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SVA News & Articles - 2008 Archive
SVA in the news
 Crisis brings on sector shake-out
Reforms urged for charities
More than money
A new take on social return
A financial wake-up call for the Indigenous community in The Australian
SVA Consulting launches partnership with Bain & Company
Charity initiative pays off
Lateline examines the Third Link Growth Fund’s strong run in a tough market
Modern philanthropists are using their drive to profoundly change the non-profit sector
Michael Traill named winner of the Eastern Region social entrepreneur award in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year program
Chris Cuffe talks to The Sydney Morning Herald about how the Third Link Growth Fund provides a sustainable funding strategy for SVA
Michael Traill calls for a more practical non-profit reporting framework in an AFR opinion piece
Chris Cuffe announces the Third Link Growth Fund’s underlying fund managers
Michael Traill comments on the current economy’s impact on charitable giving in the AFR
How non-profit work can be a rewarding alternative for professionals
Ethical Investor magazine profiles the launch of SVA Consulting
Chris Cuffe launches the Third Link Growth Fund to support the non-profit sector
SVA Launches the Indigenous Investor Circle
New research report shows Australia lags the world in philanthropic giving but new opportunities emerge
Read Michael Traill's commentary on 'The Strategic Philanthropist' in the Business Spectator
Michael Traill comments to the AFR about the impact of recent market gyrations on corporate giving
 Click on links to view other news sections Portfolio ventures in the news
Community partners in the news
Crisis brings on sector shake-out
22 December 2008
Poorly run non-profit organisations may need to either close or merge with larger counterparts as donations from individuals and corporate entities slow markedly over the next year in the wake of the share market rout and ensuing economic uncertainty, according to the Australian Financial Review. Alison Kahler and Zoe Fielding report that donations from regular givers have slowed dramatically, or ceased entirely, following downturn in financial markets. The Australian Taxation Office says the 24,400 not-for-profit organisations which are eligible to receive tax-deductible donations received gifts totalling $1.6 billion in 2005-06. But donations are expected to fall in the next 12 months if the economic slowdown continues. A former Macquarie Group executive and now philanthropist, Paul Robertson, told a recent SVA forum that quite a few non-profit ventures would now fail. ‘I can say that categorically. They will absolutely fail. And that will be for lack of leadership,’ Mr Robertson said. Organisations with diverse donor bases would survive best, philanthropists said. ‘I'm sufficiently a creature of the free market to believe this will be a testing time and that the better, more robust non-profits will do reasonably well,’ SVA chief executive officer Michael Traill said. Charity executives believe that any drop in donations would be short-term, as there is a trend toward greater giving that is likely to again become the norm when economic conditions stabilise. Reforms urged for charities
5 December 2008
A national charities regulator, a public register of all charities and greater disclosure of financial information are part of sweeping reforms proposed for the $85 billion non-profit sector by a federal parliamentary committee. Alexander Symonds reported in The Australian Financial Review that the report came as charities have been hit hard by the credit crunch. Parliamentary Secretary for the Voluntary Sector Ursula Stephens said the report ‘laid bare’ the complexities of regulation with which non-profit organisations have to contend. Social Ventures Australia executive director Chris Cuffe called the recommendations ‘profound’, and said there was a lack of consistency and transparency in existing regulations.
‘It's probably no different than turning back to the days before the ASIC environment when you had the various states all doing their own thing - that was pretty messy,’ Mr Cuffe said. ‘Now, more than ever, given the tight economic times, it is important to simplify the system to get costs down.’
More than money
December/January 2008
Kim McConville is the founder of Beyond Empathy based in Armidale, NSW, which uses the arts to help change the lives of the disadvantaged. Simon Mordant, joint CEO of Sydney corporate advisory firm Caliburn Partnership, has been a donor and adviser to Beyond Empathy since 2005. The pair spoke with Katrina Strickland, of The Australian Financial Review’s BOSS magazine, about how their relationship, facilitated by Social Ventures Australia, extends beyond the financial.A new take on social return
December/January 2008
Private equity specialist David Jones has backed some rags-to-riches start-ups in his time, writes Emma Connors in The Australian Financial Review’s BOSS magazine. But he’s equally passionate about diverting kids from a lifetime on the dole through his work with the Beacon Foundation. The foundation connects students with local businesses, giving them work experience and encouraging them to think about what they can do with their life. Mr Jones, who heads up CHAMP Private Equity, is an active chair of the Beacon board and has met quite a few of the kids that have gone through a Beacon program. He's also an enthusiastic fundraiser who has dipped into his own pocket to help fund the venture. The link between CHAMP and the Beacon Foundation was forged through Social Ventures Australia, a six-year-old organisation that's straddling the not-for-profit and business sectors in a way that's never been done before. It selects ventures it thinks can be scaled up and shamelessly taps into the professional networks of its staff and supporters for both funds and expertise. It's a marshalling point that brings together the crème of the professional class with social entrepreneurs who know all about life in the raw.
A financial wake-up call for the Indigenous community in The Australian
28 November 2008
Indigenous communities are a ‘sleeping giant’ in the Australian economy and will need to tackle both social dysfunction and poor levels of financial literacy, according to one of New Zealand's leading Maori thinkers.
Dr Manuka Henare, director of the Mira Szaszy Research Centre at Auckland University, recently spoke at a roundtable event hosted by Social Ventures Australia in Melbourne, at which he also challenged philanthropists to support high-risk, high-reward projects which could inspire innovation in Indigenous communities, rather than just supplementing government welfare programs.
Read the full article by Stuart Rintoul in The Australian here.
