South Australia – Non Profit regulation

As Australia doesn´t count with a goverment system of regulation for charities, the common law of each state and territory allows for the creation of charitable trusts with some modification provided by the trust legislation of each state. In South Australia the law regulating the fundraising activities is the Office of the Liquor and Gambling Comissioner with administrative responsibility for the control of: charitable collections, and community organisation fundraising lotteries.

http://www.olgc.sa.gov.au/splash.shtm

South Australia – Volunteering

Volunteers are an essential part of NPOs development. They are vital for the ‘not-for-profit’ sector to benefit from the considerable skills and talents of the local business sector. Their contribution can assess by delivering many of the programs and projects, whether it be assisting at Club Cool and other events, also with administration.

Volunteering is also motivated throughout the State. This is the case of volunteering projects at “The History Trust of South Australia” which belongs to the goverment.

 

VOLUNTARY WORK

	South Australia	Australia
Volunteers	367.6	5 226.5
Volunteer rate	31.4	34.1
Average annual hours	123.6	130.0

 

http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/39433889d406eeb9ca2570610019e9a5/aa84219527eb62d2ca2574400012ad8b!OpenDocument#VOLUNTARY%20WORK

  

Areas in which volunteerism is commonly seen are

• Arts collection
• Aboriginal
• Family
• Corporate
• International  

In 1982 Mavis Reynolds and Joy Noble founded The Volunteer Centre of South Australia which is now known as Volunteering SA Inc.  In July 2007 they expanded their services to the Northern Territory.

 This organization provides a training system to improve volunteer´s work

• Free training for volunteers (Funded by the Government of South Australia – Office for Volunteers)
• Training for Volunteer Involving Organisations
• Professional development for Volunteer Managers

 http://www.volunteeringsa.org.au/GroupHomepage.aspx?GroupID=608

South Australia – Funding

Adelaide stands out with the highest rate of giving money in Australia (90.5%) 

Trust needs a secure financial base, many depends on community support to maintain and improve its activities and programs. On the other hand, the state’s economy centres on the agricultural, manufacturing and mining industries and has an increasingly significant finance sector as well. As a result, it counts with highly business participation. South Australian business participate in some form of giving, donations or sponsorship, a great extent (80%).

 http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/files/3YKJZK4V2Z/GivingAustraliaSummary_000.pdf

 Another way to support NPOs are bequests, a powerful way to provide support for the causes that matter the most. It is a kind of donation by which your Will is transfered into one of the most potent tools. A Bequest is a statement in your will leaving a specific gift, for example cash or property. http://www.sa.alp.org.au/kaye.php  

Arts SA’s support and funding program helps South Australian artists and arts organisations

In 2008, grants will be offered through the following programs:

• Independent makers and presenters
• Community arts development
• Richard Llewellyn Arts and Disability Trust
• Contemporary music
• Public art and design
• Arts facilities and equipment

http://www.arts.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=4

South Australia – Areas of focus for the nonprofit sector

3 main nonprofit areas

•  Art/Cultural life
•  Disability  
•  Youth

“In 2007, almost $20 million was invested to the making of art in South Australia.”

As South Austrlia is kwnon as “the state of festivals and wine”, the main areas of the NPOs are related to the cultural sector. Some examples of this are the Contemporary Art Centre of South Australia and the famous one The History Trust of South Australia. This kind of trusts may be joined with other buildings like the National Motor Museum, Migration Museum, South Australian Maritime Museum or Queen’s Theatre in order to develop their programes and activities. 

In a minor percentage, there is a sector focused on the disability area. For instance, Arts Access SA organisation which mission consists in create opportunities for participation, employment, income generation and leadership for people with a disability in South Australia’s arts and cultural life. DIRC Directory details over 600 South Australian disability organisations and the services they offer. It also provides information about national disability organisations and peak bodies. http://www.dircsa.org.au/databases/

 

South Australia – Third Sector overview

The Non-Profit sector in South Australia is mainly related to chairitable activities.

The words commonly used to describe a nonprofit organization are Charities or Trusts.

A charitable organization (also known as a charity) is an organization with charitable purposes only.

Trusts, foundations, unincorporated associations and in some jurisdictions specific types of companies, may be established for a charitable purpose or may acquire such purpose after establishment. Examples of charities include religious institutions, aged persons homes, homeless hostels, primary or secondary schools run by churches, organisations relieving the special needs of people with disabilities and societies that promote the fine arts. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charitable_organization

The majority of the NPOs are allowed to employ members in remunerated positions. This is the case of many disability Non-Profit Organizations whose objective is to insert people with a disability in the society by generating income and leadership for them.

