Agony Uncle: What if it's not in the rules?
In this help sheet series, Our Community’s resident agony uncle, Chris Borthwick, offers answers to…
Strategic planning
Help sheets
Building a corporate memory
A "corporate memory" (a term most often used in the business world but of high relevance also to…
Building a corporate memory
An organisation's corporate memory is an essential tool for allowing reliable predictions,…
Business planning for not-for-profit organisations
A business plan is not a strategic plan, although it does make up one component of the strategic…
Changing your organisation's name
If you wish to change your group's name though, be prepared. Names are one of the very few things…
Conducting a yearly review
A new year or new financial year or just a quiet time around the office provides a great…
Establishing a fundraising strategy
Although it's undoubtedly hard, fundraising can – and should – be a fun and exciting experience. It…
Members Only
Getting what you want in a negotiation
Negotiation happens when you need something that someone else has and there's no law that says they…
Articles
Brace for impact of elections, inquiries, board quotas
Posted on 10 Feb 2019
Elections a time to take stock Elections and likely changes in governments will mean inevitable…
Free whistleblowing policy contributes ‘millions’ in value
Posted on 12 Feb 2020
An updated free whistleblower policy released by ICDA for use by not-for-profits has been a popular…
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…
Need support? Here's how to take your pitch from mediocre to memorable
Posted on 15 Oct 2018
A convincing pitch is a powerful tool you can use to unlock opportunities, form relationships with…
Not-for-profit ‘roadmap’ tackles sector’s big issues
Posted on 11 Dec 2019
A landmark study of Australian not-for-profit governance has created the clearest picture yet of an…
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…
Why you should trust and verify for good governance
Posted on 18 Nov 2019
The executive director of the Institute of Community Directors Australia, Patrick Moriarty, says…
‘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…
Books
Checklists
Members Only
10 key areas to renew, review and refresh
It's easy to carry on doing the same thing 'because that's the way we do it'. To avoid the pitfalls…
For and against setting up committees
ForCommittees can make better use of board members' time, allowing certain tasks, issues or…
Members Only
Ten ways to write a 'perfect' constitution
Alright, the "perfect" constitution might be a bad case of hyperbole, but if your constitution…
Policies
Complaints handling
Charities and other not-for-profits should provide a safe and effective service to those who wish…
Copyright Policy
This policy clarifies the status of material subject to copyright used by the organisation, and…
Crisis Response Policy
Disasters, emergencies and other traumatic incidents can undermine the ability of an organisation…
Epidemic & Pandemic Policy
From time to time infectious diseases develop into epidemics or pandemics, and create increased…
Governance Policy
Governance in the community sector is concerned with the systems and processes that ensure the…
Investment Planning Policy
Boards are responsible for ensuring that the organisation operates within a responsible,…
Legislative Compliance Policy
The operations of [Name of Organisation] are subject to a wide range of legal requirements,…
Sponsorship Policy
A sponsorship is about relationship building and can be a powerful way to build and strengthen…