One of Australia’s oldest advertising industry bodies is to be folded into the marketer body the Australian Marketing Institute (AMI).

The 94 year old Advertising Institute of Australasia (AIA) will now be part of AMI with the organisation’s board noting in a statement that it needed to merge with “a larger, stronger and more diversified marketing industry association”.

“AIA has been an influential champion of the Advertising industry in Australia in its over 90 year history, pioneering impactful education, awards and research initiatives that have helped nurture and develop talent in Australia,” said Andrew Thornton, chair of AMI.

“However, as industry association consolidation becomes inevitable in today’s rapidly evolving market, a larger organisation like AMI is well placed to continue to provide the marketing industry support that AIA has delivered over many years.”

It is only 18 months since the AMI itself faced its own cashflow crisis with the then board being forced to implement a new $99 “service enhancement charge”, as the body struggled with a major financial deficit.

In announcing the merger the AIA board noted it has undertaken to invest in the 2016 and 2017 Australian Marketing Institute Awards for Marketing Excellence and would promote the AMI Future Leaders Award.

Lee Tonitto, CEO of AMI, said: “AMI is unique in that we represent the full marketing ecosystem, providing support for marketing professionals across the industry.

“Consequently, AMI membership and a strong digital advertising education focus means we will be able to continue to progress the objectives of the AIA from day one. Our team is looking forward to welcoming the AIA to the AMI family.”

This article was originally sourced from Mumbrella and written by Nic Christensen.

ASF is proud to again support the Stanford Australia Foundation’s scholarships for not-for-profit leaders at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

Stanford University is one of the world's leading universities. Located in Silicon Valley in Northern California USA, Stanford teaches leaders to be pioneers of the modern frontier, to think critically, challenge assumptions and change the rules of competition. The Stanford Australia Foundation (SAF) is a not-for-profit organisation with the mission to enable not for profit leaders to benefit from the Stanford experience. This year, with the support of the Dyson Bequest, SAF is offering two scholarships for study in the 2017 calendar year.

SAF scholarship recipients must be employed by an Australian non-profit organisation with Deductible Gift Recipient status 1 (DGR1), and either be an Australian citizen or hold a permanent residency in Australia.

Please note that candidates are required to be in organisational leadership roles. Those who are solely in non-executive directors or board roles are not eligible.

Scholarship Overview:

The 2017 Stanford Australia Foundation Scholarships each include up to AUD20,000 (for course fees and economy travel) for a NFP executive to attend a Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) executive course of the recipient's choice. Candidates can choose their preferred course from the GSB offering although we are pleased to advise that the Executive Program for Non-Profit Leaders and the Executive Program in Social Entrepreneurship are being offered again in 2017. In considering their application candidates should review course outlines. The Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders is a ten-day residential program designed to further the professional development of leaders in the nonprofit sector. The Executive Program in Social Entrepreneurship is a six-day residential program designed to help social entrepreneurs take enterprises and innovative models to the next level. For a complete list of courses available visit the Stanford GSB website.

Guidelines for eligibility for Stanford Australia Foundation Scholarships:

1. Candidate is an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia.
   
2. Candidate is currently employed at an Australian Non-profit organisation with Deductible Gift Recipient 1 status (DGR1) - please note that Directors or Board Members are not eligible for SAF scholarships.
   
3. Scholarship will be applied to a course held at the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA between Jan 1st and December 31st of the scholarship year. For example, the 2017 scholarship will be applicable to courses being run during the 2017 calendar year.
   
4. Candidate understands that they are solely responsible for gaining entry through any required application process for their selected course. Scholarship awards are conditional on program entry.
   
5. Scholarship winners will provide 2 short written reports (one within 1 month of completing their course and one after 12 months of completing their course) describing the impact of winning the scholarship.
   

Criteria are as follows:

• Candidate’s potential for leadership
  
• Benefits to the candidates professional development
  
• Potential positive impact to the candidate’s organisation
  
• Potential impact for the Australian community
  

Important Dates:

Applications open: Friday 1st July, 2016

Applications close: Friday 30th September, 2016

Interviews: Friday 28th October, 2016 (please keep yourself available the whole day)

Winner Announced: at the AGM in November/December, 2016

Applications Process:

To apply for the Stanford Australia Foundation Scholarships, simply complete an online form via Australian Scholarships Foundation by clicking on 'APPLY NOW' below.

