Northern Territory Community Engagement

Community engagement refers to the range of ways in which the Northern Territory Government works with people in the community, encouraging and rewarding active citizenship. Rather than consulting with people on pre-determined policy directions, community engagement encourages a continuous conversation with citizens about shaping Government policy and improving service delivery.

For a brochure about Northern Territory Government Community Engagement, or to learn more about their advisory councils, visit http://www.nt.gov.au/dcm/people/comm_engage.html.

Source(s):
http://www.nt.gov.au/dcm/people/comm_engage.html

Principal Foundations in Northern Territory

Foundations that give funds to organizations in the Northern Territory’s third sector include:

Australian Charities
http://www.auscharity.org/
Has a selection of links for fundraisers and a database of contact details for major Australian Charities.

Australia’s Open Garden Scheme
http://www.opengarden.org.au/grants.htm
Provides grants for garden-related community projects.

Australian Ethical Investment Scheme
http://www.austethical.com.au/company_information/community_grants
Provides grants to community groups annually.

Charities Aid Foundation
http://www.cafaustralia.org.au/
Allows charitable organisations to be placed on a registry to be matched with corporate donors and sponsors.

Commonwealth Bank Staff Community Fund Local Grants Program
http://about.commbank.com.au/group_display/0,1696,TS16848,00.html
Aims specifically to assist community groups with projects that improve the health and well being of children and young people nationally.

Comic Relief Australia
http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/html/s02_article/default.asp?nav_top_id=64&nav_cat_id=137
Grants are managed through Volunteering Australia and are available for a wide range of not for profit organisations.

Fosters Community Grants
http://www.fosters.com.au/about/fosterscommunitygrants.htm
Fosters community grants for specific projects run by community groups and charities.

The Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal
http://www.fosters.com.au/about/fosterscommunitygrants.htm
Aims to take a leadership role in assisting regional, rural and remote communities to respond to social, cultural and economic change. The FRRR administers a number of funding programs and grants.

The Foundation for Young Australians
http://www.youngaustralians.org/
A not-for-profit organisation committed to investing in excess of $3 million each year on providing opportunities for young people with specific funding for projects involving Indigenous youth.

Friends of the Australian Communication Exchange Support Program (FACES)
http://www.aceinfo.net.au/Resources/Sponsorship/index.html
Provides funding for projects by nonprofit organisations which benefit the deaf, hearing or speech impaired in the community.

Landcare Community Grants
http://www.landcareonline.com/funding_opportunity_details.asp?fo_id=9
Grants funded in partnership with Australia Post and provide grants for projects aimed at improving the environment.

Macquarie Group Foundation
http://www.macquarie.com/foundation/index.htm
Supports groups and activities in Australia and overseas.

The Mercy Foundation
http://www.mercyfoundation.com.au/index.html
Provides support for organisations involved in reducing inequality and poverty in Australia.

The Myer Foundation and The Sidney Myer Fund
http://www.myerfoundation.org.au/
Grantmaking to build a fair, just, creative, sustainable and caring society through initiatives that promote positive change in Australia, and in relation to Australia’s regional setting.

National Foundation for Australian Women
http://nfaw.org/partners/donor.html
Runs a program through which other women’s groups can receive tax deductible donations and grants through their preferred donor fund.

NRMA Insurance communityhelp grants
http://www.nrma.com.au/pub/nrma/community/help-program/index.shtml
Grants for crime and injury prevention, emergency services and the environment. In South Australia the program operates under SGIO and in Western Australia under SGIC.

Optus Connecting Communities Grants Program
http://www.optus.net.au
Provides grants to organisations to help reduce social isolation and to reconnect disengaged youth.

Perpetual Trustees Australia
http://www.perpetual.com.au/philanthropy/default.htm
Manages charitable funds

Peter Brock Foundation
http://peterbrockfoundation.com.au/ 
Provides funding and support for community groups and organisations with a focus on welfare services, social issues and community programs.

The Ian Potter Foundation
http://www.ianpotter.org.au/
Makes grants for general charitable purposes in Australia that advance knowledge and benefit the community in the areas of the arts, community wellbeing, education, environment and conservation, health,
medical research and science.

