Developing a Common Language between Corporations & Small Community Organisations: A Resource Handbook

This handbook is designed for workers within the community sector who are interested in building mutually beneficial relationships with businesses and corporate but are unsure of where to start. Likewise, those within the corporate sector will find this resource useful as it offers a glimpse into the unique motivations and processes of organisations operating at the “grass roots” level.

In drawing from findings of a recent exploratory action research project conducted by Western Sydney Community Forum (WSCF) in collaboration with the University of Western Sydney and Westpac Foundation, this publication describes the possible contribution corporations can make to community-based activities, while offering jargon free advice for managers of local community organisations in their efforts to effectively seek and maintain corporate support. More specifically, barriers in language are discussed with tips on how taken-for-granted motivations, processes and worldviews can be better translated to prospective funders. Links to further resources and publications are also provided.

Click here to download Handbook.

Sector Development Glossary - ACOSS

Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS), March 2010

This document is a glossary of terms and their meanings that encompasses the breadth of sector development work currently underway in the Australian social service and community sector. The glossary is a resource for our sector, setting out some of the key issues that are the subject of sector development work internally or in the development of policy and advocacy objectives for reform. It is also an attempt to clarify some of the language and concepts that are widely used but have different meanings and implications depending on the size, location and activities of social service organisations.

 Click here to download Sector Development Glossary.

Click here to go to ACOSS' website. 

Source: ACOSS

Locally-based community organisations & social inclusion: new report

University of Sydney, 26 March 2010

A new report produced by the University of Sydney, the University of Western Sydney and the Illawarra Forum proposes that the NSW Government's social inclusion objectives have missed the mark in achieving its goals.

The Federal Government recently launched a Social Inclusion Agenda to help reintegrate marginalised members of society by amending its policies and programs in the area of social inclusion.

In NSW, the State Government has been implementing its own initiatives as part of this nationwide drive for increased social inclusion among disadvantaged communities, and a recent State Plan has set out specific and measurable concrete targets to determine the success of these initiatives.

The report, to be launched on Friday 26 March, argues that the NSW Government is neglecting the important role that locally-based community organisations play in creating a sense of belonging and hope for those in need.

It questions the current results-based accountability (RBA) framework used by the NSW Government in measuring the success of its social inclusion initiatives, because the RBA method of measurement does not include speaking to people from disenfranchised communities about their personal experiences.

The report argues that if the Government was instead conducting this kind of quantitative, experience-based research in measuring the results of their Social Inclusion Agenda, they would discover that locally-based community organisations play a vital role in assisting people with struggles over hardship, humiliation, inequality, inclusion, representation and redistribution.

Currently, at a local and regional level there is a lack of attention given to collecting statistical data about the contribution of locally-based community organisations in social inclusion, and so the NSW Government is ignoring a vital component in actioning social inclusion practises.

As the NSW social inclusion practices are largely replicated at a Federal level, the report suggest that the NSW Government's social inclusion failings should act as a test-case for the Federal Government's own Social Inclusion Agenda, and that both the RBA framework of measurement and role of locally-based community organisations in facilitating social inclusion need to be reconsidered.

 Click here to download report.
 
Sources: University of Sydney & Illawarra Forum

UK link: Alternative approaches to capacity building - emerging practices abroad

This study was undertaken to identify alternative approaches to third sector capacity building in countries outside of the UK. Principally desk-based, it draws on the insight and recommendations of the research team’s contacts which span Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand, and the International Development context.

Click here to download 'Alternative approaches to capacity building - emerging practices abroad' report.

Source: Improving Support, Capacitybuilders

Two interesting articles

Click on a link below to view/download:

The Nonprofit Starvation Cycle - Stanford Social Innovation Review
"A vicious cycle is leaving nonprofi ts so hungry for decent infrastructure that they can barely function as organizations—let alone serve their benefi ciaries. The cycle starts with funders’ unrealistic expectations about how much running a nonprofi t costs, and results in nonprofi ts’ misrepresenting their costs while skimping on vital systems—acts that feed funders’ skewed beliefs. To break the nonprofit starvation cycle, funders must take the lead."

What should I know before joining the board? - BoardSource

Submission to Productivity Commission: Research Study on the NFP Sector

Click here to download Voice for SONG's submission to Productivity Commission: Research Study on the NFP Sector.

The Networked Nonprofit

“Management wisdom says that nonprofits must be large and in charge to do the most good. But some of the world’s most successful organisations instead stay small, sharing their load with like-minded, long-term partners. The success of these networked nonprofits suggests that organisations should focus less on growing themselves and more on cultivating their networks.” Quoted from “The Networked Non-Profit “ by Jane Wei-Skillern and Sonia Marciano in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, Stanford Graduate School of Business, 2007.

Click here to read full article.

Caught in the Middle: What Small, Non-profit Organizations Need to Survive and Flourish

Canadian paper about the struggles for small community organizations, by Voluntary Sector Initiative (VSI).

Click here to go to paper.

Think Local: a new WSCF / SONG Booklet

This is a new WSCF and Voice For Song partnership publication.

Why are local community organisations important to healthy democratic communities? Think Local is a short dynamic encapsulation of our values – an essential resource for every community worker and management committee member. The Booklet identifies the many attributes of local small organisations, their contribution to social capital and financial economies and current opportunities for local organisations. It ask us to record the stories of some of the innovative work we do to add to the rich body of evidence of the importance of our work.

Click here to download Think Local.

Surviving the Squeeze: How small NGOs can thrive in the current climate

Click here to download Surviving the Squeeze: How small NGOs can thrive in the current climate - New South Wales Council of Social Service, (2008) NCOSS News Vol 35, Number 5

SNOW Reports

Other documents that may be of interest are the SNOW reports. A report developed from the Small Non-Government Organisations Working Together project. The project was designed to explore the strengths, issues and challenges facing smaller non government organisations (NGOs) in the Mount Druitt/Blacktown area and to work with small NGOs in the Blacktown area to identify a range of strategies that would support small NGOs, and assist them in developing and enhancing their potential. Other reports available are –

• the main Summary Document for SNOW,
• SNOW Tips and Tools,
• a report of the findings of the Viability Research Project, available through Metro West Department of Community Services on (02) 9630 1103
• Is the writing on the wall for small community organisations? - Illawarra Community Forum

If you have any documents you would like to share please send them to jane@tricomm.org.au This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Voice for SONG Issues Paper

Click here to download Voice for SONG’s paper on the issues faced by small community-based, human service, nongovernment, not-for-profit sector organisations.

Voice for SONG Brochure

Click here to download the Voice for SONG brochure.