Mission Australia wins PwC Transparency Award

Mission Australia’s high standard of reporting and public accountability was recognised with a prestigious PwC Transparency Award (in the greater than $20m revenue category) at an event in Sydney last night.

It is the first time Mission Australia has won the award for the quality and transparency of reporting in the not-for-profit (NFP) sector.

CEO Toby Hall, said the award was welcome recognition for the organisation’s long-term efforts in this area.

“Over the last few years there’s been a debate in Australia – and rightfully so – about the need for the NFP sector to increase its levels of transparency and accountability,” Mr Hall said. “Mission Australia has been fully committed to that process, across the organisation but in particular through its reporting. This award is very welcome recognition of that commitment.

“There’s no question that the public is increasingly cynical about charities and the NFP sector’s use of grants and donations. To combat that it’s our responsibility to provide evidence we are prudent and responsible managers of the funds we receive from governments, corporate partners and the donating public,” he added.

“The NFP sector contributes $43 billion to the country’s GDP, it’s only right and proper that across the board we lift our efforts. Without greater transparency it’s the NFP sector itself – and ultimately the causes and issues it represents – that will ultimately be the losers. If the public doubts the accountability of charities, they’ll donate less.”

This year the awards were expanded to encourage participation by a wider breadth of organisations. Camp Quality won the PwC Transparency Award in the category for organisations with between a $5m to $20m revenue category.

Spokesperson for the Jury, Rupert Myer, who is Chairman of The Myer Family Company Ltd said Mission Australia‘s very comprehensive annual report embodies a high regard for transparency and full disclosure on programs and activities.

“The usefulness of information presented, especially considering the difficulty of explaining such a complex organisation to a wide range of stakeholders, made them the worthy winner of this year‘s PwC Transparency Award in the category for organisations with greater than $20m revenue,” he said.

After receiving the award from Graham Meyer, CEO for the Institute of Chartered Accountants, Mr Hall encouraged other NFPs to create Reconciliation Action Plans to help increase opportunities for Aboriginal Australians.

The Jury was presented with a shortlist containing three worthy and diverse finalists in each category – and the final decisions were very close.

Oxfam and Opportunity International were the runners-up in their respective categories, while Plan International won the Most Improved Award.

Now in their fourth year, the PwC Transparency Awards are undertaken in collaboration with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (the Institute) and the Centre for Social Impact (CSI)

Last night the CSI’s Peter Shergold said the need for strong disclosure was becoming increasingly important:

“As NFPs focus increasingly on measuring the social impact of their activities, and as new forms of social enterprise develop, the need for a strong disclosure regime becomes more vital,” he said.

“Government funders, philanthropists and social investors now expect that the financial performance, governance arrangements and risk management strategy of NFPs will be reported in a transparent manner.”

Above photo (L to R):  Mr Shergold, Mr Meyer, Mr Hall, Tim Morris-Smith (CFO for MA), Rick Millen (PwC Foundation) and Mr Myer

Find out more about the awards here.

You can view Mission Australia’s Annual Report 2010 here.

Visit Mission Australia's Aboriginal & Torres Strait Island resources page for our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), the latest indigenous news, current affairs and policy updates.

Opinion: Here's something Victoria can't boast about

Victorians are arguably Australia's most parochial lot.

Scratch any Victorian and they'll tell you their state leads the country in most pursuits. And Melbourne? Well Melbourne is the centre of the universe - both known and unknown.

Australia's sporting and business capital? Melbourne.

Best events, best entertainment, best food? Melbourne, Melbourne and Melbourne.

And in my line of work - providing support for disadvantaged Australians - Victorians pride themselves on being the most progressive and providing the most innovative social programs to assist people in need.

"Things are different down here," Victorians will tell you. "Don't try telling us how to do things," words more often than not aimed at people from NSW, "…we're already way beyond anything you can bring to the table."

Arrogant? A little.

True? You'll forgive me if, as a Victorian, I answer mostly in the affirmative.

But as I travel around the country - and as the head of a national community service organisation I need to travel quite a bit - I'm beginning to boast less and reach for excuses more.

