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Welcome to the Summit of Collective Wisdom, Courage and Urgent Action

Where like-minded people of purpose connect and co-create to shift capital as a force for good.
Together striving to realise a common vision: a transformed economy of equity and diversity.
Together harnessing the power of the collective: to reshape lives, livelihoods and life of the planet.
Together with inspired intent and initiative: fuelled by the power of energy and enterprise.
Together, as a tribe, fuelling a movement with momentum.

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In diversity and dedication. In combined strength and breadth of talent, interest and expertise – game changers and future makers, movers and thought leaders across the impact ecosystem, Summiteers hungry to network, listen, learn, lean in and take action…

WISDOM | COURAGE | URGENT ACTION

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29 MARCH – 1 APRIL, 2022

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTRE (ICC)

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA                                                                  

ImpactConnect | Impact Investment Summit | Impact Deep Dives

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Hear from award-winning Australian and Malaysian speakers and be inspired by, celebrate, and connect with the young entrepreneurs and leaders that are pioneering change across our societies.

22 – 24 March 2022

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We’re at the pointy end…

Lots of people across the Australian #socialenterprise sector have shared what they think the vision and mission for the sector should be. This will name a shared direction, and lay foundations on which we together build a social enterprise national strategy.

Different people touched different parts of the process so far. The Yunus Centre Griffith University consulted with people across the sector and, based on what they heard, developed draft words. ASENA (Alliance of Social Enterprise Networks Australia), open-invite workshops. and members of the SEWF - Social Enterprise World Forum C.I.C. First Nations Committee gave feedback on these drafts and came up with alternatives. Based on this input, a working group including Cindy Mitchell, Dr Sharon Zivkovic Zivkovic, Alex Hannant, Cameron Willis, Carmen Garcia, Ben Pecotich and Jess Moore worked to distil and agree words. 

Input shows what a diverse sector we are, as well as the common ground we share.The compass for the working group was to take what was heard and find the common ground in the simplest words. These words are now ready for your feedback.

A breadth of voices in this process is critical.

Please share your thoughts by taking this short survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/P8B5BVX.

It should take 3-5 minutes to complete. The deadline for feedback is 5pm AEDT, Thursday March 24.

Once feedback is in, it will be reflected back, and go to the Social Enterprise National Strategy (SENS) Advisory Council to inform finalisation.

About the Draft Vision and Mission

Social Enterprise gathered over three events to help develop a vision and mission for the Australian social enterprise sector. This will name a shared direction, and lay foundations on which we together build a social enterprise national strategy (SENS). Feedback from ASENA, the workshops, and from members of the SEWF First Nations Committee show what a diverse sector we are.
Feedback on the draft vision and mission from the Yunus Centre - our starting point - included:

1. Some want a vision that is broad, outward looking and impact focused, while others want a vision and mission that's sector focused in which they see themselves more closely.
2. There is broad support for multiple mission statements (or areas) to specify the unique contribution the sector makes.
3. There is broad support for the areas of focus in the draft mission statements, though not the words used to articulate them.
4. Many said they want particular forms of community leadership and stewardship (for example, First Nations, lived experience and place-based) woven into the mission.
5. Many said they want framing and language that reflects care for people, places and planet equally.
6. Many said they want social enterprise, and collaboration or working together, to be explicit in the statements.
7. Overwhelmingly, words and phrasing that is simple, clear and direct is favoured.

On process, some want more information and discussion to work through what was said and heard as a group. Others want framing and discussion that is time limited, to enable equal participation and avoid exclusion of the time poor. Feedback showed the balance struck suited most. For the workshops, there were 177 registrations and 119 attendees. 87% said they agreed or strongly agreed that they were able to participate meaningfully, 92% agreed or strongly agreed that their perspectives were listened to and valued, and 92% agreed or strongly agreed that they heard perspectives different from their own. Feedback also showed:
Support for a national strategy is high. With 1 being strongly disagree and 5 being agree, the mean score given by participants was 4.69. 
79% of respondents see a sense of belonging to the sector as important or very important, and 67% and 79% feel a strong or very strong sense of belonging to the sector at the national and state level respectively.

Compiled by Impact North and The Yunus Centre It’s your shortcut to all the key insights and highlights from last year’s conference. Download your copy now.

https://www.impactnorth.org.au/sesna-2021-report

Together with The Yunus Centre, Impact North has put together the Social Enterprise Summit Northern Australia (SESNA) 2021 report.

