CPA Not for Profit Conference 2012 - Readiness, Resilience and Reform

SPONSORED ARTICLE: Charities will receive first hand information on the progress of the establishment of the Australian Charities and Not for-profits Commission (ACNC) at this year’s CPA Not for Profit Conferences being held in Melbourne, Brisbane Sydney and Perth in May.

Linda Lavarch, the recently appointed Chairman of the Not-for-profit Sector Reform Council and Research Fellow with The Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Not-for-profit Studies is the key note speaker at the two day conferences and will speak on reform readiness for Not for Profits.

Lavarch will provide updates on the:

• progress on the establishment of the Australian Charities and Not for-profits Commission (ACNC)
• the definition of a ‘charity’ – progress and potential impacts
• implementation of the ‘report-once, use-often’ reporting framework for charities
• NFP framework/structure including corporate governance and role of the accountant in this framework
• potential impacts on not-for-profit entities operations

CPA Australia is one of the world's largest accounting bodies with a membership of more than 139,000 finance, accounting and business professionals across the globe.

Its core services to members include education, training, technical support and advocacy. Staff and members work together with local and international bodies to represent the views and concerns of the profession to governments, regulators, industries, academia and the general public.

CPA Australia believes passion and goodwill alone can no longer drive the Not for Profit (NFP) sector. A balance of goodwill and corporatisation is necessary to compete for the donated dollar and achieve objectives. The role of the finance executive in this environment needs to extend beyond the finance function.

It says that with the Australian Government’s commitment to strengthening the NFP sector and a reform process underway, it is critical for finance leaders to keep abreast of regulations and the potential impacts on their organisational capabilities. Building resilience and readiness for change will be vital to success and sustainability in a challenging environment.

This CPA Not for Profit conference will guide NFPs through a period of major reform and equip them with the knowledge and skills to manage change, develop risk controls, build income streams, retain staff and maximise resource efficiency.

Key Topics include

• regulatory reform updates and sector developments
• risk management
• building income streams for a sustainable future
• current issues in compliance and financial reporting
• board and management reporting
• measurement of projects to improve performance and win funding
• human resources and industrial relations issues for the finance manager
• using technology to improve efficiency and reach of your organisation

Pro Bono Australia founder, Karen Mahlab, will be a Chairperson for the 2012 Not for Profit conference.

Karen established Pro Bono Australia in 1999 as an online hub for people and organisations engaged with, or wanting to connect to, Australia’s not-for-profit (NFP) communities. Combining a decade of business skills gleaned from running the Mahlab Group with her passion for Information Technology and the social sector, Karen created a “hybrid” organisation to share premises and staff with the Mahlab Group and over time developed a suite of products and services for NFP organisations. Some of these include VolunteerMatch, a highly respected news service reporting on the sector, theGuide to Giving directory of NFP organisations, and a sector jobs board.

Pro Bono Australia is now a standalone organisation and is seen as a major resource for the NFP sector. The breadth of Pro Bono Australia’s activities has given Karen an unusually wide contact network and understanding of the volunteering, community, philanthropic and corporate sectors at both the policy and grassroots levels.

Melbourne: 10 –11 May | Brisbane: 15 –16 May | Sydney: 17–18 May | Perth: 21– 22 May

Program highlights at CPA Australia website.