Our Community

Last updated

Our Community is an Australian social entrepreneurship body set up to build capacity in Australia's 600,000 community groups and grantmaking bodies.

The Our Community Group comprises a number of different enterprises, including the Institute of Community Directors Australia, the Funding Centre, Good Jobs, and the Australian Institute of Grants Management.

Our Community has published a series of manuals on such issues as board management, marketing, advocacy, financial management and charitable fundraising. Since 2004 it has organised an annual policy conference for the Australian voluntary sector - Communities in Control - and offers a library of thousands of online helpsheets on a range of not-for-profit topics.

In addition to its role as a leading social enterprise in Australia, Our Community has also established GiveNow.com.au through its not-for-profit arm, the Our Community Foundation, allowing not-for-profit organisations throughout Australia to accept online donations at no cost to themselves.

In 2009, Our Community launched SmartyGrants, a cloud-based grants management administration software tool that is used by hundreds of local, state and federal government, philanthropic and corporate grantmakers to receive applications and manage their funding programs.

The company was founded in 2000 by Denis Moriarty, its current managing director, who received a Centenary Medal in recognition for establishing Our Community. It is chaired by prominent social investor and Reserve Bank of Australia member Carol Schwartz AO. [1] In the past, it had Rhonda Galbally AO as its CEO.

In 2007, Our Community was named the winner of the "Cool Company" Social Capitalist Award, [2] where the organisation was described as a "deeply noble enterprise."

There are over 55,000 community and not-for-profit groups involved with Our Community ranging from large organisations such as Oxfam Australia, to small ones such as Partners in Aid.

Related Research Articles

National Lottery Community Fund

The National Lottery Community Fund, legally named the Big Lottery Fund, is a non-departmental public body responsible for distributing funds raised by the National Lottery for "good causes". Since 2004 it has awarded over £9 billion to more than 130,000 projects in the UK.

A social enterprise is an organisation that applies commercial strategies to maximize improvements in financial, social and environmental well-being. This may include maximizing social impact alongside profits for co-owners.

The social economy is formed by a rich diversity of enterprises and organisations, such as cooperatives, mutuals, associations, foundations, social enterprises and paritarian institutions, sharing common values and features:

Patrick McClure Australian executive

Patrick Joseph McClure, AO chaired the Reference Group on Welfare Reform (2014-2015), advises governments on social policy, is a company director and a former chief executive officer of Mission Australia and the Society of St Vincent de Paul (NSW/ACT). He is chair of the Oak Tree Retirement Villages Group.

Oxfam Australia

Oxfam Australia is an Australian, independent, not-for-profit, secular, community-based aid and development organization, and is an affiliate of the Oxfam International confederation. Oxfam Australia's work is divided into four broad categories covering climate justice, Economic Justice, Gender Justice and First Peoples Justice as well as Humanitarian response. They believe that poverty in the 21st century is less a problem of scarcity but the result of how resources, opportunities, and protections are distributed and wielded.

The Hong Kong Council of Social Service Organization

The Hong Kong Council of Social Service is a council co-ordinating NGOs in the social service field in Hong Kong, established in 1947. The Hong Kong Council of Social Service represent more than 480 Agency Members that provide social services through their 3,000 operating units in Hong Kong.

World Vision Australia (WVA) is an ecumenical Christian non-governmental organisation based in Melbourne, Australia. It is a part of the World Vision International Partnership led by World Vision International. WVA is Australia's largest overseas aid and development organisation, operating primarily to assist overseas communities living in poverty. It also carries out development work in Australia with First Nations communities.

Private company limited by guarantee Type of corporation

In British, Irish and Australian company law, a company limited by guarantee (CLG) is a type of corporation used primarily for non-profit organisations that require legal personality. A company limited by guarantee does not usually have a share capital or shareholders, but instead has members who act as guarantors of the company's liabilities: each member undertakes to contribute an amount specified in the articles in the event of insolvency or of the winding up of the company.

