Not-for-profits, put your case for a better deal in 2025

Posted on 19 Feb 2025

By David Crosbie, CEO, Community Council for Australia

The reality of increasing costs and continuing uncertainty about income streams has left many charities and community organisations unsure about their future and the sustainability of their programs and services in 2025.

It will come as no surprise to most in the sector that the Albanese government is seen as very good on offering supportive words to our sector, but not so good on delivering real and sustainable reform in critical areas:

funding and contracts
digital transformation and cybersecurity
climate adaptation and response
red tape reduction and duplication.

All these issues were raised in the Community Council for Australia (CCA) survey of sector leaders which is due for release this month. (Read the early findings about sector confidence here.)

We are now at that phase of the electoral cycle where we have an opportunity to reset the agenda of an incoming government during an election campaign.

"What lies ahead for our sector will depend on our capacity to advocate, not only for our causes and communities, but also for ourselves and our sector."

There is absolutely nothing stopping any charity or community group using the next few months to arrange meetings with all their local political candidates and putting their case for their own cause or purpose, and for the strengthening of their own organisation and others like them across Australia.

The CCA pre-Budget submission contains a list of nine key “asks” for our sector:

Extend deductible gift recipient (DGR) status to all charities
Create more incentives for giving
Fix fundraising regulations
Increase certainty in government funding, concessions and regulations, and “pay what it takes” to operate services
Develop a Charities Transformation Fund to support cybersecurity, adoption of technology, staff development, research and evaluation, infrastructure and responding to climate change
Develop a Charities Investment Fund with low-interest loans
Establish an Ombudsman’s Office for the charities sector.
Introduce estate duty for those with estates worth more than $10 million
Review tax concessions for licensed clubs and other mutual organisations.

What if thousands of charities and community groups asked for all these recommendations to be picked up and supported as part of a new government commitment to our sector?

What lies ahead for our sector will depend on our capacity to advocate, not only for our causes and communities, but also for ourselves and our sector.

2025 is the opportunity. It’s up to us.

David Crosbie: Why charities and not-for-profits deserve to be taken seriously