Artsupport Australia August 2008 newsletter

Welcome to the Artsupport Australia e-newsletter.

We're pleased to announce this year's masterclass and lecture series;

‘Fundraising to women; the real story when it comes to women, fundraising and philanthropy’.
 
Presented by Linda McGregor and Richard Wentworth-Ping.

The full day workshop and evening lecture will be held in:

• Sydney on Tuesday 18 November 2008 at The Mint, and   
• Melbourne on Thursday 20 November 2008 at Melbourne Town Hall

Register early to ensure your place.
These events are popular and places are limited. 
See www.australiacouncil.gov.au/artsupportaustraliamasterclasses to register and for detailed information.

Updates on PPFs and the not-for-profit sector

Federal budget changes affecting the sector
As part of the 2008/9 Federal budget, there are number of changes and reviews taking place that will specifically impact the not-for-profit and philanthropic sectors.

From 1 July 2009, prescribed private funds (PPFs) will be subject to greater integrity checks, namely regular asset valuation, an increased compulsory distribution and greater regulation by the ATO.  This is intended to improve transparency and enforce the philanthropic obligations of PPF trustees.

While PPFs have only been in existence in Australia since 2001 they have been an extremely popular philanthropic vehicle-  there are now 769 in Australia.  With a combined asset value estimated to be well over 1.2 billion, and a distribution of $117 million to charitable organisations with deductible gift recipient (DGR) status in 2007, PPFs are a growing philanthropic resource in Australia. For more information.

With the  distributions increasing each year since 2002, and expected to grow exponentially, they  will continue to be of interest to fundraisers.

In May this year, the ATO also released a revised list of PPFs (last done in November 2006).  The full list is available here.

The list only provides the PPFs names, so any organisation with DGR status intending to approach a PPF for a grant will need to do their own research. One tangible lead can be sourced through Australian Business Register website, which provides the state and suburb, however- many PPFs wish to remain private and may prove hard to access. 

Spotlight on charitable sector

A recent survey by Choice of fundraising expenses in the charitable sector revealed inconsistencies in reporting and a marked lack of confidence by the public regarding how much of their donation actually reaches the intended recipient/s.  More information here.

This has been further reflected in a Senate Inquiry into Charity and Not for Profit regulation; the parameters of which include tax concessions, governance and transparency.

Submissions are due on 29 August and a background paper providing a wider context is available. The background paper is here
 

Maximising access to philanthropic funding

To receive tax deductible gifts, your organisation will need to be endorsed as a deductible gift recipient (DGR).

Deductible gift recipient status opens the door to  individual donations, and also philanthropic grants from foundations or trusts which require DGR status. Further to that, some foundations also require tax concession charity status (TCC – formerly called income tax exemption charity or ITEC).

Having both will arm any not-for-profit organisation to best access to philanthropic funds.

Applications for DGR are made to the  Australian Tax Office, and can take several months.

Professional legal and financial advice is recommended in its preparation. See here for guidelines.

Applicants with DGR status are listed on the Register of Cultural Organisations.

Applications for TCC status are also made to the ATO here.

While it is an easier process than a DGR, professional legal and financial advice is still recommended to prepare it.

Resources

Recession giving: US vs Australia
John McLeod, director of Philanthropic Services Division at Goldman Sachs JBWere in Melbourne, explores how the current global economy may affect future giving in Australia. Reproduced with permission of the author and Fundraising and Philanthropy Australasian magazine www.fpmagazine.com.au  Issue 16 Aug – Oct 2008, ‘Stormy Times:Fundraising in an economic downturn’.
See article here

The Book of the Board
The second edition of The Book of the Board,has been released, providing a valuable handbook for boards and board members of non-profit organisations. Written by David Fischel, co-director of Positive Solutions, the book includes a chapter contributed by Louise Walsh on fundraising.

It features quick-reference checklists on topics ranging from strategic planning and compliance through to board recruitment and succession planning, and handy new resources covering governance charters, running a planning retreat, CEO appraisal and committee structures.
For more information and online purchase (the book retails for $59.95) see here.