The Reichstein Foundation
http://www.reichstein.org.au/ 
Funds projects aimed at assisting disadvantaged communities.

The Telstra Foundation
http://www.rockfound.org/
Provides community development grants for projects particularly aimed at children and young people. They also provide assistance through their Indigenous Community Development program and Social Innovation Grants.

Westfarmers
http://www.wesfarmers.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=27
Makes contributions to community-benefiting activities through its corporate office and through subsidiary businesses. Applications for small donations such as gift vouchers should be made to individual business outlets.

Westpac Matching Gifts Program
http://www.westpac.com.au/internet/publish.nsf/content/wiwcsi+matching+gifts
Matches donations by employees to charities dollar for dollar.

World Wildlife Fund Australia
http://wwf.org.au/ourwork/species/tsngrants/
Provides funding through its Threatened Species Network Community Grants program to groups working to protect wildlife or habitats.  

Source(s):
http://www.aph.gov.au/library/intguide/sp/spgrants.htm#territory

Fundraising Related Organizations

Organizations/websites to note, connected to fundraising for the third sector in the Northern Territory, and throughout Australia.

Philantrophy Australia
http://www.philanthropy.org.au/
Philanthropy Australia is the national peak body for philanthropy and is a not-for-profit membership organisation.

GrantsLink
http://www.grantslink.gov.au/
Australian Government Community Grants Site

Northern Territory Government
http://www.nt.gov.au/ntg4/Subject?documenttitle=*&myLevel=3&myRefPoint=cn=Community%20Links,cn=Grants%20and%20Funding&layout=show
List of community grants/funding opportunities compiled by the Northern Territory Government

Charities Aid Foundation
http://www.cafaustralia.org.au/about-caf.php
Charities Aid Foundation brings donors and the community together for mutual benefit, providing cost effective programs for business, governments, individuals, families and not-for-profit organisations.

Fundraising Institute Australia
http://www.fia.org.au/
National peak body representing professional fundraising in Australia.

GiveWell
http://www.givewell.com.au/
GiveWell plays a key role in fostering a better culture of giving in Australia. They do this by conducting research on charities and generating ideas on better ways to give.

Our Community
http://www.ourcommunity.com.au/
Our Community is a world-leading social enterprise that provides 15 Knowledge Centres – spanning all aspects of running a community group and comprising a range of resources, training, advice and tools.

Australian Charities
http://www.auscharity.org/
Gateway for information on major Australian charities

Non-Profit Sector Media

Media specific to the third sector in Australia includes:

Australian Journal on Volunteering
The Australian Journal on Volunteering is the only Australian academic journal that publishes articles exclusively on volunteering.  Published twice each year, the AJOV aims to: provide a forum for promoting awareness and discussion of volunteering within the volunteering community; stimulate debate and research on volunteering; provide useful information to the volunteering community; and promote awareness of the volunteering sector and its attendant issues in the broader community, including government and business.  
http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/html/s02_article/article_view.asp?id=1908&nav_cat_id=269&nav_top_id=61

Third Sector Review (Australia and New Zealand)
Journal, must be ordered
http://www.anztsr.org.au/

Sydney Alternative Media
Non-profit community news, national blog
http://www.sydneyalternativemedia.com/blog/

Sydney Indymedia
Open Publishing website that is run by and for the grassroots community.
http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/

Timeline of Australian Philanthropy

• 1881 – The Wyatt Benevolent Institution formed

• 1904 – The Felton Bequest established

• 1907 – Administration and Probate Duties Act (in Victoria) established that ”no duty whatsoever shall be payable thereunder in respect of any public charitable bequest or public charitable settlement…”

• 1915 – Administration and Probate Act 1915 (in Victoria) Repealed and consolidated 1907 Administration and Probate Duties Act. Established that “no duty shall be payable under this Act in respect of any public charitable bequest or public charitable settlement, whether the public institution in whose favour such bequest or settlement is made is or is not in existence at the time of the making of the bequest or settlement”

• 1934 – Death of Sidney Myer

• 1935 – The Sidney Myer Fund established

• 1941 – The Dafydd Lewis Trust established

• 1951 – The Helen M Schutt Trust established

• 1951 – Administration and Probate (Estates) Act (Vic) 1951 Allowed gifts for charitable purposes to be deductions from the “final balance” that would be subject to duty – “for religious or public scientific or public educational purposes in Victoria, or to a public hospital or public benevolent society in Victoria”.