Need help completing your online application? Download instructions for Creating a Profile Page and Making an Application.

If you need assistance with the application process, please contact Australian Scholarships Foundation before the application deadline. Late applications will not be accepted.

Applications for the Stanford Australia Foundation Scholarships close Friday 30th September, 2016 at 5pm AEST.

Selection Criteria

The Scholarships are awarded by the Stanford Australia Foundation to applicants who are Australian citizens or permanent residents employed by a not-for-profit charitable organisation and whose completion of the Stanford program would, in SAF's view, benefit the applicant, their employing organisation and the Australian community more broadly. Selection is conditional on applicants meeting Stanford University's entry requirements for the nominated program. Please note that candidates are required to be in organisational leadership roles. Those who are solely in non-executive directors or board roles are not eligible.

This media release was originally sourced from Scholarships.org.

This month AuSAE welcomes Ian Coombe, Chief Executive Officer at Playgroup Queensland as our Member in Focus. Ian recently spoke with AuSAE about Playgroup Queensland's membership strategies and their biggest challenges. Plus, exciting projects underway for the Association. 

Can you tell us a bit about Playgroup Queensland and the goals they strive to achieve?

Playgroup Queensland has over four decades of strong member and volunteer support, primarily from mothers but increasingly from dads, grandparents and carers. Groups get together for a couple of hours regularly, usually weekly, for a couple of hours to help their children learn through play before they are old enough to attend formal schooling.

The early years learning framework and the five developmental domains are incorporated into a lightly structured fun session that helps make the transition to school more successful. Much research shows the long term benefits to not only the children, but also the parents, carers and communities.

We strive to connect children, families and communities and are driven to benefit as many of the 250,000 families in Queensland with children 5 and under.

What are Playgroup Queensland’s most successful membership strategies to increase engagement and membership retention?

Playgroup Queensland membership has been relatively stable over recent decades. Last year we renewed our vigour to grow to reach as many of the 250,000 families as possible. Our three key successes are:

• Offer multi-year membership deals as well as our standard 1 year memberships
• Offer the first year free to families of newborns to encourage membership from brith
• Engage our members through social media on mobile phones – 80% of our traffic is mobile

What do you personally feel has been the biggest challenge that Playgroup Queensland has overcome in your time with the organisation?

Apart from the challenge of ensuring sustainability in a rapidly changing world, the biggest challenge we have had to overcome is by far one of technology. We have had to rapidly redeploy from a paper-based charity to one of efficiencies and scale through the use of technology. In doing so, we can now grow unimpeded and free up our most valuable assets, our people, to better service our rapidly growing member base.

Yet another challenge is finding the buttons to push that engage our members on social media and driving the momentum expected on the various social media platforms.

Whilst these two challenges are easy to list, making them happen has been an amazing journey that has taken the whole team beyond their usual experiences.

How does the future look for Playgroup Queensland (or what exciting projects are underway at the Playgroup Queensland?)

We have just launched an exciting partnership with the Queensland Government where we offer 12 months’ free membership to families of newborns when they register their baby before they turn one. The initiative is called Play Stars and together we are reaching out through education, health, family magazine and digital channels to reach as many of the 64,000 births in Queensland every year.

Over the initial five-year partnership, there is the potential to help over 350,000 families. This is a huge benefit to children, families, communities, the Department of Education and Training and also to the members of Playgroup Queensland. Through extra member support, we can deliver even more resources to children, parents, carers and families.

What would you say to someone starting out in the children services and community profession with a view to become a future leader?

It may well be a cliché to do what you love, but I have found that I have always been drawn not only to helping others but to children’s causes – and that keeps my passion and drive burning and fuels me to get through challenging times. With fuelled drive, it is vitally important to keep learning and to stay well connected. Always stay on the lookout for opportunities to solve problems in a better way and as you deliver results, more opportunities will come.

