Events & workshops
PilchConnect undertakes a range of policy work - including convening events and participating in workshops - as part of our commitment to advocating a better legal framework for the not-for-profit sector.
We have held the following key events:
England and Wales Charity Commission visit - what is the best regulatory model?
PilchConnect recently invited David Locke, Executive Director of Charity Services at the Charity Commission for England and Wales, to Australia. David's visit aimed to promote and encourage constructive dialogue on future regulatory models for charities and other not-for-profit organisations in Australia.
During his visit to Australia, David presented keynote speeches in Sydney and Brisbane, and attended a number of high-level meetings (including one hosted by Senator Ursula Stephens) in Canberra. His busy trip culminated in a breakfast event in Melbourne where he addressed a forum of approximately 150 representatives from the not-for-profit sector with comments provided by Productivity Commissioner Robert Fitzgerald.
When addressing the various forums, David clearly identified the regulatory challenges faced by Australian not-for-profits, in particular, inconsistencies between State and Commonwealth models, and noted that these difficulties are exacerbated by the lack of a centralised regulator for the sector. David highlighted the importance of transparency in the sector, and the fundamental role this has on the promotion of public confidence in charities in England and Wales.
For further details of David's visit to Australia, including links to recordings of his presentations and his powerpoint slides while in the country, see the podcast and videocast on the website of our academic partner, the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies (Queensland University of Technology):
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On this page you will find a podcast and slides of the Melbourne speech and a video of the Brisbane speech.
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On this page you will find PilchConnect's submissions to the Productivity Commision's study into the contribution of NFPs and the 2010 Senate Inquiry on Public Benefit.
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On this page you will find PilchConnect's submissions to the 2008 Senate Inquiry and the Henry Tax Inquiry.
PilchConnect Launch - Panel Discussion about key regulatory issues facing the not-for-profit sector
The PilchConnect service was officially launched on 19 November 2008, at the offices of Clayton Utz, Melbourne 6:00-7.30 pm. The launch featured a panel discussion and Q & A about key regulatory issues facing the not-for-profit sector. The distinguished panel was made up of Senator Ursula Stephens (Parliamentary Secretary for Social Inclusion and Parliamentary Secretary for the Voluntary Sector), Ms Adele Ferguson (Journalist, The Australian) and Prof Myles McGregor-Lowndes (Director, Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies at QUT), and moderated by Ms Sue Woodward, (Manager PilchConnect.)
In particular, the panel discussed the Senate Inquiry into Disclosure Regimes for Charities and Not-for-Profit Organisations, which is due to report to the federal parliament on 4 December, 2008. PilchConnect made a detailed submission to this Senate Inquiry see the link below.
An audio recording was made of the launch. The file is 1 hour 9 mins and 31 seconds long. To download the audio file of the panel discussion see link below.