Charity comes under fire for political advocacy
The ACNC’s recent announcement that it has revoked the charity status of Catch The Fire Ministries serves as a reminder that there are rules about the kinds of advocacy that a charity may legally...
View ArticleAward penalty rates cut
In a momentous decision today, a full bench of the Fair Work Commission has cut Sunday penalty rates in the hospitality, retail, fast food and pharmacy sectors. But in a surprise result, the Full Bench...
View ArticleRecording Board Meetings
To record or not to record – that is the question. Opinions on what constitutes good governance or good practice in the board room are many and varied. One question that is frequently asked,...
View ArticleNFP’s and Donald Rumsfeld
Remember the Rumsfeld mantra about military intelligence – there are 3 types: Known knowns Known unknowns Unknown unknowns As lawyers we are trained and paid to know the law. For us, most of the law...
View ArticleAustralian Consumer Law Review: Guidance for Fundraising in the NFP Sector
On 19 April 2017, Consumer Affairs Australia and New Zealand (“CAANZ”) released its Final Report detailing its findings following an extensive review of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). As noted in...
View ArticleWhat is Good Corporate Governance?
It is hard to imagine any Board member questioning the need for good corporate governance, but identifying the processes and practices required to achieve that aim is not so straightforward. In an...
View ArticleConsumer directions, workplace reflections
Reflection 1: sham contracting In this series of articles, we look at the workforce implications of consumer directed care, and the unique challenges facing not-for-profits in the aged care and...
View ArticleBullying on the Board and the Fair Work Commission
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has found that a director engaged in activities related to Board meetings and fulfilling the role of a director can be the subject of bullying under the Fair Work Act...
View ArticleConsumer directions, workplace reflections
Reflection 2 | Engaging with disruption In this series of articles we look at the workforce implications of consumer directed care, and the unique challenges facing not-for-profits in the aged care and...
View ArticleCasual conversion: the new normal
An entitlement for casual employees to request conversion to permanent employment is about to become the norm across Australia. The Fair Work Commission has accepted the ACTU’s claim for a casual...
View ArticleProtecting & Strengthening Intellectual Property
Where a business or not-for-profit organisation has invested time, effort and money into the creation of valuable intellectual property, it is important to ensure the final product is adequately...
View ArticleSecurity Interests and the PPSR
A quick search of the Personal Properties Security Register (“PPSR”) is an efficient way for a purchaser to determine whether any charges or security interests have been registered against the property...
View ArticleUnregistered Trademarks & Prior Use
According to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), “Intellectual capital is recognized as the most important asset of many of the world’s largest and most powerful companies; it is the...
View ArticleMajor changes to the Retirement Villages Act 1999 (Qld) Passed in Parliament
The Housing Legislation (Building Better Futures) Amendment Act 2017 (“Act”) was passed by Parliament on 25 October 2017. It will have a major impact on Retirement Village documents and processes....
View ArticleCharities win some, lose some with new DGR reforms
The government’s announcement this week that it will be introducing reforms in relation to deductible gift recipients (DGRs) has come as a relief to many charities but is causing concern for others in...
View ArticleStrict new laws to scrutinise advocacy by charities
Controversial new political advocacy laws have been proposed by the federal government in the Electoral Legislation Amendment (Electoral Funding and Disclosure Reform) Bill 2017. New political actors...
View ArticleMandatory reporting of data breaches
A new scheme for the mandatory notification of data breaches is set to commence on 23 February 2018 (“the Notifiable Data Breach scheme”) which may affect a significant number of organisations in the...
View ArticleFive year review of the ACNC
Five year review of the ACNC Last year the ACNC celebrated its five year anniversary. After surviving a rocky start and calls for its abolition in 2014, the ACNC has gone on to become a trusted...
View ArticleNot for Profit Conference | 20 April 2018
Join me, Patrick Herd from Community Business Australia and Adam Bradfield of Thomas Noble and Russell in a one day mini conference for Not for Profit Organisations in beautiful Byron Bay. The focus...
View ArticleIt’s less than a month away
What : Not for Profit Conference 2018 When: 20 April 2018 Where: Elements of Byron Resort and Spa Click here to register. Joanne O'BrienAn expert...
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