Directors are critically important to the success and sustainability of an organisation and the health of an organisation is often reflected in the number and quality of people that stand for Director roles. With 11 nominees across three regions, it was very satisfying to note the extremely high calibre of those who stood for the AuSAE Board this year. A big thanks to everyone who put themselves forward.

It gives me great pleasure to welcome two new Directors, Damian Mitsch (CEO, Australasian Podiatry Council) and Glen Harriss (EO, Coeliac Queensland) to the AuSAE Board. Both Damian and Glen are extremely knowledgeable, well connected and dedicated AuSAE members. The term for the SA/WA representative Kirsty Kelly (Planning Institute of Australia) was also up for renewal and Kirsty successfully stood for re-election.

The terms of two valued Board members concluded at the AGM. I sincerely thank both Michelle Trute (CEO, Diabetes Australia - Queensland) and Rachel Drummond (Marketing Officer, Rural Health Workforce Australia) for their valuable commitment and service to AuSAE.

After the AGM a quick Board meeting was held to elect the officers. Congratulations to incoming President Graham Catt (CEO, Australian Veterinary Association) and Vice President Kirsty Kelly (CEO, Planning Institute of Australia).

Click here for more information about the AuSAE Board members.

The AuSAE Annual Update Publication 2015-2016 was also presented at the AGM. It provides an overview of the year just gone and other information that may be of interest. 2015 was a year of significant transition and AuSAE is now well placed for an exciting and fruitful future.

Brendon Ward

Chief Executive Officer

Australasian Society of Association Executives

South Australia's largest automobile club launched a new membership app in an effort to provide a more engaging customer experience

South Australia's largest automobile club, the Royal Automotive Association (RAA), has launched 'myRAA', a new mobile app that extends its More for Members program and aims to boost customer experience and member loyalty.

The iOS and Android friendly app is set to offer a more natural user experience compared to a traditional Web app. Acting as a digital membership hub, it removes the need to carry a physical membership card while offering users the ability to personalise their experience. For instance, they can update personal details, control what notifications to receive, and access the most important information first.

On top of this, members can leverage any benefits and competitions on the go. In an effort to attract new member engagement, non-members can also view these special offers without having to sign in.

Software company and RAA partner, Enabled, had early input into the direction and functionality of the app, which helped steer the project forward. The key was not simply transferring existing content from RAA’s Web portal to a mobile device, its CEO, Grant Hull, said.

“Enabled made the development of our myRAA mobile application seamless," RAA senior brand and membership marketing manager, Kimberley Bolton, said. "The quality of work and youthful look and feel was exactly what we needed to appeal to our target market. Through our partnership with Enabled, we launched a successful app which has surpassed our expectations and we look forward to working more with them in the future.”

"Consumers appreciate the fact that companies value their time," Hull said.

"That’s why we put serious thought into every interaction within the app. Even if it’s just a few milliseconds saved, it will all add up," he added.

This article was originally sourced from CMO and written by Azadeh Williams. 

Major external investment positions ASI for growth

Alexandria, VA, USA (13 July, 2016) — Advanced Solutions International (ASI) today announced Bregal Sagemount has made a significant investment aimed at supporting the company’s continued expansion.

ASI is a leading global provider of cloud-based software to associations and nonprofits and the developer of iMIS 20 — the industry’s first engagement management system (EMS). Bregal Sagemount is a private equity firm focused on investing both capital and strategic assistance into market-leading companies in high-growth sectors. The investment will be used to strengthen ASI’s market position, expand product offerings, and support growth initiatives.

“We are very excited to be working with a highly respected and innovative firm like Bregal Sagemount,” said Robert Alves, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of ASI. “Their investment — on the heels of our recent growth — will help us expand the success of our market-leading iMIS 20 Engagement Management System (EMS)™.”

“We are honoured to partner with the management team at ASI,” said Bregal Sagemount founding partner Daniel Kim. “They have built a world-class organisation with a strong track record of technology leadership, client satisfaction, and profitable growth.”