Excuses for the fact Victoria has the highest youth unemployment rate in the country.

Excuses for the fact Melbourne is the least affordable capital city for housing.

Across a host of social indicators things are looking bleak in 'Bleak City' and we need to act quickly and work more smartly if we're to address them.

Not since the rust belt years of the early 90s has Victoria seen youth unemployment rates of the kind we're witnessing now.

In the Central Highlands -Wimmera youth unemployment has reached 50 per cent.

In north-west Melbourne it's 51.6 per cent.

Nearly 20 per cent of Victorians aged 18 to 24 are neither in full-time employment nor study.

These figures are scandalous and yet we seem inured to them and the squandering of youthful potential they suggest.

Victoria needs a youth employment strategy.

The new state government needs to recognise that assisting organisations like Mission Australia tackle youth unemployment isn't just a federal responsibility.

The state government is well-placed to support programs that are complementary to federal efforts at driving youth unemployment down.

For example, we know from our experience that there is a growing disconnect between labour supply and demand in many of Melbourne's disadvantaged communities. 

Businesses need job-ready applicants and many young jobseekers don't have the employability skills required.

Greater funding for locally-focussed, employer-first initiatives that identify job needs  and focus on assisting young people so they can fill available vacancies is what's needed.

The jobs are there; we need to make sure that young people have the capacity to take them.

At the same time, for those kids in danger of dropping out of school early and disengaging from training or employment, Victoria needs to offer more flexible learning, opportunities for casual work experience and pathways to traineeships and other employment.

The Coalition Victorian Government could and should take a lead on this. Their predecessors largely deferred to their federal colleagues in this area - that must change.

As for its affordable housing problem, Victoria needs to develop a detailed housing plan that incorporates where affordable housing can be built, how it can be financed and how individuals can afford to continue living with their families in the communities in which they were raised.

Part of this will require a review of planning laws to balance the needs of today with tomorrow.

On top of that a strategy to fix, replenish and manage Victoria's ageing public housing will need to be addressed sooner rather than later.

There are currently 40,000 Victorians sitting on the public housing waiting list and there's no evidence that the previous government's efforts at generating affordable housing growth is having any impact.

Victoria can't continue to rest on its laurels in terms of its approach to social and employment challenges.

Look around: South Australia leads the country in terms of offering flexible schooling in non-traditional environments to keep young people from dropping out of school.

Perhaps more than any other state in recent years, NSW has thrown its resources - and better coordinated the assistance coming from the Australian Government - into the development of affordable housing…often at its political cost.

And again NSW has embarked upon a pilot of using social impact bonds - an innovative method of raising funds from non-government investors to pay for the provision of services - while Victoria stands idly by.

I'm sure Victoria's new Premier, Ted Baillieu, is receiving mountains of unsolicited advice at present, but if I might add to the pile:

"Mr Premier, in the area of social services and support for disadvantaged people, Victoria is in danger of falling behind the rest of the country. We need to act now to arrest the slide."

Let's hope he hears the message.

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Toby Hall is the Chief Executive Officer of Mission Australia.

This piece was published in the National Times today.  Read more of Toby's articles at this link

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Creating a fairer Australia - our 2010 Annual Report released

Mission Australia 2010 annual report will be released today to coincide with the organisation’s Annual General Meeting, to be held at our national office in Sydney.

This year’s report focuses on Mission Australia’s efforts to create a Australia for all, and focuses on our achievements through each of our five pathways:

• Pathways to strong families and healthy, happy children
• Pathways through a successful youth
• Pathways away from homelessness
• Pathways for life and work-ready skills
• Pathways to sustainable employment

The annual report is set out in a folder style, with the left side featuring highlights of the year and the right side holding a concise financial report. A full financial report is also available online.

Because it includes all the relevant figures for the 2009-10 financial years, including client numbers and major projects, the Mission Australia Annual Report 2010 serves as a concise reference tool for both operational and fundraising staff.

