|
Recent and Upcoming Events SVA Strategic Giving Lunch
Featuring Kingsley Aikins, Chief Executive of the Worldwide Ireland Funds
28 October 2008
In this changing economic climate, it is more important than ever for funders to be strategic in their giving, and for non-profit organisations to be direct and focused in their fundraising.
Kingsley Aikins, who has helped to raise over a quarter of a billion dollars for the Ireland Funds, brought his unique international insights to the issues of both giving and fundraising in tough times to a packed room of invited guests in Melbourne on 28 October 2008.
The landscape of philanthropy is changing, argued Mr Aikins, with individuals poised to make the difference. In the US, 84 per cent of the funds that drive the non-profit sector come from individuals and this trend is being echoed in Australia, where the value of Prescribed Private Funds (PPFs) have increased by $117 million in the past year alone to $1.5 billion.
Fundraising trends to watch include the widespread use of technology, the increasing numbers of women investors, the changing attitudes of baby boomers towards philanthropy and the general move of funders towards organisations that offer engagement, measurability and scalability.
 | | | Global philanthropy expert Kingsley Aikins presents his thoughts on philanthopy in changing times.
Photo: Fiona Basile |
 | | | Photo: Fiona Basile |
Addictions and Healing: Appropriate Public Policy Responses
23 September 2008
Greg Phillips, a Waanyi and Jaru medical anthropologist at The University of Melbourne, community healing worker and author of 'Addictions and Healing in Aboriginal Country', gave a presentation to the SVA Indigenous Investor Circle on Indigenous healing and appropriate public policy responses. Greg provided context to and reasons behind the problems found in some Indigenous communities today. The presentation was based on Greg’s own experience working with a remote north Queensland community, where intergenerational trauma was one of the significant causes of the dysfunction he found there. Greg outlined his pragmatic approach to finding solutions to help communities to move from dysfunction and violence to growth and vitality and highlighted significant progress made in the area of Indigenous healing in other countries, including Canada, the USA and New Zealand. Healing, according to Greg, is a crucial part of governance and he advocates the establishment of a Healing Foundation which would, amongst other things, fund healing programs which address cultural renewal, therapeutic change and addictions recovery.
Social Enterprise World Forum
2 – 5 September 2008, Edinburgh Scotland
SVA was proud to be an Event Partner of the inaugural Social Enterprise World Forum held in Edinburgh Scotland.
The Social Enterprise World Forum examined the conditions needed for social enterprises to thrive, highlighting outstanding examples of innovation and best practice from around the world. Participants engaged with representatives of governments that are actively supporting and promoting social enterprise and analysed the challenges of changing world and local markets. Social enterprises and support agencies emerged with shared actions to improve sustainability and increase social and economic impact.
The Forum was the first international gathering of practitioners and support agencies dealing exclusively with social enterprise and brought together social enterprise leaders and champions from all continents to collaborate, share best practice and plan future developments. This collaboration raised awareness of social enterprise as an expanding global mechanism for social change and explored the merit of ongoing collaboration for key stakeholders.
To learn more about the World Forum, visit the CEiS web site.Brisbane Hub Accelerator Program Launch
16 July 2008
The Brisbane Hub launched its third annual Accelerator Program in July, which will help seven social enterprises grow their businesses and create greater employment opportunities for marginalised people.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman launched the program at Brisbane City Hall, with a group of over 70 people in attendance representing business, community and government.
This year’s Brisbane Hub’s Accelerator Program participants are:
• Mu’ooz, an Eritrean Women’s restaurant and catering company
• Justice Products, a retailer in fair trade products
• Food Connect, a fresh food delivery service
• Nundah Community Enterprise Co-operative, which runs Expresso Train, a café and catering service at Nundah as well as a parks maintenance business
• Black Star, a fair trade coffee roastery and café bar
• Sustainable Gardening Service, a gardening and landscaping service, and
• Red Cross Business Services, a mailing and packaging services The Brisbane Hub, a partnership between Social Ventures Australia, Brisbane City Council and PricewaterhouseCoopers, is the first of its kind in Australia.
For more information about Social Enterprise Hubs, visit www.socialenterprisehubs.org  | | | Brisbane's Lord Mayor, Campbell Newman with SVA Executive Director, Jan Owen AM,
Accelerator participants and Hub staff. |
SVA Indigenous Investor Circle Special Event Presented by the Martu People
12 June 2008
SVA and Gilbert + Tobin were recently privileged to host an event with a delegation of Martu people and Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa, an organisation which works to protect, retain and strengthen Martu culture. Hailing from the Pilbara region of Western Australia, the group were in Sydney at the end of their ‘Culture Matters’ speaking tour of Canberra.
