The Rundown - October 14, 2022
The latest news and notes from the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors
Celebrating Australia!
In today’s edition of The Rundown, we celebrate Australia! It might seem odd that a publication based in the United States would want to focus on our friends from “down under”, but there are quite a few Australians who are part of the Pinnacle Strategies community and we are grateful they are a part of our loyal readership!
Today we dive into some interesting research about giving in Australia and we talk about one of the best exports to come out of the southern hemisphere (and no, we are not talking about vegemite!). So sit back, mate and enjoy our trip down south!
Are Australians Stingy?
Well, I am not completely sure how to answer this question. But, I did find this article on the Fundraising and Philanthropy website, which is an Australian publication an interesting read on philanthropy and giving in another economically strong country.
One of the interesting notes I found in the article is that sticker shock is real. According to the article, 1 in 11 Australians are millionaires, at least in term of mean household net worth. But considering that right now, the Australian dollar trades at about 63 cents per U. S. dollar, that means that roughly 10% of Australian households have a net household worth north of $630,000, which is still quite a bit of financial resources, but doesn’t exactly conjure up visions of mansions with pools that we tend to think about with millionaires!
The article also laments that the charitable sector falls woefully behind the sector in other advanced economies. In the United States, the charitable sector makes up about 2% of our economy’s gross domestic product. New Zealand is close at a 1.8% clip, Canada and the United Kingdom are close to 1% and Australia comes in at a relatively paltry 0.8%.
The authors of the article make the claim that even relatively small amounts of new donations from Australian’s ultra-wealthy individuals could have a dramatic effect:
A commitment by the 200 wealthiest Australians to the ‘Pledge 1%’ model would generate $5.55 billion for the sector, an additional 3.2% in revenue and 43.7% in donations to ACNC charities.
Extending the 1% giving pledge to all households with net wealth greater than $50 million is estimated to increase the pool of donations by between $7.9 billion and $8.5 billion.
If the top 200 donated 1.46% of their wealth (the highest rate of giving amongst the group matched to the Financial Review Philanthropy 50 List), it would represent an additional $8.1 billion for the sector, boosting revenue by 4.6%.
A pledge by the wealthiest 200 Australians to commit their annual wealth growth would raise $99.2 billion for the sector, almost eight times current annual donations.
What could these dollars do? The report also states that these dollars could help provide affordable dental care (at a price tag of $5.6 Billion a year) or even affordable child care (coming in at $5 Billion a year).
The childcare numbers are the one that personally interest me the most. I’ll be the first to admit, you could take my knowledge about the Australian economy stuff into a thimble and still have room for a kangaroo (sorry for the bad Australian pun). But, one of the biggest barriers to economic participation here in the Midwest is a lack of accessible and affordable childcare. And this is a tough nut to crack.
Market wages in child care are woefully low, despite it’s expense to families. Child care workers are expected to have advanced education (at least an Associate’s Degree) and some credentials and the wages are literally no better than entry-level wages in retail. This causes a great need for the service, but few people willing to do it. Prices go up and fewer people can afford the service and it causes families great hardship. Two parent working families often find child care expenses take up one paycheck of the working parent. Some families forgo the expense and stay home with the kids ensuring a potential worker is on the sidelines. It’s a tough row to hoe.
The Best Australian Export….Ever
Now, if I am going to talk about Australia, I would be completely remiss if I did not talk about the best thing to ever come out of Australia — Bluey! (And for those wondering, I consider Foster’s a close second; not my favorite beer, but I will certainly get one if I am out and about and they have it).
Bluey is a six year old blue heeler breed of dog that comes across the screen as an imaginative and full-spirited little girl. She lives with her little sister Bingo and an often goofy, but straight talking Dad (Bandit) and a sweet and caring Mom (Chili). This is an Australian cartoon aimed towards kids, but there is plenty of humor and dialogue that the whole family will absolutely love. The show is an absolute hit in Australia and yes, it’s thick with Australian culture (I guess they call their money “dollar bucks” and they do call everyone “mate”) all said in a fun and thick Australian accent. Episodes are short, only about nine minutes long and it can be found on the Disney+ platform.
My family and I discovered Bluey earlier this year and our entire family just loved the silly antics of the Dad, the straight-forward nature of Mom and the pure wonder and imagination that Bluey and Bingo bring to each episode. The little cousin, Muffin, has to be one of the best supporting characters - an even younger blue heeler puppy that is always causing the havoc you would expect from a toddler.