To request a printed copy please email turnbulle@missionaustralia.com.au or you can download a PDF version of the Annual Report and our Full Financial Report at www.missionaustralia.com.au/about-mission-australia/mission-australia-annual-report, which also contains a handy ‘snapshot’ of 2009-10.

To read about previous annual report releases please click here

Future looks bright despite body shape - MA CEO on national youth survey findings

There's no doubt young Australians get a bad rap today. Countless commentators - and some parents too I suspect - complain about their lack of values, their slavish devotion to the latest fad or gadget and their inability to commit.

Wrong. All wrong.

Mission Australia's latest national youth survey - at more than 50,000 participants, including many from the Hunter, the biggest annual stocktake of young people in the country - is evidence that our youth are well-adjusted, have a strong set of values and place enormous importance on family relationships.

And apart from shouldering a range of serious concerns - both personal and for the nation - young Australians are overwhelmingly positive about the future.

Our survey flies in the face of popular stereotypes of Generation Y as shallow and materialistic. But it's not all good news. This year's survey has also uncovered some serious issues we, as a community, need to address.

Once again, body image is the leading personal concern for young people - in the Hunter and around the country - while at the same time they're wrestling with stress and school/study worries at far greater levels than in recent years.

When asked to rank their personal concerns from 15 issues, body image was ranked most frequently in the top three by one-in-three respondents.

It was the leading issue of concern for groups aged 11 to 14, and 15 to 19, and for females. Almost half of those aged 20 to 24 considered it a major concern. And it's not just "a female thing"- for young males body image was the second highest concern behind alcohol.

Meanwhile, young people's concern about stress jumped close to 10 per cent from last year's survey - a worrying trend.

So while young Australians are well-balanced, there's a serious and rising vein of discomfort about themselves and some of the influences around them.

In terms of body image, the results tell us that despite governments, welfare groups and youth agencies moving to tackle the issue more earnestly, there's still a lot of work to do - particularly among young adults.

Recent developments such as the Voluntary Industry Code of Conduct on Body Image also seem to have failed to convince media and the fashion industry to be more responsible.

One thing we need to do is develop young people's "media literacy", so that when they look at a magazine and see models with unachievable body perfection, they know the image has been altered.

As for stress, the level of concern picked up in our survey suggests the merit in a broader discussion about the nature and sources of stress among young people and how we can alleviate it.

Many young people indicated they wanted to better manage their competing demands, noting the potential negative consequences of not doing so, including a range of mental health issues.

We need to better equip young people, including in early adolescence, with the practical strategies to help them deal with stress.

Because we know young people go to their friends, parents and other family members first when under pressure, we must invest in supports that assist these groups so they have the skills to help. This includes peer-to-peer education and programs targeted at family members.

One constant since beginning our survey in 2002 has been young people worrying about bullying. While other issues tend to jump around, bullying has remained steady with a quarter of young people considering it a leading concern.

Young people don't make a distinction between physical bullying or cyber-bullying via online or SMS - any bullying is an issue to them and their peers because they see the consequences of it in terms of self-harm, depression and poor mental health.

Anti-bullying strategies need to stay ahead of the game in terms of technological developments that can be used and adapted to intimidate and attack others.

They also need to target the bully and the bullied-both sides reflecting a need for support and guidance.

But let me end as I began, on a positive note. For the first time this year we asked participants how they felt about the future. The answer was resoundingly optimistic.

Two-thirds were either positive or very positive about the future; only about 9 per cent were negative.

Despite the challenges, our future is in good hands - in the Hunter and around the country.

Latest news about youth survey findings...

• Tory Maguire, The Punch: 'Which comes first, a problem or its definition' 
• MA VIC State Director Paul Bird, The Punch:
  'Fear of violence is killing Victorian culture'.
• Mia Freedman, MammaMia:
  'The #1 concern for young people is body image. And stress'. 
• ABC TV, News: View at this link. 
• ABC Radio, The World Today: 'Young Australians feeling more stressed'
• Mission Australia news: Read on at this link

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Toby Hall is the Chief Executive Officer of Mission Australia.

