ICDA and BoardPro partnership unlocks digital governance tools for not-for-profits nationwide
Posted on 10 Dec 2025
Adele Stowe-Lindner, Executive Director, Community Directors The Institute of Community Directors…
Podcast: Charity chiefs united on compliance approach
Posted on 15 Nov 2024
By Greg Thom, journalist, Institute of Community Directors Australia
Effective collaboration between international charity regulators has become increasingly important to address complex global issues ranging from terrorist financing to natural disaster and war according to Australia’s top charity cop.
Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) Commissioner Sue Woodward said her recent meeting with international regulatory counterparts in London reinforced that working together was much better than working alone to address common challenges.
The two-day summit, hosted by the Charity Commission for England and Wales (CCEW) was the first face-to-face international gathering of charity chiefs since 2018.
“I think overall there was a really strong commitment to working collaboratively on any international multijurisdictional compliance issues that we see,” said Woodward.
Speaking on the latest episode of the Community Advocate podcast, Woodward said it was important to recognise that many charities operate across international borders in an increasingly uncertain world.
Last week it was revealed during a Senate hearing that the number of concerns related to terrorism and terrorist financing received by the ACNC have soared since the start of the conflict in Gaza more than a year ago.
“We do recognise that there are a lot of organisations that operate multinationally and there are at the pointy end, some very serious issues that we need to make sure we are on top of, so that the vast majority of organisations are doing the right thing are not going to be tarnished by serious non-compliance by a few,” said Woodward.
This made connections forged at gatherings such as the regulators meeting in London, so crucial in helping form an effective global response to common challenges.
“I think when you are linked up so well at a commissioner level, and you’ve got a real understanding of how that might work, it does support the broader frameworks that we’re all signed up to - like the Financial Action Task Force standards - that are global initiatives to prevent money laundering and terrorist financing for example,” said Woodward.
“Knowing the people that you might need to collaborate with to support those principles in that way does make it much more likely that you are going to have a good outcome.”
Listen to our podcast below.
More news
Corporate ‘donations’: all sizzle and no sausage?
Posted on 10 Dec 2025
The Australia Institute has called on the federal government to force Australian businesses to be…
Economic empowerment key to recovery from trauma of modern slavery: report
Posted on 10 Dec 2025
Economic empowerment is essential to enabling recovery, restoring agency and preventing future…
‘Small things mean a huge thing’: Meet the NSW Local Hero fighting homelessness with wraparound love
Posted on 10 Dec 2025
A long-time advocate for rough sleepers in northern New South Wales has been named her state’s…
An election surprise, a Press Club debate, and investment inertia: 2025 in review
Posted on 10 Dec 2025
What a year 2025 has been, particularly at a national level where the Parliament and politics as we…
Why meetings can harm employee well-being
Posted on 10 Dec 2025
Anyone working in an organisation knows it: meetings follow one after another at a frantic pace. On…
If you want better wellbeing in your organisation, better start with yourself
Posted on 10 Dec 2025
As a qualified yoga instructor who learned the practice in her hometown of Mumbai, Ruhee Meghani…
Burnout costing billions in the NFP sector
Posted on 10 Dec 2025
Community Directors trainer Jon Staley knows from first-hand experience the cost of ignoring…
Six ways to boost wellbeing on your board and create a happier organisation
Posted on 10 Dec 2025
Stressed, overwhelmed, exhausted… if you’re on a not-for-profit board and these words sound…
It’s time to put wellbeing on the agenda, to prevent burnout in the boardroom
Posted on 10 Dec 2025
The Institute of Community Directors Australia trains over 22,000 people each year, which gives us…
The Vincent Fairfax Fellowship: 30 years of nurturing ethical leaders
Posted on 09 Dec 2025
The late Sir Vincent Fairfax is remembered as a business leader, a chairman of AMP, and an active…
Single mums, First Nations and homeless the real winners in award-winning impact efforts
Posted on 08 Dec 2025
A pioneering welfare effort that helps solo mums into self-employment, a First Nations-led impact…