About modern history of the sector, survey results indicate that volunteering in South Australian not-for-profit organisations increased steadily over the period between 2001 and 2003. This was the case for members who join committees as well as those who become general members. Increases in volunteering appear to be partly related to the outsourcing of State and Commonwealth Government services to the not-for profit sector. http://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=965155738169882;res=E-LIBRARY

The Sector’s Importance to Democracy

“Like most modern democracies, Australian society is supported and served by a not-for-profit charitable sector which delivers a range of social welfare services to its citizens.  In this role the charitable sector is a crucial partner with business and government, which it complements but with which it also contrasts.”

South Australia – Education

South Australia has a world-class education system that includes four internationally recognised universities, TAFE colleges offering technical and vocational training, a wide range of specialised tertiary institutions and a highly regarded primary and secondary school sector.

“The Department of Education and Children’s Services” (DECS) is responsible for ensuring the provision of children’s services and public education throughout. All children between the ages of 6 and 15 years must attend school. State schools provide free tuition.

Education is compulsory for all children until age 16, however, the majority of students stay on to complete their South Australian Certificate of Education (SACE). The South Australian Government provides, to schools on a per student basis, 89 percent of the total Government funding while the Commonwealth contributes 11 percent. 

The education area expands its interaction to the state government, peak stakeholder groups, industrial parties, the Commonwealth government and other national and international education services agencies. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Australia

South Australia Universities

•  Flinders University        http://www.flinders.edu.au/

• Universitiy of Adelaide  http://www.adelaide.edu.au/

•  University of South Australia  http://www.unisa.edu.au/

•  Carnegie Mellon University, Heinz School http://www.cmu.edu.au/

 

The University of South Australia has a Code of Practice: University Philanthropic Activity which provides guidance to University staff and potential donors and partners on the conduct of development activities within UniSA. It also assists understanding of the University of South Australia Foundation Committee and its role. http://www.unisa.edu.au/giving/

South Australia – Legal system

 

The District Court is the principal trial court in South Australia.

Its work is developed in four areas: Civil, Criminal, Administrative and Disciplinary, and Criminal Injuries.

The Court sits in Adelaide and conducts civil circuits regularly at Mount Gambier and at Berri, Port Pirie, Whyalla and Port Lincoln as required.

The Chief Judge is the principal judicial officer and is responsible for its administration. There are 19 judges who preside over all of the divisions of the Court, and three masters who conduct hearings in the Civil, Criminal Injuries and Administrative and Disciplinary Divisions

Further information in http://www.courts.sa.gov.au/courts/district/index.html

South Australia – Economy

South Australia’s economy relies on exports more than any other state in Australia. The manufacturing industry plays a very important role in South Australia’s economy, generating 15% of the state’s Gross State Product (GSP) and playing a large part in exports. The manufacturing industry consists of automotive and component manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, defence technology and electronic systems.

South Australia receives the least amount of federal funding for its local road network than any other state on a per capita or per kilometre basis. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Australia

  

Labour market situation (March 2008):  

Employment 

                    Full-time 533.4

                    Part-time 244.4

                    Total       777.8 

Unemployment rate 5.6%    

Participation rate 63%  

http://www.adelaide.edu.au/saces/economy/labour/ 

Poverty rate (2001):       11.1  (10.6% adults – 12.5% children)

http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/RN/2004-05/05rn49.htm

South Australia – Government

The govermetn system is a Constitutional Monarchy with the Queen of Australia as the head of state. Inmediately after this, the state counts with a Bicameral Parliament which consists of a House of Assembly (lower house) and a Legislative Council (upper house), with legislative elections held every four years. The current Premier of  is Mike Rann, a member of the Australian Labor Party.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Australia#External_links

 Local Government

The term “Local Government” refers to the system in which 68 local Councils (municipalities) operate in South Australia. The Constitution Act 1934 (SA), the Local Government Act 1999 (SA), and the Local Government (Elections) Act 1999 (SA).

Is integral to the democratic system of government in Australia which provides vital economic, social and environmental support for communities. This is due to:

• community standards and expectations growing along with economic growth (for example a higher number of vehicles per household leads to demand for safer local roads/traffic management and the emergence of Legionnaire’s Disease creates new environmental health inspection requirements);
• reductions in the size of both Federal and State public services and greater legal requirements (eg building fire safety inspections now done by Councils and higher workplace safety standards affecting all employers);
• and greater demand for local services (eg recycling or immunisation of school children against Meningococcal C).

See the following councils map: http://www.lga.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=209 

For further information check South Australia´s Government site http://www.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm

South Australia – Demographics

Population:    1.584.513 people      

The majority of whom reside in the state capital, Adelaide.

 

Population change 

	2005-2006	2006-2007
Components of Population Change (persons)
Natural increase	+5,845	+6,726
Net overseas migration	+9,813	+13,146
Net interstate migration	-2,591	-3,563
Total net population change	+15,681	+16,309
Estimated Resident Population (end of year)
Persons	1,568,204	1,584,513

South Australians have the highest median age at death of all States and Territories.

http://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/Lookup/3218.0Main%20Features82006-07?opendocument&tabname=Summary&prodno=3218.0&issue=2006-07&num=&view=