Social enterprise lending is a form of social finance which refers to the practice of offering loans and other financing vehicles below current market rates to social enterprises and other organisations pursuing social goals. This is often referred to as "patient lending," or financing with "soft" terms. Patient lending recognises that projects with social outcomes often reach profitability later than commercial projects. Softening the terms of a loan means that a social lender may offer provisions such as longer loan terms, lower interest rates and repayment "holidays" where capital and interest repayments are not due until the project is profitable. Social lenders might also offer small grants as part of an investment package.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">HCT Group</span> Group of community transport operators in Britain

HCT Group is a social enterprise providing transport services and community services in Bristol, Guernsey, Jersey and London. It was founded in 1982 as Hackney Community Transport in the London Borough of Hackney to provide transport services for local voluntary organisations, charities, and community groups. HCT Group is registered as a company limited by guarantee. The company is also a registered charity.

WorkVentures

WorkVentures is an Australian independent not-for-profit social enterprise, established in 1979 and, as of 2010, employing more than 170 people across seven locations in Sydney and Melbourne. WorkVentures also works with partner organisations to deliver training and programs around the country.

Peter Fritz

Peter Adalbert Robert George Fritz is an Australian businessman and philanthropist. He was born in Arad, Romania and migrated to Australia in 1962. He has been Group managing director of the TCG Group of Companies since 1971 and Chairman of institute for active policy Global Access Partners since 1997.

People In Aid was an international, not-for-profit membership organisation with offices in the UK, Australia and East Africa. People In Aid no longer exists following its merger with HAP International on 9 June 2015 to form the CHS Alliance.

UK Community Foundations (UKCF) is a registered charity that leads a movement of community foundations committed to positive social change in the UK through the development of “community philanthropy”. Community philanthropy involves people from all parts of a community working together locally to use the financial and other resources available to them to improve others’ lives.

Cecil Jackson-Cole (1901-1979) was an English entrepreneur and humanitarian. He was associated with a number of charities including Oxfam, Help the Aged and ActionAid.

The Queen's Birthday Honours 2015 for Australia were announced on 8 June 2015 by the Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove.

Helen Szoke

Helen Veronica Szoke is the former Chief Executive of Oxfam Australia, and a commentator and advocate on issues of human rights, poverty, inequality, gender and race discrimination. Throughout her career, she has held leadership roles across the health sector, human rights and public policy, and international development sector.

Fair trade is where a farmer or craftsperson is paid a fair price for their product, one that represents its true worth, not just the lowest price that it is possible to pay. This is a price that covers the cost of production and enables the producer to live with dignity. Fair Trade New Zealand is an organisation that was launched in 2005 which supports fair trade by ensuring that farmers and workers' rights are not exploited. According to Oxfam New Zealand, there are several companies to support fairly traded goods from, which are exported to New Zealand. From 2013-2014 there were 42 Fair Trade Licensees and Traders in New Zealand. From 2015-2016 this number rose to 54 Fair Trade Licensees and Traders in New Zealand. Gwen Green, Oxfam's Engagement Director, says: "when farmers are paid fairly for their products, we see people able to make real improvements to their lives and their communities. Producers who used to struggle to feed their families are able to give their children an education, and communities can build schools and develop businesses. It is one of the smart solutions to poverty". In 2009, Wellington became the first fair trade capital city in the Southern Hemisphere. In 2017, Whangarei was recognised by the Fair Trade Association of Australia New Zealand as being one of four fair trade councils in New Zealand, and the first fair trade district in New Zealand.

Ian David Darling is a documentary film director and producer.

Carol Judith Schwartz is an Australian business executive, community leader and philanthropist.

References

  1. "Carol Judith Schwartz AM". Carol Judith Schwartz AM. Retrieved 2019-03-13.
  2. Cool Company Awards, 2007, Social Capitalist Award - anthillonline.com