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Daniel Kim and Adam Fuller of Bregal Sagemount will join ASI’s Board of Directors.

About Bregal Sagemount

Bregal Sagemount is a growth-focused private capital firm with $650 million in committed capital. The firm provides flexible capital and strategic assistance to market-leading companies in high-growth sectors across a wide variety of transaction situations. Bregal Sagemount invests $15 million to $150 million per transaction into targeted sectors including software, digital infrastructure, healthcare IT / services, business and consumer services, and financial technology / specialty finance. For more information, please visit www.sagemount.com.

About ASI

Advanced Solutions International (ASI) is a global software company and recognised industry thought leader that focuses on helping associations and nonprofits increase operational and financial performance through the use of best practices, proven solutions, and ongoing client advisement. Since 1991, ASI has served nearly 4,000 clients and millions of users worldwide, both directly and indirectly through a network of more than 100 partners, and currently maintains corporate offices in the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia. Visit www.advsol.com for more information.

This press release was originally sourced from Advanced Solutions International.

Australian retail industry group, the National Retail Association (NRA), has announced the appointment of Dominique Lamb as its new CEO.

Lamb is an industrial relations and employment law specialist and has previously served as director of the NRA’s legal division and Principal of the association’s law firm, NRA Legal. She has been closely involved with the retail industry’s review of the award system and has worked closely with NRA members on employment and enterprise bargaining issues.

“We believe that having Dominique step up to become the CEO, supported by a new head of NRA Legal, will further strengthen the NRA’s credentials as the nation’s leading retail legal specialist, particularly in relation to employment law,” said NRA Chair Mark Brodie.

Lamb has also used her legal training in a voluntary capacity to help women confronting domestic violence. She has also spearheaded efforts within the NRA to raise awareness of the impact on businesses of employees dealing with domestic violence. In her new role as CEO, the NRA Board will encouraged this continued advocacy work, said Brodie.

“The NRA has a 100-year history of supporting retail businesses and representing their needs to politicians and policy makers. I am honoured to be able to continue this track record of service and success,” said Lamb.

“The retail sector is a vital part of the national economy and does more than its fair share of creating jobs, particularly for part-time, casual and lower-skilled workers. That makes an organisation such as the NRA critically important in speaking to government about the needs of the industry, and standing up for employers,” she said.

Ms Lamb’s appointment follows the recent election of former CEO Trevor Evans to the Federal Parliament as the Member for Brisbane.

This article was originally soucured from Power Retail.

The new financial reporting standards set by the External Reporting Board require some registered charities to disclose the salary details of individual staff members, as part of the requirements to include information about related party transactions.

For those charities reporting using the Tier 3 or Tier 4 standards, related parties include people who are closely associated with the charity and have the ability to influence the charity (for instance, committee members, officeholders and those involved in the strategic management of the charity) AND their close family members. So if a staff member is a son or daughter of a Board member, for example, details of that staff member’s salary will need to be disclosed where the salary is significant to the charity, or it is not on normal terms and conditions (for example, the salary is significantly higher or lower than the market rate).

Understandably, charities are concerned about the privacy implications of this requirement. There is a short answer to the privacy issue – the Financial Reporting Act 2013 provides that the disclosure of personal information (such as salary details) is not a breach of the relevant privacy principles in the Privacy Act 1993 if the disclosure is required for compliance with a standard issued by the External Reporting Board. And there is no requirement to name the staff member concerned. The standards set out what must be disclosed, including a description of the related party relationship, and a description and amount of the transaction(s). Charities Services have some useful guidance on the Charities website about these requirements.

But Charities Services appreciate that salary information is generally viewed in New Zealand as being highly sensitive. While it is not necessary to name the individual concerned, in many cases it will be easy for those involved in the charity to know who the individual is. Charities in these situations can request, when submitting their annual returns and performance reports or financial statements to us, that this information be withheld from the publicly-accessible Charities Register. Charities Services can restrict access to information on the register where it is in the public interest to do so. While Charities Services consider each request on a case-by-case basis, protecting the privacy of individuals employed by charities is likely to be a public interest that justifies restricting public access to the information. 

