News Shorts: grants, donations and bans

A roundup of the news you need to know from around the sector.

Grants open to help end domestic and family violence

The Paul Ramsay Foundation (PRF) and the Australian Communities Foundation (ACF) have announced a specialist grant round focused on ending domestic and family violence, called the Specialist DFV Programs National Open Grant Round.

From Tuesday 24 January 2023, organisations running specialist programs that work with key communities affected by domestic and family violence can submit an application for a one-off grant of up to $250,000 (where the duration of the grant can be up to two years) to support the delivery of an existing specialist DFV program(s). 

Programs must have a primary focus on one or more of the following cohorts:

• Victim survivor cohorts among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, LGBTQIA+ people, migrant and refugee women, pregnant women, rural and remote communities, single mothers and/or women living with disability
• Children and young people
• Perpetrators and users of violence

Applications close on 23 February 2023 and more information is available online. 

Climate disasters take toll on mental health

A new survey by the Climate Council and Beyond Blue has found that 51 per cent of Australians who have experienced a climate-fuelled disaster since 2019 believe their mental health has taken a hit. One in five of those people also claimed the climate disaster they went through has had a “major or moderate impact” on their mental health.

Dr Joelle Gergis, climate councillor, climate scientist at the Australian National University and author of Humanity’s Moment: a Climate Scientist’s Case for Hope, said the results of the survey are “confronting”.

New crypto guidance from regulator

The ACNC has released new guidance for the sector on crypto-assets.

Commissioner Sue Woodward AM urged charities to fully consider the risks and benefits before accepting donations of crypto-assets or investing in crypto-assets.

“In general, the risks connected with a charity investing in crypto-assets are greater and harder to manage than the risks connected with accepting donations of this kind.

“It is critical that those who run charities develop their understanding or seek advice to ensure they are making the right decision for their charity. They need to understand the opportunities and risks. Managing a charity’s financial affairs responsibly is a key requirement under Governance Standard 5,” Woodward said.

New scholarships for leaders with disability

The Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) in partnership with Australian Network on Disability has launched the 2023 Disability Leadership Scholarship program.

Applications are invited from across the country to participate in the AICD’s national governance education program, with 100 full-fee scholarships on offer to people living with disability. Successful candidates will have the chance to boost their leadership and senior executive skills, undertaking one of three leading directorship courses provided by the AICD: the Company Directors Course, Foundations of Directorship or Governance Foundations for Not-for-Profit Directors.

Candidates must be over 18 and leaders living with a disability. 

The 2023 program follows the successful first round of scholarships awarded to 100 recipients in 2022.

Humanitix donates big

In its latest impact report, ticketing platform Humanitix has announced its biggest ever donation: $1 million, bringing the total amount donated by the platform since 2016 to over $2.54 million.

Humanitix surpassed its first million in donations in mid-2022. It has taken less than six months to double that figure.

The money has been split amongst a variety of children’s education charities around the world.

Grants for community projects

The Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR) has awarded $1,448,968 in grants to 121 projects across remote, rural and regional Australia as part of its Strengthening Rural Communities (SRC) program.

The grants are for projects across three streams: Small and Vital, Black Summer, and Rebuilding Regional Communities — supporting COVID-19 recovery.

Jill Karena, place portfolio lead at FRRR, said that the diversity of projects put forward by communities highlights the importance of offering flexible funding that can respond to local needs and priorities.

The full list of recipients is available online.

Amy McQuire announced as Hilary McPhee award winner 

Darumbal and South Sea Islander writer and journalist Amy McQuire has been announced as the winner of Meanjin’s 2022 Hilary McPhee Award for her essay ‘The Act of Disappearing: On the silences that shroud the disappearances of Aboriginal women and girls‘, published in Meanjin 81.4 Summer 2022.

Presented since 2016, the Hilary McPhee Award recognises brave essay writing that makes a fearless contribution to the national debate. Eligible essays are shortlisted from those published in Meanjin each calendar year.

The award is valued at $3500 and is drawn from a perpetual fund donated by Peter McPhee AM FASSA FAHA, Professor Emeritus of the University of Melbourne, inaugural Provost, and winner of the Centenary Medal for services to education. It is named in honour of his sister.

“Thank you so much to Meanjin not only for this award but also for giving me the space to write this essay on how this country is actively disappearing Aboriginal women,” McQuire said. 

Recipients with impact

Flexible workspace provider Hub Australia has announced the 62 members of its 2023 Flexi-Impact Program.

The Flexi Impact program aims to support purpose-driven businesses by offering complimentary 12-month memberships that provide the recipients with access to events and amenities to grow their impact.

The recipients include social enterprises and not for profits, chosen based on the social impact they are having on the community.

Expressions of interest open at Mannifera

Mannifera has opened expressions of interest for its 2023 Signature Grants. Those interested can submit an expression of interest before 5pm on 10 February 2023. Read more online.

NDIS providers banned

Two Victorian-based entities and five associated individuals are subject to compliance action by the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission.

Millennium Disability Care Pty Ltd and A.C.N. 615 641 079 Pty Ltd have been permanently banned from providing NDIS supports and services to people with disability. Five associated individuals were also issued banning orders, with prohibitions ranging from five to 10 years.

The action was taken by the commission in coordination with the Fraud Fusion Taskforce established to root out fraud from the NDIS.

“Australians relying on the NDIS are some of our most vulnerable, and any organisation taking advantage of their safety net must be stopped. The Fraud Fusion Taskforce’s work is well underway and any provider looking to rip off the NDIS should know – the music has stopped,” said NDIS minister Bill Shorten.

More information is available on the NDIS Commission website.