From centering Indigenous voices and building on the rich history of social enterprise in First Nations communities, to shaping the future of the sector with intercultural collaboration and mutual support, SESNA 2021 had so much wisdom on offer. Some of the key takeaways from the report include:

● The social enterprise sector must centre Indigenous sense-making and knowledge into our practices

● As the Australian social enterprise movement grows, so do opportunities to publicly champion equity agendas for First Nations peoples

● Consulting and collaborating with First Nations people only when an ‘Indigenous perspective’ is needed, does a grave injustice to diverse skills, identities, interests and passions

Financial help for flood-hit small businesses, primary producers and communities in SEQ

Published Saturday, 05 March, 2022 at 12:41 PM

Premier and Minister for the Olympics
The Honourable Annastacia Palaszczuk

Financial support for flood-affected Queensland small businesses, farmers, not-for-profit organisations, and sporting and community clubs will now be available following a new agreement between the Prime Minister and Premier. 

An initial $558.5 million, jointly funded by the Commonwealth and Queensland governments will be provided to support communities in need.

Demand driven grants of up to $75,000 for primary producers, up to $50,000 for affected small businesses and not-for-profit organisations, and $20,000 for sporting and community clubs and associations will be available through Queensland Government agencies to help flood-affected communities get back on their feet. 

These grants will be available through the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority, call 1800 623 946 or visit http://www.qrida.qld.gov.au. 

Learn more

Financial help for flood-hit small businesses, primary producers and communities in SEQ - Ministerial Media Statements

We are running a webinar on Finance Solutions for jobs-focused social enterprises and we would love for you to come. If you don’t know us, White Box Enterprises has been established to enable jobs focussed social enterprises to grow and scale. One of the ways that we do this is by working with social enterprises to identify ways in which finance can support growth.

Finance Solutions isn’t necessarily about your organisation taking on finance, we adopt creative approaches to find solutions that fit the problem. This could involve a group of investors buying a property to house social enterprises on appropriate terms; raising capital against contracts won; or financing a social enterprise to buy an existing business, or…

Even if this isn’t on your agenda right now, please take the time to get someone along from your organisation to understand how it could benefit your organisation when the need/opportunity arises.

The webinar will hear from the White Box Finance CIO, a case study of the soon to be opened Social Enterprise Hub in Braybrook and time for QnA from the audience.

Details

Finance Solutions Webinar

Thursday 31 March

11am -12pm AEDT 

No cost.

Registrations https://events.humanitix.com/finance-solutions-for-social-enterprise

TELL YOUR STORY!

Calling all grassroots non-profits and social enterprises helping Queenslanders in need!  We're so excited to announce that TFN Live will take place in Brisbane on Thursday 26 May, generously hosted by Clayton Utz. We’d love to hear from grassroots non-profits and social enterprises that are running innovative programs to support Queenslanders experiencing disadvantage. Three finalists – as chosen by an independent selection panel – will receive professional coaching and the chance to deliver a pitch to an audience of 100+ guests at an exciting virtual live crowdfunding event to raise an estimated $20,000 each. A big thank you to the Morgans Foundation, who will generously provide matched funding on the night. This event is also supported by Deloitte and the Queensland Community Foundation. Applications close Thursday 24 March – apply now! If you have any questions about your application, get in touch.

APPLY HERE

NEW TO TFN LIVE EVENTS?

Check out the video below for a snapshot of how our events work and the unforgettable experience you're up for!

EVENT DETAILS

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5.30pm (6pm start) - 8.30pm AEST Thursday 26 May 2022 Clayton Utz 71 Eagle Street Brisbane

EVENT PARTNERS

Web version

Our hearts go out members who have been impacted by the recent floods. Some are asking...."What can our social enterprise community do to help?" 1. Our QSEC team has assembled some handy sites to assist below. We will update these on the Forum over the next few days.  2. Members should sign in to the portal on the QSEC website and visit the FORUMS. If you have an "ask" in the clean up or an "offer" for support, you can add it to the forum. We will help match your needs with the opportunities from our community.  3. Consider signing up for the Mud Army, the Care Army or a number of other volunteer sites through the Emergency Volunteering Qld site. This will make sure you are integrated through an official platform to be deployed to people who need support in the community. More information to come. REMEMBER IF IT'S FLOODED FORGET IT!

Hope St Cafe in West End

As the flood waters recede, if you are helping to clean up, here are some tips you need to remember:  Wear Protective Gear: There are lots of contaminants in flood waters. You must wear gloves, proper shoes/boots, masks and goggles to keep out the nasties... Remove the Water: Buckets, mops and shovels will help to clear away the moisture and debris, and you may need to remove wall coverings and carpets which can harbour mould and contaminants. Toss and Sanitise: Anything that has come in contact with the flood water poses a significant risk to human health. Local councils will be in contact for clean out rules and processes. Many council run kerb-side pick ups to support. Then clean every hard surface with heavy-duty bleach/sanitiser. Airing out: Make sure the area is fully aired out. Using industrial fans can help speed that process.  Get Help: Have a look at the resources below and on the QSEC member forum. You can post your ask and also respond to an offer made by members.  Take Photos and Keep Your Receipts: Keep receipts for the professional services you have engaged. This will help you claim on business insurance or emergency payments. Take photos (especially with date stamps) to help with damage verification to provide information to grant and fund providers.

