The 2013 AuSAE Australian Leadership Symposium held on October 24-25 2013 in Melbourne, Australia proved to be our biggest and most successful event yet, drawing close to 150 industry professionals through the doors. 

Has your association been scrambling for content? There’s an underlying issue that must be addressed before you can consider the information to share through websites, newsletters, and marketing materials.

How can you find out what members of your association really want to read or view? How can you deliver relevant and compelling articles, blog posts, videos, and other fresh content on a consistent basis?

It’s time to stop scrambling and start thinking about the challenges people are struggling to overcome. Take a closer look at the aspirations and goals your target audience works to achieve every single day.

The needs of your members will drive your content.

If you’ve been a member of the association universe very long, there’s no doubt you understand the importance of member engagement. The Decision to Join study showed that the more engaged a member is, the more likely they are to register for events, renew their membership, volunteer their time, etc. As more and more membership organisations have come to value member engagement, more emphasis has been put on the association’s return on engagement (ROE).

But does that mean associations shouldn’t be concerned with the return on investment (ROI) for their efforts in social media, on their website or blog and in their online communities? And if ROE and ROI are both important measures of success, how do you increase your return?

Masters Painters Australia (MPA) is currently in the process of refurbishing their offices in Strathfield South.

Due to the large area available there is an opportunity for other businesses or associations to have office space built to suit your requirements.

The premises also contains a large and varied training facility, meeting rooms and a boardroom if required

Centrally located with allocated parking this could be the perfect opportunity to relocate your business in 2014.

Expressions of interest can be emailed to Malynda Price at operations@masterpainters.com.au

Australia's leading Not for Profit Remuneration Report contains valuable information on the remuneration of 17 senior positions within the Not for Profit sector. Containing benchmarking data from the most recent financial year, the report also tracks trends in remuneration levels over the last decade.

With data covering over 1,000 positions, the report gives the most accurate and detailed information on Not for Profit sector remuneration in Australia.

The report presents results for each position by:
• total organisation expenditure;
• benefits paid;
• total number of employees;
• number of employees reporting to the position;
• number of paid members;
• geographic scope;
• headquarters location;
• primary membership base;
• organisation classification;
• incumbent's gender; and
• length of time in position.

Survey Matters, in conjunction with AuSAE, is delighted to announce the second study in the Associations Matter: State of the Sector Series; a unique benchmark research project addressing the needs of Australian and New Zealand associations and charitable organisations.

About the Research
In the second of these landmark Studies into membership of associations, this Study will focus on New Zealand and Australian Industry Bodies who typically provide membership to and represent the interests of other organisations in a dedicated sector or area of interest.

The Associations Matter: 2013 State of the Sector Study for Industry Bodies will survey members of Australasian industry associations to provide benchmark data about:
• Who are the Members of Industry Associations?
• Why Do Organisations Join Industry Associations?
• What Services Members Value?
• What Issues are Important to Members in your Industry?
• How do Members want to Communicate with Associations, and Vice Versa?
• Engagement and satisfaction levels, and likelihood to recommend

How to Participate
To register your interest in taking part in the research, or to find out more go to:
http://www.surveymatters.com.au/associations-matter-industry-bodies
or Call Survey Matters on +61 3 9452 0101 or email info@surveymatters.com.au

An Australian software developer recently launched a website that helps companies give back by offering free technology services to charities and other organizations in support of social causes.

Looking for a way to give back to your local community?
You could write a check.

Money always helps. But that’s assuming the organization or the charity you’re donating to has the resources and the staff talent to put your cash to work.

Australian software developer Atlassian is exploring the philanthropic power of another asset: human capital. Playing off its reputation as a serious software developer with a social conscience, the company recently launched MakeaDiff.org. Rather than collect donations toward charitable endeavors, the site employs a crowdsourcing model to match charities and other nonprofits with technology experts to help them achieve their goals.

“It’s almost like a Match.com that connects technology volunteerism with charities and causes,” Atlassian President Jay Simons recently told VentureBeat when interviewed about the site. “Imagine if charities could get engineering help from Google, Facebook, or Atlassianundefinedthat’s what we’re hoping to provide.”

Crowdsourcingundefinedfor the Greater Good
Cash donations are appealing to charities and nonprofits for obvious reasons and working at the local food bank can be personally fulfilling. However, Atlassian executives say their employees would much prefer to use their knowledge and unique skill sets to confront societal issues at a higher level.

“The amount of money I could donate would probably be pale in comparison to a few hours of my time spent a week or a month or whatever,” says Sam Day, an Atlassian software developer in a video about the project.

The feeling is mutual.

“The charities like our money, but what they really want is to solve problems,” Atlassian cofounder and CEO Scott Farquhar told VentureBeat.

How it Works
Participating nonprofits (all groups are vetted before approval, according to the website) are invited to list technology-related jobs and projects on the site. Listings run the gamut, from basic web design to project “road-mapping” and data analysis, reports Atlassian.

The company says its employees, each of whom get five days of leave a year to use toward volunteer projects, are currently working on gratis assignments for three different educational organizations.

Once the opportunities are posted, technology volunteersundefinedfrom developers to designers to project managersundefinedcan log onto the site to look for an assignment that appeals to their sense of social responsibility.

Though the site is live, it’s still very much a work in progress, with a focus on local projects. The company says it’s planning a wider launch in 2014, with an eye toward taking the site international in the near future.

Conflict of interest is a topical area of challenge for donors and grantmakers along with the thorny issue of the Management Expense Ratio (MER) - the percentage of funds that is spent to administer and manage grants, says Genevieve Timmons in her new book ‘Savvy Giving’, commissioned by the Australian Communities Foundation.

Here we publish an extract from the book which offers guidance on the art and science of philanthropy for the beginner as well as the seasoned giver.

Conflict of interest is a topical area of challenge for donors and grantmakers. Board members and decision makers are expected to bring personal talents, ideas, networks and experience to the grantmaking table, to help inform the granting decisions.

The Federal Government is cracking down on workplace bullying and introducing an all-encompassing law that makes bullying conduct unlawful. Business adviser Ruth Knight offers her tips on how to prepare a Not for Profit organisation for the change.

What can cost an organisation’s time, money, staff turnover, absenteeism, poor working relationships, and low morale? Workplace bullying.

Any organisation is at risk and there is never a better time to start putting in place the policies and systems to protect you and your employees from the destructive effects of bullying and harassment.

The Centre for Corporate Governance, at the University of Technology Sydney, is conducting research into the current status of governance in the Not for Profit sector.

In collaboration with industry partner CompliSpace, which provides of corporate governance programs and services, the Centre for Corporate Governance says it intends to survey the extent of existing governance frameworks in charities and Not for Profits in the context of the ongoing NFP reforms.

“The new national charity regulator, the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) is part of a broader program of reforms taking place to improve regulatory arrangements in the NFP sector, while increasing accountability and improving confidence in how NFP's manage their funding,” Research Associate, Martijn Boersma said.

To complete the survey go to: http://www.sogosurvey.com/k/RQsUUPXsRYsPsPsP

Full article please go to:http://www.probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2013/10/studying-not-profit-governance