NFP Govt Funding Certainty Survey

Not for Profit peak body organisations have launched an urgent sector survey to investigate the impact of the current uncertainty surrounding Commonwealth funding.

National welfare peak ACOSS and the Community Council of Australia (CCA) are calling on community sector organisations in Australia to take part in the survey to assess the appropriateness of current funding arrangements.

"The continuing uncertainty about funding is impacting services throughout the nation, with services unable to plan for the future, and leaving staff anxious about the security of their jobs.,” ACOSS CEO, Dr Cassandra Goldie said.

“This survey will give us a clearer picture of just how many staff and services are affected."

The CEO of CCA, David Crosbie says all the agencies they have spoken to readily accept that governments are elected to make decisions about the future funding of programs and services.  

“Governments are held accountable to our community for their decisions and it is entirely appropriate to review or cut programs as they see fit,” Crosbie said.

“The concern is not that Governments are exercising their responsibilities, but that the way decisions are currently being taken is creating a high level of uncertainty.

“When the business sector is asked what it wants from Government, the most consistent response is certainty.  As many have highlighted, certainty is the basis of confidence and confidence is the basis of investment.

“As a sector, we also want to be able to invest in our organisations, in the future of our services to our communities.

“Uncertainty not only undermines confidence, it also has many practical implications for Not for Profit organisations.  Not knowing if an organisations is going to have the money to continue to employ staff, lease properties and cars and other infrastructure, or, most importantly, provide services to those in need, clearly has a negative impact on agencies.

“In making a case to end uncertainty, CCA has been asked to provide specific examples of the negative impact.  We have been reluctant to do so, as some of our members believe that being critical of government may place at risk their access to government funded programs,” Crosbie said.

“In order to highlight the extent and nature of the impact of uncertainty in Commonwealth funding without identifying individual agencies or programs, CCA has joined with ACOSS and Net Balance to develop a survey to assess the impact of uncertainty about future Commonwealth funding on charities and NFP organisations.

“The strength of our sector is partly about our willingness as individuals to contribute, to provide information and to make a case for change,” he said.

Social service organisations have already warned of the the potential shutdown of domestic violence services and other programs due to uncertainty surrounding the State and Federal Governments’ homelessness funding agreement which is due to run out at the end of June.

The organisations have called on the Federal and Victorian Governments to secure funding for the National Partnership Agreement on Homelessness (NPAH).

The NPAH between the Commonwealth and State Governments funds a wide range of homelessness prevention and family violence programs.

The NPAH has provided $209.7 million in State and Federal Government funding in Victoria since 2009 and is due to expire on June 30.

To take part in the survey go to:https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7BVP5VK