Common Funding Agreement for Vic NFPs

The Victorian Premier John Brumby has announced plans to develop a common funding agreement between Government and the Not for Profit sector.

The announcement came as the Premier opened  the recent Office for the Community Sector's Think Innovation Summit in Melbourne.

Premier Brumby says the agreement is an important step in reducing the regulatory burden on Not for Profit organisations and once it is fully implemented, will be the only funding agreement between Government and NFPs.

Minister for Community Development, Lily D’Ambrosio says the common funding agreement will free up time and resources so that NFPs can focus on the great work that they do.

She says Victoria is leading the way in working with the NFP sector, shown by the fact that many of the Productivity Commission recommendations have been in place in Victoria for a number of years – including the Office for the Community Sector and Social Traders.

Reducing the regulatory burden of accountability and reporting was an important recommendation of the Commission, and D’Ambrosio says the common funding agreement will help to achieve this.

The work to draw up the common funding framework this year will be carried out through the Office for the Community Sector.

OCS Director, Lynne Wannan says under the common funding agreement, organisations that receive money from multiple government departments will sign the one funding agreement.

Wannan says the task will be to prepare a 'fit for purpose' agreement that works for organisations obtaining small and large funding with the aim of reducing the overlap and duplication that currently occurs.

She says the OCS is talking with the Commonwealth about the framework and its possible national implications.