Question of the Week
Let us know if you have ever seen the show and if you have, leave us a comment on what you thought about it!
Now Hiring!
I have a nonprofit in Sidney, Ohio that has reached out to me looking for a new Executive Director. I can tell you that this a very strong organization that needs leadership that has strong entrepreneurial and staff management skills. If you have any interest, please drop me a line at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com and let’s talk!
Registrations now open for Paul G. Duke Academy for Community Leadership!
Registrations are now open for continuing education offered by Edison State Community College in Piqua for the Paul G. Duke Academy for Community Leadership! I have been a proud alumni of both programs and have even been asked to help present sessions and teach classes. It’s an amazing program and I would encourage you to be a part of it if you are in the area! You can register here.
The Paul G. Duke Academy for Community Leadership 1.0 is a series of workshops designed to develop more effective directors, leaders, board members, staff and volunteers of nonprofit organizations. Course topics include the fundamental practices of board recruitment, planning, staffing, budgeting, evaluation, board meetings and community awareness. The classes are designed to help individuals make a difference on their boards and in their community.
The Paul G. Duke Academy for Community Leadership 2.0 has been created and designed specifically for experienced executive directors of nonprofit organizations and alumni of the Academy for Community Leadership 1.0. This challenging and intensive Academy is coordinated by the Academy development team and participants. Advanced participants will conduct original research and exchange results via reports and discussion. Participants will help to further develop the foundational agenda for each of the four monthly sessions that will explore nonprofit organizations—based upon their backgrounds, experiences, pressing issues and needs—through self-analysis, organizational analysis, guest speakers, best practices, resource review and in-depth discussions. At its conclusion, Academy 2.0 participants will be immersed in the annual Mosaic of Community Leadership Conference, both as participants and presenters. Academy 2.0 is the latest collaboration between the Paul G. Duke Foundation and the Edison State Community College Center for Leadership Development.
We are Trying Something New
Perhaps you read our last “Deeper Dive” where we talked about the amazing power of Youtube as a Social Media platform. Well, a reader challenged me and said hey, “Why don’t you start your own channel?”
Okay, challenge accepted. Here is our channel with our first four videos. We had some readers share them on LinkedIn (THANK YOU!) and the response has been positive. Check it out and let me know what you think! Feel free to drop me a line at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com or just comment below!
Here is a link to our YouTube Channel!
Check Out Some New Resources
Pinnacle Strategies has created a new resource! Check out our store here on the gumroad platform. These are the three most popular tools that I am hit up for. Take a look at these tools and of course, if you have any comments or questions, please feel free to contact me at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com.
What Can We Work on Together?
Did you know that Pinnacle Strategies works individually with nonprofit and public sector leaders to help them solve problems, achieve goals and gain confidence in their roles?
Why?
Because, this work is hard and it’s often a lonely road. Our nonprofit and public sector leaders need people that they can talk to to get solid advice and encouragement to do the work that is in front of them. If you feel that this can be of value to you, or a member of your team, please reach out to pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com and let’s talk.
A Quick Note of Thanks!
Thank you all for subscribing to this newsletter. The subscription numbers continue to grow and from what I am learning, this side job seems like it has “sticking power”. I am not getting inquiries and calls from literally all over the world wanting to partner and work together to create value for you, the non profit and philanthropy leader. I feel very excited about the future of this newsletter and if you have any ideas or comments, please feel free to share them with me at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com
I know many of you have shared this with your friends and colleagues and I am very grateful. Thank you! If you haven’t shared it yet…..well, here is your chance….
Ready to Learn Something New?
One of the prettiest cities in Fall is Indianapolis and travelling there can open a perfect opportunity to sharpen your skills and meet new professionals in the field. I would encourage you to look at some of the offerings of The Fund Raising School at the Lilly School of Philanthropy at Indiana University’s campus in Indianapolis. The professional development school has great programming both on-line and in-person both in Indianapolis and at other sites across the country. Take a look at their course offerings here!
Other Ways to Connect
Our coaching practice has openings starting here in 2022. If you are interested in working with me to get your nonprofit organization on a track to achieve the big missions you have for your organization, please reach out to me at pinnaclestrategiesltd@gmail.com.
Here are some other ways you can keep in contact with Pinnacle Strategies!
Check us out on our LinkedIn Page
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