This piece was published in the Newcastle Herald on 19th November 2010

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Opinion: Time for fresh thoughts on welfare reform

Eleven years after the last major report into reforming Australia’s welfare system it’s clear we’re still stuck with an approach that doesn’t work – for the country or the individuals and families it’s meant to help.

Sure, the past decade has seen some positive reforms, but we still have too many jobless families, too many people on disability support, too many long-term unemployed people wasting away without fulfilling their full potential.

Through the McClure Report, published in 1999, Australia had the chance for root and branch reform of Australia’s income support system – but we squibbed it.

It’s now time to re-apply ourselves to the challenge.

But let’s not be satisfied with simply tinkering around the edges.

Why not recast a radically different income support system that works for people instead of undermining them?

There is no doubt that a fair Australia must have an adequate safety net that provides unemployed, sick, disabled and vulnerable people with the support they need.

But let’s not kid ourselves that too long a time spent on welfare – particularly for people who are physically and intellectually able to work – doesn’t have a dramatic impact on a person’s health and well-being.

A report released last week by the Australasian Faculty of Occupational and Environmental Medicine stated that long-term joblessness significantly increases the risk of heart disease, lung cancer and suicide.

And that suicide among young men out of work for six months or more increases 40-fold.

An unproductive life destroys a person and can spread like a cancer through their family and community.

Witness the destruction and decay passive welfare has created in some Aboriginal communities and suburbs on our metro fringes.

We all know this – governments know it, community agencies know it, the public senses it…and yet it seems we’re determined to persist with the system as it stands.

Take the Disability Support Pension for example.

Between 1996 and 2007 the number of people receiving the Disability Support Pension (DSP) actually increased from 500,000 to more than 700,000.

Growth in the number of DSP recipients was greater than in any other pension category in the decade to 2007.

It’s estimated that 20 per cent of this total – 140,000 people – are thought to be capable of work.

We can’t let this situation go on.

Recently Mission Australia was asked to report on our experiences of job seekers complying with their obligations to look for work while receiving income support.

These obligations are known as a job seeker’s ‘activity test’.

Our frontline staff told us that a significant number of job seekers were using multiple occurrences of illness as a reason for not looking for work but failing to provide the required medical certificates to support their claims.

And if that wasn’t enough, in a large number of cases where we brought such behaviour to Centrelink’s attention for action the matter was overturned.

In the six months between July and December 2009, Mission Australia submitted more than 20,000 reports to Centrelink – known as Participation Reports – for issues of job seekers not living up to their obligations.

According to our figures, Centrelink overturned 45 per cent of these.

Now, on some occasions, having our reports overturned is to be expected.

But 45 per cent?

It is reasonable that unemployed people on income support should be required to follow a set of simple rules when seeking work.

But the rules must be applied – and at the moment it appears they’re not.

I was pleased to see during the election campaign Labor commit to a tightening of the compliance regime as well as the potential to suspend a jobseeker’s income support on their first failure to meet their obligations.

In essence a sharp message to say ‘This is a responsibility that needs to be taken seriously’.

The government should also consider moving all job seekers not exempt from the activity test into community service or work experience within three months of becoming unemployed – not 12 months as is currently the case.

This would help avoid the loss of productivity and engagement that comes from passive welfare. It’s as much about keeping an individual’s work skills up as it is about maintaining their self-esteem and avoiding isolation and depression.

Finally, we need to focus on income support obligations that bolster families and children. Despite the naysayers, I believe linking the receipt of benefits to basic things like school attendance or the payment of rent can make sense.

To this end I think Jenny Macklin’s efforts with income quarantining should be supported.

But we also need to make sure such measures are complemented by well-resourced intensive case management and access to incentives such as matched savings and financial counselling.

A fair and well-managed income support system offers hope for people in need.

An income support system that continues to let people capable of social, economic and community participation avoid such contact does them – and all of us – a grave disservice.

Welfare reform is undoubtedly one of the most difficult areas of policy to address – but address it we must – not for my sake, or the sake of taxpayers, but the sake of the individuals, families and communities at the mercy of a system that seems determined to let them down.