Report on international best practice in arts philanthropy
Australian Melissa Smith has produced an insightful report documenting her research undertaken for a Churchill Fellowship. She focuses on the philanthropic fundraising practices of 50 visual and performing arts organisations in the UK and USA, gleaned through direct interviews. The report provides a snapshot of a very sophisticated sector. Currently development manager at the University of Technology, Melissa previously worked at the Sydney Opera House and Powerhouse Museum. For more information and the report see here.

Donation patterns by postcode
Queensland University of Technology’s Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies has researched the donation patterns of Australians by postcode, from donations claimed in individual tax returns for 2005-6. More information here.

BoardConnect
A new service called BoardConnect has been established to support best practice in board processes and governance.  Developed by Brisbane company Positive Solutions with funding from Arts Queensland, Boardconnect will initially pilot a program for board members in the arts and cultural sectors in Queensland. It will provide advice, resources and training as well as an advisory and specialist referral service on board issues raised by board members or executive staff.
BoardConnect is unique in that it is dedicated to optimising the role of boards. More information here.

Grants directory-Easygrants
Easygrants is an indispensible resource for the not for profit sector provided by Our Community, a very active community-resourcing enterprise. Easygrants provides a vast and comprehensive monthly listing of all upcoming grants in Australia – government and philanthropic.  Subscriptions are just $45 per year for listings in one state/territory.

We cannot emphasise how useful this can be for those looking for grants from new sources.
Updates are provided monthly, and a sample is available here. More information here.

Asia Pacific Foundations Directory 2008
The first edition of the Asia Pacific Foundations Directory was published this year by Asia Pacific Infoserve Pty Ltd, to expand and facilitate access to the vast resources available to Australian organisations outside our borders. For more information on the 200 page directory contact aapi@aapi.com.au or call 02 4934 6290.

Adobe software donation program
Adobe offers eligible not-for-profits the tools they need to provide digital technology and visual literacy to the community – on a first come first served basis. More information here.

Events

28th International Fundraising Congress (IFC) 14-17 October 2008, The Netherlands
An annual, international, training experience for the professional fundraising sector.
Louise Walsh attended this in the past and can recommend it for seasoned fundraisers looking for new angles. More information here.

Australia business arts Foundation events

Building Relationships and Securing Donations - 11 September 2008, Sydney
A one-day workshop covering strategies for connecting with philanthropic supporters (individuals and foundations), and tax obligations and legislation related to fundraising. Aimed at not-for-profit arts and cultural organisations, board members, CEOs, general managers, it will also be useful to development and marketing staff. More information here.
 
Effective Annual Giving - 30 October 2008, Melbourne
This half-day workshop focuses on researching, developing and reviewing an annual giving program to expand a donor support base and bring in regular income from individual donors.

It is aimed at staff and board members responsible for raising donations for arts organisations, preferably with deductible gift recipient (DRG) status. Prequisite: AbaF’s Building Relationships and Securing Donations workshop or some experience in managing fundraising programs. More information here.
 
Australia Cultural Fund information session - 4 September 2008, Melbourne
This is a free two-hour information session for individual artists interested in attracting tax-deductible donations to support their work. It is designed for practising artists and not-for-profit cultural organisations. The Australia Cultural Fund is a unique facility that enables donors to receive a tax deduction for donations to AbaF in support of cultural organisations which do not have deductible gift recipient (DGR) status and individual arts practitioners (who are unable to obtain DGR status). More information here.

What's happening

Director Louise Walsh will be on annual leave (overseas) from 12 September, returning to the office on 7 October. For any urgent matters during her absence, please contact other Artsupport Australia staff in Sydney, Darwin, Brisbane or Perth below.

Do send us your feedback and ideas for future newsletters.

Contact Artsupport Australia

Louise Walsh director
Ivana Jirasek coordinator
Melanie Hallett assistant coordinator
Gillian Harrison Northern Territory manager
Kathy Davis Queensland manager
Liesbeth Goedhart West Australian manager

This email was sent by the Australia Council for the Arts
Subscribe |  Contact Us |