DANA welcomes the delivery of the Not-for-Profit (NFP) Sector Development Blueprint, a 10-year roadmap for strengthening Australia’s NFP sector. DANA looks forward to working collaboratively with the Federal Government and the wider parliament to ensure the Blueprint’s recommendations are fully implemented, delivering on its promise of a stronger and more equitable future for the sector.
As a member of the Blueprint Expert Reference Group (BERG), DANA has played an active role in shaping the Blueprint, which highlights the significant and wide-reaching contributions of the not-for-profit sector across Australia. It shows clearly the contributions of NFP organisations that advocate, support, and deliver critical services, often with limited resources and amidst increasing demand. Advocacy organisations are amongst them, providing an essential voice for the most marginalised and ensuring fairness and accountability across multiple systems.
The Blueprint outlines 18 key initiatives structured across three strategic pillars:
- An enabling operational and regulatory environment for the NFP sector to thrive.
- A people-led and purpose-driven NFP sector.
- An adaptive and dynamic forward-focused NFP sector.
DANA contributed to this vision by advocating for measures that address the unique challenges facing advocacy organisations. In our submission to the Blueprint development process, DANA highlighted the need for better alignment between funding and the demands placed on advocacy organisations, the importance of co-designing people with disability, and the necessity of embedding grassroots, human rights-based approaches into sector reforms.
Another critical issue raised by DANA is the disproportionate focus on direct advocacy compared to systemic advocacy, which limits the sector’s ability to address broader, structural issues. The Blueprint acknowledges the need for balanced support that allows organisations to engage in both individual and systemic advocacy, ensuring sustainable impact over time.
In a Joint Statement, members of the Blueprint Expert Reference Group (BERG), including DANA’s CEO, Jeff Smith, have called on the Federal Government to issue a detailed, written response to the Blueprint and each of its initiatives, including a proposed timeframe for implementation and funding for ongoing activities, by 31 March 2025.