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Toby Hall is the Chief Executive Officer of Mission Australia

This piece was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on 20th September 2010

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'Taste of Reconciliation' event a success in Melbourne

On 26th May Mission Australia's Taste of Reconciliation dinner took place at the Sofitel Melbourne to bring together influential Victorians to talk, learn and be inspired on the path to reconciliation.

The inaugural event was held on the eve of Reconciliation Week, in the company of over 200 attendees including Elders and members of Victoria's Aboriginal community, along with leaders from government, corporate and not-for-profit sectors.

This, however, was no ordinary corporate event as each table of delegates were headed by an Aboriginal 'table leader' for direct discussion on reconciliation and personal experiences.

Over the evening delegates moved between tables so that everyone had the chance to meet each other and broaden their understanding of reconciliation, and its influence on individual Australians.

In addition to the table discussion the Deputy Premier, Hon. Rob Hulls provided a keynote address, followed by short speeches from the 'Thought Leaders' panel: the Hon. Richard Wynne, Minister for Aboriginal Affairs; Toby Hall, CEO of Mission Australia; David Thodey, CEO of Telstra; Jason Eades, CEO of Koorie Heritage Trust; and Jirra Harvey, Oxfam Youth Coordinator.

The event builds on the example set by the Charcoal Lane social enterprise restaurant, that engages patrons in contemporary Aboriginal culture and cuisine (while also working as a training provider).

The meals were cooked and served at the usual high standards from Charcoal Lane's Head Chef, with staff Lorcan Kan, Clarissa Kay Thorne, and trainees Spencer and Jimmy.

Mission Australia is looking forward to hosting the second Taste of Reconciliation event in 2011.

Visit Mission Australia's Aboriginal & Torres Strait Island resources page for our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), the latest indigenous news, current affairs and policy updates.

Mission Australia recognised at PriceWaterhouseCoopers Transparency Awards

Mission Australia was recognised on Thursday 6 May at the annual PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Transparency Awards, receiving the runner-up award for the most transparent 2008-09 Annual Report in the not-for-profit sector.

The awards recognise the quality and transparency of reporting among Australian charities, and encourage not-for-profits to be more professional in their reporting.

Tim Morris-Smith, Chief Financial Officer, accepted the award on behalf of Mission Australia stating: “Mission Australia has at its heart a passion to transform the lives of disadvantaged Australians and to see a fairer Australia.

"It is a diverse and complex organisation – and we benefit immensely from the feedback given through the transparency awards process because it enables us to paint a clearer picture for our stakeholders and for our donors.”

Tim was joined on-stage by the other report contributors to collect the award and a $10,000 cheque for investment in staff training and professional development.  Credit goes to the Mandy Jones, Kathryn Ossipoff and Oliver Halley from Mission Australia's Marketing and Corporate Affairs team for their work on the report.

This is the second time that Mission Australia has been recognised for high quality, transparent reporting in the PwC Transparency Awards' three-year history .

To view Mission Australia’s 2008-09 Annual Report click here.

Opinion: Too quiet on home front

The latest news on housing affordability makes depressing reading. It shows just how far we have to go to make sure there’s enough housing for all Australians – now and in the future.

Housing affordability plunged 18.4 per cent in the December quarter and was 22.3 per cent lower than 12 months earlier.

While 152,000 new homes are expected in 2010 that's still below the 190,000 required to keep pace with Australia's population growth.

NSW will have to build more than 40,000 houses a year if the state's population is to reach its forecast population level of 10.5 million by 2050.

Creating more affordable housing is more than just an issue for first home buyers – it’s a crucial plank in the fight against homelessness.

More affordable housing means less people on solid incomes ‘camping’ in the rental market as they try to save enough money to buy their own home.

More space in rental means more opportunities for people on low incomes and greater flexibility for homeless agencies in moving people from supported accommodation into independent living.

If we can’t boost affordable housing stock more Australians will be forced to live in substandard accommodation.

I don’t think there’s any question the Federal Government is committed to tackling the problem.

