Agony Uncle: What do I do about bullies?
Dear Agony Uncle, We have two very strong and determined people who have taken control of our…
Organisational culture
Help sheets
Basic working from home survival skills
Our Community’s Alex McMillan is the organisation’s content conductor, producing articles and…
Building a corporate memory
An organisation's corporate memory is an essential tool for allowing reliable predictions,…
Child safety: Creating the right organisational culture
We recommend that organisations approach their culture on the following four fronts. 1. From the…
Child safety: The cheat sheet
If you read nothing else about child-safe organisations, read this.
Common characteristics of a dysfunctional board
There are some common issues among boards that are falling apart at the seems. Fortunately, there…
Compiling a board manual
A board manual is not only a useful tool for the board's induction process but can also serve as a…
Dispute resolution for community boards
When things go wrong for community group boards, sometimes they go really wrong. So where do you go…
Articles
Our Community: a social enterprise before the term was coined
Posted on 17 Oct 2023
When Denis Moriarty founded Our Community – the parent company of the Institute of Community…
Why not-for-profits should care about the rise of social enterprises
Posted on 17 Oct 2023
What exactly is a social enterprise, and is it as great as it sounds?
Founder’s syndrome: why the board has a responsibility to rein in its hero
Posted on 11 Oct 2023
First comes the hero. An out-of-the-ordinary citizen sees a glaring abuse in our society, hits the…
Don’t let sexual harassment wreck your workplace
Posted on 19 Oct 2022
Sexual harassment can destroy organisations, wreck people’s careers, and trigger serious…
New site to help NFPs tackle climate change
Posted on 12 Sep 2022
A new website with practical tools for community leaders aims to help the $176 billion…
Why Our Community is moving to a four-day week
Posted on 07 Jun 2022
Our Community is moving to a four-day week as part of its progressive commitment to work-life…
Women, luck is not the reason for your achievements
Posted on 04 Apr 2022
Author, journalist, commentator and feminist Jamila Rizvi says women must decide whether they want…
Turning a blind eye ends up costing us all
Posted on 25 Feb 2022
I work with the not-for-profit sector, and I know that the difference between that lot and 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…
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,…
Good governance crucial for arts community
Posted on 28 Jan 2020
A detailed study of arts governance published as a joint venture between the Australia Council for…
Members Only
Old-school not-for-profits risk losing trust
Posted on 15 Aug 2019
Schools governance is in the spotlight after a very public spat in Queensland, experts suggest that…
What to expect (at work) when you're expecting
Posted on 10 Feb 2019
Pregnant women have the right to nap at work when they need to, under a new pregnancy and parenting…
When it's just not cricket: Culture review's global impact can't be ignored by directors
Posted on 15 Nov 2018
The explosive review that picked over the toxic culture linked to Australian cricket's shameful…
Members Only
Inside Greening Australia's radical cultural transformation
Posted on 15 Oct 2018
Looking at change? Consider this no-holds-barred Greening Australia presentation charting the…
Our Community's culture? Read the Manifesto
Posted on 15 Oct 2018
Our Community founder and group managing director Denis Moriarty AM says Our Community's…
A new era for community directors: a navigator’s guide
Posted on 15 Oct 2018
Community directors face an unprecedented burden of increased regulation, decreased funding and low…
Board members aiming higher after Community Directors Conference
Posted on 15 Oct 2018
Community directors are better equipped to crack the code when it comes to regulation, data,…
Culture is key to healthy community organisations
Posted on 15 Oct 2018
Words, like people, have their good times and their bad times. This is a very bad year for the word…
Good culture starts at the board table
Posted on 15 Oct 2018
ICDA's executive director and head trainer Patrick Moriarty says the strife striking down…
Wealthy exec jailed for charity theft
Posted on 15 Oct 2018
In June 2019, top executive Michael Clark from the Adelaide-based charity SYC was sentenced to…
Members Only
Why investing in your NFP workforce is critical to your culture
Posted on 15 Oct 2018
Knowing that an organisation needs a good culture to thrive is one thing, but how do you get there?
Seeing the big picture could be crucial to your survival
Posted on 10 Oct 2018
Culture will be the key for all organisations In the wake of royal commissions into child abuse and…
Books
Tools
Board composition checklist
If your board can no longer provide leadership or fresh ideas, or if money is becoming an issue, it…
Flexible working arrangements agreement template
There is a myriad of reasons why an employee may want or need flexible working arrangements. This…
Checklists
Tips to maintain an enthusiastic board
If you pay close attention to board appointments you are half way to having a healthy, vital board.…
Policies
Board Conflict of Interest Policy
If your Board is committed to high standards of ethical conduct then it is important that any…
Board Dispute Resolution Policy
An effective Board is a harmonious Board, but often, disputes or grievances may arise. This policy…
Child Protection Policy
Your organisation should have a policy in place to demonstrate your commitment to promoting and…
Child Safety Code of Conduct
This document is a sample code of conduct for employees, volunteers and contractors working with…
Code of Conduct
Having a code of conduct in place ensures that those who represent your organisation have a set of…
Code of Ethics
The ethical climate of an organisation is an essential element in establishing its credibility and…
Environmental Sustainability Policy
The earth’s environment is under severe stress from uncontrolled human activity, threatening the…
Family Friendly Policy
Work flexibility ensures that employees are able to balance work and family commitments while…
Governance Policy
Governance in the community sector is concerned with the systems and processes that ensure the…
Grief and Loss Policy
The experience of loss and grief must be appropriately managed. The organisation’s response to loss…
Hybrid Work Policy
Hybrid work is now locked in as the standard for Australians, with a global study suggesting that…
Professional Development Policy
Professional development is integral to personal job satisfaction, workplace productivity, reward,…
Whistleblower Policy
Whistleblowing plays a crucial role in managing risk and cultivating an ethical culture in a…