Further details about restricting access to information on the register is available on the Charities website.

Ref: Charities Update Newsletter: June 2016

The new financial reporting standards are finally here – so what are they and how do they affect you?

Up until now, any form of financial reporting has been accepted from charities, but 1 April this year marked the introduction of the New Reporting Standards (NRS). NRS are a set of legal documents that set out the way all charities in New Zealand now need to present their financial information when it is submitted to Charities Services as part of their annual return. If this is all news to you then please take some time to read through the information on our website under the new reporting standards section before completing your annual return.

Here's a quick summary of changes:

1. Instead of attaching financial statements, an annual report or any other form of financial information to your annual return, you now submit a “Performance Report”.
2. The format and content of your Performance Report is prescribed in the standard for the Tier which is relevant for your charity. The smaller your charity is, the simpler the requirements are.
3. The Performance Report contains financial and non-financial information, which is why it has been re-named.
4. The annual return form has been re-written to reflect the changes as a result of the new reporting standards.

We understand this is a big change for charities, and we have staff available to answer your questions and help you through the process. We have also been reviewing as many annual returns as we can, and the main issues we’ve been seeing so far can be grouped into three categories:

Some charities are not yet aware of the changes:

These charities seem to be unaware that the way financial information should be presented has changed. It looks like they’ve just filed their financial report in the same format as last year. The format and content of the Performance Report required under the new reporting standards is quite specific. An optional template is available to help charities with the new requirements by ensuring they have included everything. The template, guidance notes and tutorials can be found on our 

website for Tier 3 and Tier 4 .

Non-financial Information has been added to an old format set of financial statements:

These charities appear to be aware that there are new reporting requirements, but have used the same reporting format as last year, with some additional non-financial information. It’s great to see that charities are including non-financial information, but the format and content of the financial parts also needs updating. Having a look at the optional template may help those charities to identify where they need to update their reports to fully meet the requirements of the new standards.

Attempted to comply with the standard, but have room for improvement:

These charities have had a good go at creating a Performance Report, but a few things could be improved. In the first couple of years of this change, we will be focusing on making sure that as many charities as possible are adopting the new standards in the first instance, and then after that we will be focusing on improving the quality of the reporting. If you’ve made your best effort to comply with the standard, that’s great. As part of our compliance work, we will be checking a number of these reports in detail, and will give feedback wherever possible. We encourage you to revisit what you’ve done each year to see if there are any areas that could be improved upon.

This media release was sourced directly from Charities Services and was written by Julia Fletcher.

Reduced deliveries by New Zealand Post have affected board-of-trustee elections, School Trustees Association says.

New Zealand Post cut deliveries to three days a week last year, because of falling mail volume.

More than half of the country's schools held board elections earlier this month.

The association's president Lorraine Kerr said it had complaints from some parents and returning officers about voting papers not being delivered, or only one set arriving in a two-parent house.

The association would be reviewing its processes, she said.

"[We will] look at what went well, but equally look at what didn't go well and what we need to learn from that and how we mitigate it. From the New Zealand Post perspective, gosh that's a huge conversation we will need to have because this will happen again in three years."

The Ministry of Education said 24 schools had been granted extensions for reasons including missed timeframes and postal constraints.

It also said some households got the wrong number of voting forms.

"We are also aware of schools where the electoral roll processing has meant that the correct numbers of voting forms have not been delivered to households."

But Principals' Federation president Iain Taylor was not aware of any problems.

"I haven't actually heard too many negative things actually about the election and even the whole thing about the postage has surprised me actually," he said.

"Obviously different communities [and] different schools have different challenges in getting a confident board, but as we know there's not many schools that haven't got a board so it's obviously been OK so to speak."

New Zealand Post said it was in the process of checking if any complaints were made and was open to discussion on the matter.

"New Zealand Post would be more than happy to discuss and provide advice on postal timeframes for future elections with the School Trustees Association and the Ministry of Education," it said.

"We would also be happy to be involved in any review of the regulations around the running of these elections."

This article was originally sourced from Radio NZ.