FDIO acknowledges the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and we pay our respects to their Elders - past, present and emerging.
What Makes a Good Director...on the board of an Aboriginal organisation?
In developing a Register of Directors (for Traditional Owners, emerging leaders and Independent Directors), FDIO has been collating evidence of the success criteria required to enhance performance of a member on a Board of an Aboriginal Organisation.
There exists quality resources available to describe success criteria of Directors generally.
But what's different about directors on boards on Aboriginal organisations?
All of the skills noted in the above resources are essential to directorships on Aboriginal Boards, however the unique environment requires additional skills, expertise, attributes & values that are vital to success.
Assets identified as relevant include:
Service - a commitment to serve or service
Building capacity - leaving capacity behind, not reliance
Emotional intelligence - enabling connection, understanding and navigation to solutions
Technical skills - hard skills relevant to the organisational maturation stage
Cultural competence - humility, listening and two-way learning
Independence - acting in the interests of the whole
Values - empathy, realism, pragmatism, honour
Board experience and education
Leadership - building others
Network - capacity to network, promote and market
Do these traits resonate with you and your board... We value your input. To provide feedback or comments on what you consider as important criteria that Make a Good Director on a Board of an Aboriginal organisation, please email projects@fdio.com.au or look out for an opportunity to give feedback through our survey in coming weeks.
Charity Reporting Obligations New annual revenue thresholds for ACNC-registered charities from 1 July 2022.
A charity's financial reporting obligations to the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) depend on whether it is considered a small, medium or large charity. While all charities are required to lodge an Annual Information Statement with the ACNC, medium and large charities also must lodge an annual financial report.
To alleviate the reporting burdens of many charities, the ACNC financial reporting thresholds for each charity category will increase from the 2021-22 financial year. As a result of these changes, your charity may be re-classified as ‘small’ and only be required to submit an Annual Information Statement.
National Agreement on Closing the Gap Implementation Plan Released
On 5 August 2021 the Commonwealth released its first Closing the Gap Implementation Plan. Its development was led by the Minister for Indigenous Australians, the Hon Ken Wyatt AM MP.
The Implementation Plan sets a foundation for the Commonwealth’s efforts to achieve the targets in the National Agreement over the coming decade. It provides an overview of the Commonwealth’s existing actions that contribute to Closing the Gap, as well as new investment and areas of future work.
It is a whole-of-government plan, developed across the Commonwealth in consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander partners, in particular the Coalition of Peaks.
All parties to the National Agreement have developed their own Implementation Plans. The plans should be read together to get a full picture of the national effort to close the gap. All plans will be linked on the Closing the Gap website.
Increasing Women of Colour on Boards Unconvention, 23 September, 5pm
Pro Bono Australia reports a diversity deficit in our charity boards.
A 2019 Institute of Community Directors Australia (ICDA) study of Australian not-for-profit boards found Boards seem to be lacking ethnic diversity, with 43% saying their board had at least one member from a culturally and linguistically diverse community.
“Too often members of charity boards are not from the communities the charities aim to support,” charity leader says.
Why is diversity useful?
Boards that reflect the diversity of the community served are better able to access resources in the community and connect with donors and collaborative partners.
Diverse boards are better positioned to respond to external influences.
Diverse boards make better decisions, identifying the risks and opportunities.
Diverse boards are more dynamic and can identify and cultivate new board members too.
This is an event to engage, inspire, educate and spark involvement in increasing women of colour on Not-For-Profit boards, and giving attendees language around the benefits of diversity.
Change only occurs when diverse people come together to share perspectives and experiences.
If you are an Aboriginal person and interested in joining a charity, or other, board, please register your interest with FDIO.
