurers reveal their tips for surviving COVID shocks
Posted on 09 Dec 2020
Australia’s best community treasurers say riding out the tough times requires the kind of creative…
NFPs face tech struggle during pandemic
Posted on 29 Oct 2020
As an Aus-NZ study revealed 70% of NFPs struggled with work-from-home tech, here's a few tips to…
Politicians must act now to fix fundraising red tape
Posted on 06 Oct 2020
In his latest commentary, Our Community's Denis Moriarty reveals why recent suggest fundraising…
Our Community tells govt to "get off its @r$e" and fix fundraising
Posted on 11 Sep 2020
Social enterprise Our Community (“where not-for-profits go for help”) has described recommendations…
Who is holding up the groups that support our community?
Posted on 07 Sep 2020
Everybody approves of community. I certainly do. Everyone agrees we need more of it. There’s a…
World-first ‘Donation Dollar’ is a huge charity boost
Posted on 02 Sep 2020
The world’s first $1 coin designed to spark greater generosity is set to transform donations in…
Charities must tell their stories better: regulator
Posted on 01 Sep 2020
Amid criticism over bushfire fundraising and spending, charities need to "tell their story" better,…
Why putting people first provides the best results
Posted on 26 Aug 2020
Taking a human-centred approach to decision-making could be the key to harnessing your…
Community connectors could help win the battle against COVID-19
Posted on 20 Aug 2020
Want to get in touch with hard-to-reach groups? Help could be at hand with a special group of…
How to build hope for a post-COVID world: join up
Posted on 03 Aug 2020
For nearly all Australians, everything about COVID-19 seems to be precisely calculated to fall into…
OPINION: If more debt means fewer suicides, let’s spend big
Posted on 01 Jun 2020
As the high tide of the coronavirus crisis recedes over the coming months (touch wood), we know…
Navigating JobKeeper a painful maze for charities
Posted on 28 May 2020
The Australian government has, quite rightly, provided assistance to Australian businesses to get…
Generosity Register will help tackle COVID 'threat to 230,000 groups'
Posted on 15 May 2020
This article is just one of the ways the Our Community Group is working to support not-for-profits…
How COVID-19 might be a positive for our mental health
Posted on 12 May 2020
If COVID-19 can be thanked for anything, it might be for creating an unprecedented focus on mental…
COVID-19 case study: How one organisation is harnessing the disruption
Posted on 11 May 2020
Think Impact director Suzi Young explains why the coronavirus crisis is an opportunity for the…
For country towns to thrive, some assembly is required
Posted on 08 May 2020
Let’s cut to the chase. Rural Australia is in a downward spiral which has no natural stopping…
Virus shows us social change can happen, now
Posted on 06 Apr 2020
We go through life, all of us, thinking that the world around us is stable, fixed and reliable. We…
Save Our Sector: Our pledge to not-for-profits
Posted on 20 Mar 2020
The Our Community Group is working to support not-for-profits through the COVID-19 crisis, as part…
Coronavirus and the community sector
Posted on 20 Mar 2020
This article is just one of the ways the Our Community Group is working to support not-for-profits…
How NFPs can keep calm under pressure
Posted on 10 Feb 2019
Directors under pressure to deliver funds, good leadership Why a net return at the end of the…
COVID-19
Community Sector Impact Survey
Policies
These are the policies you're most likely to need to help you manage the pandemic | More from the Policy Bank
Epidemic & Pandemic Policy
From time to time infectious diseases develop into epidemics or pandemics, and create increased…
Crisis Response Policy
Disasters, emergencies and other traumatic incidents can undermine the ability of an organisation…
Workplace Health and Safety Policy
Your organisation should be committed to safeguarding the health, safety and welfare of all people…
Volunteer Management Policy
If your organisation relies on the unpaid work of volunteers and values their contribution highly,…
Ethical Fundraising Policy
Ensuring that all fundraising activities are carried out in an ethical manner is very important.…
Circular Resolution Policy
Decisions of the board are ordinarily made through motions moved at board meetings. Occasionally,…
Social Media Policy
This Social Media Policy outlines expectations of Workers when using social media or making public…
Acceptable Use of Electronic Media Policy
It is important that your organisation has a policy outlining what is and what is not acceptable…
Unpaid Leave Policy
If your organisation is committed to balancing the needs of its employees with those of the…
Personal Leave, Carer's Leave & Compassionate Leave
This policy sets out your organisation's employees' entitlement to personal/carer's leave and…
Time in Lieu Policy
From time to time employees may be required to work longer hours to accommodate a pressing work…
Grief and Loss Policy
The experience of loss and grief must be appropriately managed. The organisation’s response to loss…
Staff Induction Policy
Inducting all new employees, volunteers and contractors into an organisation is paramount to…
Risk Management Policy
All organisations should endeavour to minimise the risk any particular operation poses to the…
Redundancy Policy
The unfortunate reality of operating a business or organisation is that positions may become…
Privacy Policy
Your organisation should be committed to protecting the privacy of personal information which the…
Webinars
Webinars: Watch live or on-demand | More webinars we like in 'Trusted Sources'
Webinar: Managing challenges to vaccination mandates and directions
Date: 23 Nov 2021
It's the topic on everyone's minds: Mandatory vaccinations. A world of lockdowns and social…
Webinar: Recovery: How we can create a better, brighter future after a crisis
Date: 03 Sep 2021
In times of crisis lies opportunity. Andrew Wear's Recovery shows us how we can build back better…
Webinar: Engaging with funders during a crisis
Date: 26 May 2020
Join the experts at Wendy Brooks & Partners to hear real-life experiences (including plenty of…
Webinar: AGMs in a time of social isolation
Date: 15 Apr 2020
Rewatch this practical, half-hour webinar on the state of AGMs amidst the COVID-19 crisis.
How’s your digital fitness?
Date: 09 Nov 2021
Join Clare Carmody, success manager at Salesforce.org, and Denis Moriarty, group managing director…
Webinar: Diversify your fundraising with the 7 pillars
Date: 22 May 2020
Join ICDA for a special SaveOurSector webinar on diversifying your fundraising strategy to avoid…
COVID-19 Research Hub
How not-for-profits and the community are affected
Ask Agony Uncle
Got a question about COVID-19 and NFPs?
The coronavirus crisis is throwing up all sorts of curly governance questions for community groups and not-for-profits. Is our conservation group allowed to make a donation to coronavirus research even though it’s not part of our mission? If our 80-year-old volunteers insist on continuing to work, are we liable if they catch the virus? Can our group just hibernate until this is all over?
Our Community’s Agony Uncle, aka thinker in residence Chris Borthwick, is here to help. Submit your question below, and if he can help, we’ll share his response here. We won’t publish your name or any information that could be used to identify your organisation without your permission.
Trusted sources
Where to find help for not-for-profits trying to cope with COVID-19
Here you’ll find curated resources for not-for-profits and community groups affected by the COVID-19 outbreak. Those resources comprise information to help guide your immediate response, recovery and long-term survival.
More useful resources
More help from groups assisting not-for-profits
Aus Gov official COVID-19 site
ACNC help for charities during COVID-19
Australia Tax Office COVID-19 NFP news
Federal Health official site, updated daily
Funding Centre NFP help summary
Not-for-profit Law COVID-19 FAQs
Infoxchange technology help
SBS pandemic info in your language
GiveNow: How to help organisations in need
Official guidance on cybersecurity
ACCC coronavirus ScamWatch
FairWork Ombudsman info on workplace laws
Australian Financial Complaints Authority for disputes