The Rudd Government is the first administration that’s shown the courage to tackle an issue that has remained untouched for decades.

There are even signs that state governments are rolling up their sleeves.

So what’s stopping things ramping up even further – enough to meet demand and put us squarely on track to meet the Federal Government’s homelessness targets of 2020?

From my perspective, one of the great roadblocks to getting things moving is local government.

Harry Triguboff – one of Australia’s best known housing developers – said recently:

“The development process has become too politicised. Councillors are convinced that if they approve developments they will lose votes."

It’s easy for Harry’s opponents to dismiss his comments as sour grapes – the complaints of a frustrated businessman who has had his plans for development stymied by community-minded councillors.

But there’s more than a ring of truth to his views.

Time and time again local councillors are blocking development or prolonging the approval process for new affordable and low income housing – particularly where it’s needed most in inner suburban areas – based on little more than a ‘not in my backyard’ attitude and with no accountability for their actions.

If facilitating the development of affordable housing isn’t in the backyard of local councillors then whose backyard is it?

Recently a Victorian affordable housing project in which Mission Australia was involved was approved subject to conditions by council town planning. It was then flatly overruled by councillors.

This was a project that had already received town-planning approval – and was in line with federal and state government objectives for affordable housing – and yet councillors did not have to provide any serious grounds for overturning the decision of their more qualified staff.

Experiences like this are common throughout Australia. Yes, in most cases there’s an alternative body to which an appeal can be made but many projects don’t survive the delays and costs involved.

Meanwhile our affordable housing crisis deepens.

We must find a way to convince communities to invite housing development into their areas and not reject it out of hand.

I’ve been impressed by a UK proposal to address this very issue. The suggestion is that government match the council rates – dollar for dollar – for any new home, for six years, with the money to be used exclusively for community programs in that area. For affordable housing dwellings, this figure is proposed to increase to 1.25 times the new home’s rates.

It’s smart, innovative thinking and serves as a model for how we might overcome the negativity and knee-jerk obstructionism which so often characterises the passage of affordable housing projects through council.

Local councils do not operate in a vacuum.

Their lack of cooperation will continue to force prices up and impede efforts to both ensure we have enough housing in this country and reach the target of halving the number of homeless people by 2020.

They have a responsibility to understand the bigger picture when it comes to affordable housing in Australia and be part of a solution.

Or if not, to get out of the way.

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Toby Hall is the Chief Executive Officer of Mission Australia

This piece was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on 21st March

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Opinion: Bringing together business, government and not-for-profits is a GoodStart

There’s an old saying that if the only tool you have is a hammer, then every problem looks like a nail.

The welfare sector’s traditional approach to large scale social problems has often seemed like that – we forget other people have different, often more useful tools.

But if we want large scale social change we need to leverage the expertise of business and government just as much as the third sector.

The recent creation of the GoodStart consortium to purchase ABC Learning is an unprecedented example – certainly in the Australian landscape – of how this can work.

And the lesson for business is to be open to the idea of social investments, based not on ‘bleeding heart’ philanthropy but on sound business principles.

The first thing to note about GoodStart is that it operates on a large scale – the consortium is the preferred purchaser of 678 childcare centres across the country. It represents a once in a generation opportunity to have a large impact on the quality of early childhood education.

The second point is that the purchase was only made possible through innovative financing arrangements and the expertise of our business partners, including former Macquarie Group executives.

Loans are being provided by both the federal government and the NAB and contributions have been made by significant philanthropists; not through a cash donation but a sub-debt instrument.

GoodStart would be unthinkable with the traditional grant or foundation funding that many charities are familiar with.

And while the business people are doing business, the not-for-profit sector brings knowledge and experience – more than 420 years of in the case of GoodStart’s partners – in working with families and children, as well as a wealth of research on the value of investing in quality early childhood education.

Equal partners, unique skills.

In addition to the financial returns, the social returns – from which business and the community benefit long-term – are significant.

Research on human capital policy by Pedro Carneiro and James Heckman indicates that the social return on investment from pre-school programs can be as high as $8 for every dollar invested.