• 1959 – The Myer Foundation established by Ken and Bailieu Myer

• 1962 – The Vincent Fairfax Family Foundation established

• 1964 – The Ian Potter Foundation established

• 1964 – The William Buckland Foundation established

• 1965 – The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust established

• 1970 – The Reichstein Foundation established

• 1970 – The R E Ross Trust established

• 1972 – The George Alexander Foundation established

• 1973 – The Melbourne Newsboys Club Foundation established

• 1975 – A steering committee was appointed to investigate possibility of forming an association of Australian philanthropic trusts and foundations

• 1976 – Victoria abolishes death duties – thereby ridding Victoria of its extra tax incentives to establish grantmaking foundations by will (from the Administration and Probate (Estates) Act 1951)

• 1977 – The Australian Association of Philanthropy was established on 1st of December

• 1985 – The Victorian Women’s Trust established with a gift from the State Government of Victoria

• 1988 – The Australian Association of Philanthropy establishes a permanent part-time secretariat

• 1989 – The National Foundation for Australian Women established

• 1992 – Death of Kenneth Myer (son of Sidney Myer) and bequest of the residue of his estate to The Myer Foundation

• 1995 – Industry Commission Inquiry into Charitable Organisations in Australia

• 1995 – The Australian Association of Philanthropy secretariat moves from part-time to full-time

• 1997 – The Australian Association of Philanthropy changes name to Philanthropy Australia Inc

• 1998 – The Community Partnerships Roundtable convened

• 1999 – Community Partnerships Roundtable changes name to the Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership

• 2000 – The Australian Youth Foundation and the Queen’s Trust for Young Australians merge to create the Foundation for Young Australians

• 2000 – Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal established with funding from the Sidney Myer Fund and the Department of Transport and Regional Services.

• 2000 – The Harold Mitchell Foundation established

• 2001 – Tax changes enabling establishment of Prescribed Private Funds (PPFs)

• 2001 – Helen M Schutt Trust changes name to the Helen Macpherson Smith Trust

• 2001 – The Nelson Meers Foundation – the first PPF – established

• 2001 – Inquiry into the Definition of Charitable and Related Organisations is announced by the Federal Government

• 2007 – Prime Minister’s Community Business Partnership closes with the change of government.

Source(s):
http://philanthropywiki.org.au/index.php/Timeline_of_Australian_Philanthropy

Individual Donations to Third Sector

The percentage of people living in the Northern Territory that donated to a non-profit effort declined slightly from 2000 to 2006.

 

Throughout Australia, individuals donate to the following causes:

Source(s): http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/C52862862C082577CA25731000198615/$File/44410_2006.pdf

Northern Territory Fundraising Law

The relevant authority for fundraising governance in the Northern Territory is NT Treasury, Racing, Gaming & Licensing Division.  In particular, they oversee all fundraising activities such as bingo, raffles and door knock appeals.

 

The relevant legislation is part IV of the Gaming Control Act (and attendant Regulations) which regulates lotteries, trade lotteries and games of chance in the nature of a lottery, being raffles, sweepstakes, calcuttas, bingo, mini-lotto and tipping competitions.

 

A permit is required for the conduct of lotteries and trade lotteries offering a total prize pool of more than $5,000. A permit is not required for trade lotteries that have been granted a permit interstate.

 

Other issues to consider:

Only approved associations or a person who has obtained the express permission of the Minister may conduct a lottery or game in the nature of a lottery in the Northern Territory. Any person carrying on a trade or business in the Territory may conduct a trade lottery.

 

There is also a listing of nation-wide philantropy-related law at http://www.philanthropy.org.au/representation/legislation.html.