If you know a business (or are a business) impacted by the recent heavy rain and flooding across SEQ let them know CCIQ has opened up its HR and Export Helplines for free in the next week - a good opportunity to get some support if needed in these areas.

Prevent, prepare, respond and recover when disaster strikes

Use these resources to prevent, prepare, respond, recover and communicate so you can get back to business sooner when disaster hits.

GO TO SMALL BUSINESS DISASTER HUB 

Emergency hardship assistance The Emergency Hardship Assistance Grant is available as a contribution to support people directly impacted by a disaster to who are unable to meet their immediate essential needs for food, clothing, medical supplies or temporary accommodation. If deemed eligible, applicants may receive $180 per person up to $900 for a family of 5 or more. The grant is initially available to claim for 7 days following the activation of the grant in your area. Emergency Hardship Assistance is not income or asset tested. To be eligible, applicants must meet all of the following criteria: live or are stranded in the targeted activation zone have suffered hardship as a result of the event are unable to meet your immediate essential needs for food, clothing, medical supplies or temporary accommodation. You are not eligible for this grant if you are claiming: business loss or damage including compensation for loss of income farm or property damage (excluding principal place of residence) loss of tools of trade loss of power/ essential services to your home (you may be eligible for an Essential Services Hardship Assistance grant if the loss is for greater than 5 days) . isolation within property. How to apply online via the Community Recovery Portal by phoning the Community Recovery Hotline on 1800 173 349 or by visiting a Community Recovery Hub (when open) Federal Government Support  Queenslanders in communities impacted by the unfolding flooding disaster across the state’s South East can apply for Commonwealth financial support from Monday 28 February. The Morrison Government has activated the Disaster Recovery Payment (AGDRP) of $1000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child to support people impacted by the South East Queensland flooding event that began on 22 February. The Disaster Recovery Payment is a one-off, non-means tested payment and is available to eligible people in those affected local government areas who have suffered a significant loss, including a severely damaged or destroyed home or serious injury. Eligible Queenslanders in the local government areas of Gympie and North Burnett can claim support via myGov or by calling Services Australia on 180 22 66 from 1pm Queensland time tomorrow (28 February). We are closely monitoring the flood emergency and we expect further Commonwealth assistance to be extended to other impacted regions and local government areas as the flood impact is known. Australian Defence Force personnel continue to support the emergency response efforts and will do more once the water recedes and the recovery effort starts. The Disaster Recovery Allowance (DRA) will also be provided into the affected local government areas in Gympie and north Burnett, with further flood affected local government areas expected to be added in coming days, as the damage becomes clear. The DRA assists employees, small business persons and farmers who experience a loss of income as a direct result of a major disaster. You might be eligible for a maximum of 13 weeks payment from the date you have or will have a loss of income as a direct result of a disaster. The DRA is taxable. Services Australia’s Disaster Assistance phone line (180 22 66) is available for those who are unable to claim online from 1pm Queensland time tomorrow, Monday 28 February. For more information on support available, visit servicesaustralia.gov.au/disaster https://www.pm.gov.au/media/commonwealth-financial-assistance-queensland-flood-victims

Disaster Assistance Loans Under the DRFA, affected businesses can access a Disaster Assistance Loan of up to $250,000 over up to 10 years. These loans are intended to assist businesses in re-establishing normal operations, and can be used for repairing or replacing damaged equipment, repairing or replacing buildings or meeting rent and rates requirements. Loans under this scheme must be secured by a mortgage of land, or by another asset deemed satisfactory by the Queensland Rural and Industry Development Authority (QRIDA). Find out more information on the Disaster Assistance Loans here Essential Working Capital Loans Businesses can also access loans of up to $100,000 over up to 10 years to cover working capital expenses. These expenses could include paying salaries or wages; paying rent or rates; paying creditors; and buying good essential to running the business, such as fuel. These loans must also be secured by a mortgage of land, or by another asset deemed satisfactory by the QRIDA. Find out more about Essential Working Capital Loans here.

2022’s a big year for the social enterprise sector. With the first Social Enterprise National Strategy well underway, excitement is building for September’s Brisbane-based Social Enterprise World Forum (SEWF) with things kicking off next month with the (Re)Purpose event. 

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