It’s quite obvious where the returns come – through savings on fixing social problems later in life, including juvenile justice, health and welfare costs.

There’s also more tax revenue from increased employment.

As interesting as the GoodStart example is, it’s slightly embarrassing that it’s an Australian first, because as I’ve said before in these pages it shows we’ve been laggards in comparison to other parts of the world in terms of social enterprise and innovation.

Consider the GAVI alliance, an international public-private-partnership which funds vaccines for poor nations and does it on a truly massive scale.

GAVI has reportedly raised $1 billion in short term financing by issuing bonds backed by sovereign pledges of aid money in future years. The substantial funds will provide economies of scale which will allow for mass vaccinations in a short period of time. By their own figures, the alliance believes they have already prevented 4 million deaths since 2001.

At the other end of the finance spectrum is the well known micro-credit programs run by the Grameen Bank and its founder, Nobel Laureate Muhammed Yousef. The loans have helped drive self-employment and generate sustainable incomes for thousands of the poorest Bangladeshis.

The common theme here is that business has an integral part to play, not by adopting a new set of tools, but by doing what it does best.

And with the Australia economy outperforming virtually any other developed nation and government winding back its spending, the private sector is spoiled for choice in terms of investment opportunities with not-for-profit partners – particularly in the area of developing affordable housing.

If we’re successful, we can not only catch up on the UK and US in our social investment, we can also make real inroads into issues like homelessness that were neglected in the last boom.

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Toby Hall is the Chief Executive Officer of Mission Australia

This piece was published in the Australian Financial Review on Wednesday 24th February

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What is your 'New Year's resolution'?

The 2010 New Year Appeal asks the public to think about their New Year’s resolutions. The appeal challenges people to consider adding a worthwhile cause to their list, such as 'helping a homeless person to transform their life in 2010'.

With over 100,000 Australians without a place to call home tonight, the scale of the homelessness problem remains high despite the efforts of government and not-for-profits like Mission Australia.

Daniel Petsalis, manager of Sydney's Missionbeat service, noted recently that the number of homeless people sleeping rough in Sydney is on the rise: "The City of Sydney’s most recent count found numbers had increased by almost 13 per cent between 2008 and 2009 – from 354 to 399," said Daniel.

If you are interested in helping a homeless person this year, donations to the New Year Appeal will help support Mission Australia services like Missionbeat or Mission Australia Centre.

You can help by making a one-off donation, or choosing to donate through our regular giving program.  Alternatively you might like to consider other ways you can contribute - click here to learn more.

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Please email Emmanueld@missionaustralia.com.au for questions about the 2010 New Year Appeal

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Media Release: Leading charities provide a new start for ABC Learning

A new chapter for Australian childcare begins today with the announcement that four highly-respected non-profit organisations have formed a new company to purchase ABC Learning.

Subject to finalisation of contracts, 678 ABC Learning centres will be purchased from receivers McGrathNicol by GoodStart, a non-profit company established by Mission Australia and the respected not-for-profits Social Ventures Australia, the Benevolent Society and the Brotherhood of St Laurence.

GoodStart has offered to manage the remaining 26 centres while the receiver finalises arrangements for these locations.

The three charities have more than 420 years combined experience delivering social programs, including high quality childcare built on the critical role of learning and care in the early years.

The venture has been backed by the NAB, one of Australia’s biggest banks, and the Australian Government.

Current ABC Learning Group General Manager Matthew Horton will be appointed CEO on completion of the purchase and the majority of key senior managers will remain in their roles, providing continuity at the most senior levels of the company.

Accrued employee entitlements will be carried over to the new owner.

GoodStart spokesperson Maree Walk said the company will operate the centres to the highest standards of education and care, with financial surpluses reinvested back into programs that improve childcare access and quality.

“Today marks a new start for parents, children and staff at ABC Learning centres around the country,” Ms Walk said.

“The organisations behind GoodStart’s purchase of ABC Learning are stable and respected, with a proven track record of delivering childcare and other social programs with professionalism, integrity, and a focus on the needs of children and families.