 

Source(s):

http://www.ato.gov.au/nonprofit/content.asp?doc=/content/56555.htm&page=1&H1

http://www.ato.gov.au/nonprofit/content.asp?doc=/content/56555.htm&page=4&H4

http://www.philanthropy.org.au/representation/legislation.html

Volunteer Involvement

The “where” and “what” of Australian volunteer involvement:

 

  

 

Source(s):

http://www.ausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subscriber.nsf/0/C52862862C082577CA25731000198615/$File/44410_2006.pdf

Volunteers and Northern Territory Law

The Northern Territory’s Work Health Act 1986 (NT) provides a very broad definition of a worker, that would include volunteers. A worker is defined:

• as anyone who performs work or services of any kind for another person;
• under an agreement of any form.

Under this definition, a volunteer would be considered as a worker and be covered by the legislation.  If the volunteer does not fall into the above category of a worker, the Act still protects anyone else who is not an employee, but who is affected by the employer’s undertaking. This would include volunteers.

Volunteer-involving organisations have a duty of care to ensure that, as far as practicable, a volunteer’s health and safety is not adversely affected by the work they are engaged in. This includes maintaining a safe workplace and plant, making arrangements for the safe handling and transport of plant and substances, providing training and instruction to enable volunteers to carry out their work in a safe manner an ensure that visitors to a workplace are aware of and abide by safety requirements.

Common Law
Volunteer-involving organisations—regardless of whether it has employees or not—also have a common law duty of care to exercise reasonable care to avoid injury to all entrants on the premises. The risk must be ‘reasonably foreseeable’—that is, not farfetched or fanciful.

Volunteers with special needs may require a higher standard of care and therefore volunteer involving organisations may need to take more time preparing them for their duties. Volunteer-involving organisations whose operations may expose volunteers to scenes or events that may cause nervous shock also need to factor in psychological injury as a foreseeable risk.

In some instances, the scope of a volunteer-involving organisation’s duty of care may be expanded. For example, if a volunteer-involving organisation runs a working bee in which volunteers are asked to help with some demolition work outside of the normal voluntary activity of volunteers – the volunteer-involving organisation will have expanded the scope of duty of care that it owes to volunteers.

Penalties
The Work Health Act 1986 (NT) sets a maximum penalty on both corporations and individuals for breaches of the duty to provide a safe workplace.

Under common law, civil damage claims can also be made by, or on behalf of, a volunteer who is injured or killed as a result of breaching its common law duty of care. Duty of care is breached in circumstances where the risk was foreseeable and significant, and where a reasonable person would have taken precaution. In determining whether a reasonable person would have taken the precautions against risk or harm, the court takes into account the following:

• the probability that the harm would occur if care were not taken;
• the likely seriousness of the harm;
• the burden of taking precautions to avoid the risk of harm; and
• the social utility of the activity that creates the risk of harm.

Compensation
The Northern Territory specifically excludes volunteers from laws relating to workers’ compensation and rehabilitation. The exception to this is some volunteer fire-fighters, volunteer emergency services personnel and prescribed volunteers.

Volunteers’ Personal Civil Liability
Under the Personal Injuries (Liabilities and Damages) Act 2003 (NT) volunteers do not incur personal civil liability for a personal injury caused by an act done in good faith and without recklessness while doing community work for a community organisation.

Source(s):
http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/files/BVVD4121KN/OHS%20NT.pdf

Volunteerism Definitions in the Northern Territory

The definition of volunteering, according to Volunteering Territory:
Volunteering is an activity whereby individuals choose to willingly work without an expectation of remuneration to provide a service with a community focus. Volunteer work extends beyond one’s basic obligations and can represent an important expression of social responsibility.

• Volunteering is of benefit to the community and the volunteer.
• Volunteering is not undertaken in order to receive pensions or benefits.
• Volunteering is a legitimate way for citizens to participate in the activities of their community.
• Volunteering is a vehicle for individuals or groups to address human, environmental and social needs.
• Volunteering is an activity which takes place in not for profit organisations and projects. Volunteering is not a substitute for paid work.
•  Volunteering does not threaten the livelihood of paid workers.
• Volunteering respects the rights, dignity and culture of others.
• Volunteering promotes human rights and equality.

Source(s):
http://www.volunteeringterritory.org.au/