Presented by Martu people Muuki Taylor, Dawn Oates, Anthony Gibbs and Desmond Taylor, with Sue Townsend and Peter Johnson from Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa, the afternoon session explored culture as a prism through which Martu people view the world and which powerfully informs their choices, decisions and actions. Feedback was excellent, with attendees saying that they took home a meaningful insight to the Martu people, their society and why programs must be based on an understanding of their culture and what is important to them in order to succeed.
You can learn more about the Martu in the book 'Cleared Out', which covers the first contact a group of Martu people had with European Australians in the 1960s. Please visit the AIATSIS website for more information.
SVA Consulting Launch
29 April 2008
The Macquarie Group Foundation hosted the official launch of its partnership with SVA Consulting at a cocktail event in Sydney.
The evening featured several interesting speakers, including Jon Huggett from the Bridgespan Group. Founded in 2000 and incubated at Bain & Company, Bridgespan is an American non-profit organisation that brings leading-edge strategies and tools to the challenges and opportunities facing non-profit organisations and foundations. Jon joined Bridgespan in 2005 as a partner in the San Francisco office and in 2007 helped establish the New York office, where he is currently located.
Bridgespan is a powerful example of how specialised consulting services can help build stronger and more effective non-profit and philanthropic organisations. Macquarie Group Chairman David S. Clarke AO, SVA Chief Executive Michael Traill and Head of SVA Consulting Duncan Peppercorn addressed how SVA Consulting has built on Bridgespan's lead to create a strategy consultancy for the Australian non-profit sector.
Additionally, Graham Long, CEO of the Wayside Chapel, spoke about how his organisation has already benefited from working with SVA Consulting. Click here to read a case study about Wayside’s experience.
The Macquarie Group Foundation hosted a similar event in Melbourne on 1 May 2008.
 Learn more about SVA Consulting
 | | | | (left to right) John Huggett, Duncan Peppercorn, David S. Clarke AO, Michael Traill and Graham Long, speakers at the Sydney launch of SVA Consulting on 29 April 2008. |
SVA Indigenous Investor Circle Launch
19 March 2008
In late 2007, SVA hosted a series of business leader lunch briefings on Indigenous issues in Sydney and Melbourne. Featured panellists at these informing events included:
• Professor Mick Dodson, Professor of Law, ANU
• Romlie Mokak, CEO, Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association
• Gregory Phillips, medical anthropologist and educator
• Megan Davis, Director, Indigenous Law Centre
Building on the success of these briefings, SVA launched the Indigenous Investor Circle at a lunch in Sydney in March. Featured speakers included Lt Gen (Retd) John Sanderson AC, Special Adviser to the Western Australian Government on Enhanced Aboriginal Participation in the Social and Economic Development of the State, and Megan Davies, Director of the Indigenous Law Centre and Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Law at the University of New South Wales.
Guests not only listened to sustainable solutions to the unacceptable levels of Indigenous disadvantage in our country from these experts, but they were also given the opportunity to ask tough questions and learn more about how they can get involved in making a difference.
Goldman Sachs JBWere and SVA hosted a similar launch in Melbourne on 6 May. Featured speakers included Rex Wild QC, co-author of the ‘Little Children are Sacred’ report and Gregory Phillips, medical anthropologist.
For further information on this initiative please download our Indigenous Investor Circle brochure.
 | | | | SVA Executive Director Jan Owen and Lt Gen (Retd) John Sanderson AC answer guests’ questions at the Sydney launch of the Indigenous Investor Circle initiative on 19 March 2008. |
Launch of ‘Good Times and Philanthropy: Giving by Australia’s Affluent’ Report
10 March 2008
In a report recently commissioned by the Petre Foundation, researchers from the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies (CPNS) found that the personal wealth of Australia’s affluent has grown at a vastly faster rate than their charitable giving.
SVA hosted an information-packed launch of the report to give guests the unique opportunity to hear why philanthropist Daniel Petre AO commissioned the report; the facts on Australia’s giving levels compared to our overseas counterparts; and how non-profit organisations can tap into the current environment of unprecedented wealth.
Speakers included Senior Research Fellows Dr Kym Madden and Dr Wendy Scaife, Netus Executive Chairman Daniel Petre AO and SVA Chief Executive Michael Traill.
SVA hosted a similar event in Melbourne the following day.
To learn more about this research report and read related media coverage, click here.
 | | | | (left to right) Dr Kym Madden, Dr Wendy Scaife and Daniel Petre AO, speakers at the launch of ‘Good times and Philanthropy: Giving by Australia’s Affluent’ |
SVA's 2nd annual Taking Care of Business conference
This practical learning conference offering interactive sessions specifically designed for chief executives, financial officers, treasurers and program managers of non-profit organisations was held in March 2008.
Click here for further information about the conference
|