“GoodStart will build on the work undertaken by ABC Learning’s current management, who have done a great job stabilising the business and restoring confidence in the centres, and staff, who have continued to provide a fantastic service to parents in often uncertain circumstances.

“The mini baby boom children are now reaching an age where childcare may be required, so the timing of this announcement couldn’t be better for parents.

“GoodStart will provide the continuity and care parents are seeking, and we encourage them to make contact with their local ABC Learning Centre to see if it is right for their children.”

Ms Walk said the centres will continue to be run under the ABC Learning brand.

The new company’s aims are:

• Provide high quality, accessible and stable early childhood education and care;
• Work with families to support them providing the best possible foundations for their children;
• Be an integral part of the local communities in which the centres operate;
• Retain, attract and develop high quality staff at each level of qualification; and
• Meet key financial targets to generate surplus which can be reinvested in programs that improve childcare access and quality.

GoodStart will have charitable status under tax laws, and will operate with the business disciplines of a publicly-listed company.

The company has received financial backing from the founding organisations and a number of private benefactors including businessman Robin Crawford, the independent chairman of the new company.

This has allowed the company to obtain debt funding from NAB. The Australian Government has also assisted by providing $15 million in medium-term loan funds.

These funding sources have provided sufficient capital to finance the acquisition of the business and funds to support day to day operations.

In addition to Mr Crawford an interim board will comprise the CEOs of the founding organisations, Toby Hall (Mission Australia), Tony Nicholson (Brotherhood of St Laurence), Richard Spencer (Benevolent Society) and Michael Traill (Social Ventures Australia).

Following completion of the transaction a new board will be appointed with appropriate early childhood and business skills and experience.

The board will be guided by an Early Childhood Expert Reference Group, which will provide recommendations on areas including educational programs and priorities, staff training and professional development.

“Recent history has demonstrated the provision of good quality childcare and education must be undertaken with the business disciplines necessary to sustain operations over the long term,” Mr Crawford said.

“Despite the very public consequences of the previous management’s growth strategies, a balanced assessment of the business shows a broad network of generally well constructed and maintained facilities and a 14,000-strong staff that share the company’s commitment to high quality childcare.

“Staff who have a passion for their jobs are critical to delivering good quality care, and we intend to retain, attract and develop high quality staff at each level of qualification.

“We welcome this week’s COAG announcement on national standards for childcare and early education and look forward to working with the Australian and State Governments on their plans for the sector.”

In April 2009 Mission Australia acquired 29 former ABC Learning Childcare Centres and has since been successfully operating them under the Mission Australia Early Learning Services banner. The purchase of 678 centres by GoodStart will not affect this arrangement.

"It's a brand new world" - new campaign provides budget friendly promotions

Mission Australia has recently launched the new "butterfly transform" campaign - six beautiful images that portray people actively transforming their lives using the butterfly wing theme.

The GoodWeekend Magazine (Sydney Morning Herald and Melbourne's The Age) will carry a full-page Mission Australia advertisement for our Family pathway using the new Family image (see above).

Following hot-on-the-heels of the GoodWeekend is Woman's Day (two October editions) Gourmet Traveller, Women's Weekly and Qantas Magazines. 

Mission Australia's marketing team continue to stretch every dollar and have secured these top-quality advertising positions due to cancelled advertising space.

"We've been lucky enough to get some 'distress space' bookings from widely read and targeted magazines at greatly reduced prices,"  says Oliver Halley, Mission Australia's head of Brand and Communications.

"Our new imagery is high quality and offers an image of hope and transformation, which really resonates with the readership of these publications."

The new themes will run across other Mission Australia channels including the website and Christmas appeal. 

These each represent one of Mission Australia's 'pathways to a better life' - for more information visit our Purpose, Vision and Values page (click here).

Competition for 'distress space' with top publishers is tough, with successful campaigns  most often chosen for the quality of the artwork and message conveyed.

Mission Australia thanks their marketing team for securing another successful opportunity - promotions like this allow us to operate without having to divert resources into expensive television / media campaigns, and ensures investment is always prioritised for services.