SVA Consulting launches partnership with Bain & Company
6 November 2008
SVA Consulting is proud to announce a new partnership with Bain & Company that will leverage private sector resources for the benefit of the social sector in Australia. The partnership will comprise four initiatives:  Bain training for SVA consultants
Co-coaching between SVA consultants and Bain partners or managers Opportunities for Bain consultants to work in the non-profit sector through externships at SVA Consulting Collaboration on Bain’s pro bono projects This non-exclusive partnership will strengthen SVA Consulting capabilities through access to Bain training and coaching resources. This support will be reciprocated by SVA Consulting who will collaborate with Bain consultants on Bain’s pro bono work. Bain will also have a unique outlet for the development of their consultants through externship opportunities at SVA Consulting. SVA Consulting and Bain & Company hope that the partnership will help to provide the non-profit sector with the best strategic advice available, while also broadening the knowledge and experience of both organisations’ consultants. Duncan Peppercorn, Head of SVA Consulting, said of the announcement, ‘SVA Consulting is delighted to work with Bain & Company on this exciting initiative. It indicates a real commitment by both SVA and Bain to continue to provide the best possible strategic support to non-profit and philanthropic clients and I look forward to the lasting impact that the partnership will bring to the social sector.’ To learn more about SVA Consulting and Bain & Company, please visit: http://www.socialventures.com.au/content/SVA_Consulting/ and www.bain.com
Charity initiative pays off
22 October 2008
The Third Link Growth Fund, a scheme launched by industry veteran and philanthropist Chris Cuffe in May, outperformed the All Ordinaries Index by 13.8 per cent to September 30, reports the Australian Financial Review.
Mr Cuffe said the result, while over a short period, was largely achieved by good asset allocation together with solid performances from the 15 underlying managers of the fund.
Once the fund reaches a reasonable size, it is anticipated that at least 1 per cent a year of the 1.4 per cent annual management fee will flow through to non-profit organisation Social Ventures Australia at no additional expense to the investors.
This means that once the fund reaches its $150 million cap it will contribute at least $1.5 million each year to SVA.
Lateline examines the Third Link Growth Fund’s strong run in a tough market
16 October 2008
Chris Cuffe talks to Lateline Business about how he has re-entered the funds management game with a twist. All the management fees earned by his Third Link Growth Fund go to Social Ventures Australia.
Read the transcript or watch Chris Cuffe’s Lateline interview with Phillip Lasker here. The New Crusaders
September 2008
The new wave of non-profit entrepreneurs is not only creating genuine social change, it also has some lasting lessons for business, according an article in CPA Australia’s magazine, In The Black.
The modern philanthropist is described as passionate, entrepreneurial and hands-on, and includes many of the world's most successful business people. They are using their drive to profoundly change the non-profit sector.
Among them are Michael Traill, the co-founder of Macquarie Bank's venture capital arm Macquarie Direct Investment, and respected investment industry veteran Chris Cuffe.
Both of them have made the challenging transition to the non-profit sector in an effort to
help transform the lives of the poor and excluded through an entrepreneurial approach and to bring scale and growth to the sector so that initiatives can have maximum social impact.
Read the full article by Emily Ross in In The Black. Michael Traill named winner of the Eastern Region social entrepreneur award in the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year program
29 August 2008
Professional services firm Ernst & Young has named Michael Traill, SVA Chief Executive, as its social entrepreneur of the year in the Eastern Region of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year program. Michael and the other Eastern Region winners will go on to compete for the 2008 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year national award to be announced on 27 November.
Click here to learn more about the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year program and to read the full list of Eastern Region winners.
Chris Cuffe talks to The Sydney Morning Herald about how the Third Link Growth Fund provides a sustainable funding strategy for SVA 27 July 2008
The Third Link Growth Fund marks Chris Cuffe's re-entry to the managed funds business after six years away, during which time he has channelled his energies into his role as an executive director of SVA. In a Sydney Morning Herald article written by Simon Hoyle, Chris explains his efforts to harness his knowledge of the funds management world to provide SVA with a source of relatively predictable income. Investors in the Third Link Growth Fund will pay a fee, as investors in all managed funds do, but because Cuffe has sourced many of the fund's services for free, it can channel its ‘profit’ back to SVA. Chris has adopted a multi-manager structure for the fund to access several asset classes - including shares, fixed interest and ‘alternatives’ - and has tapped into those he believes are the best managers in each class. The fund's asset allocation - how investors' money will be spread among different types of investments - was determined after consultation with advisers to the fund. Click here to read the article in its entirety. Michael Traill calls for a more practical non-profit reporting framework 26 July 2008
A clear reporting structure will bring big gains to the non-profit sector, especially from corporate benefactors, writes Michael Traill in an opinion piece for the Australian Financial Review. Mr Traill described Senator Ursula Stephens's call for suggestions on ways to improve disclosure and transparency in the non-profit sector as ‘right and timely’. The sector struggles to consistently and clearly convey non-profit performance indicators, he said, in part because it lacks a framework with which to do so. It now needs one. While it is easy to call for such a regulatory framework, Mr Traill said it is important to recognise that non-profit objectives are about much more than generating shareholder value and profits. Therefore a reporting framework mirroring the corporate world is not the best starting point. In this article, Mr Traill outlined what he sees as important inclusions in a well-structured, non-profit annual report. Chris Cuffe announces the Third Link Growth Fund’s underlying fund managers 21 July 2008
Chris Cuffe has convinced some of the best and brightest investment minds in the country to offer their services for a good cause. Mr Cuffe, director of Third Link Investment Managers and an executive director of SVA, has announced the names of the 17 underlying managers within Third Link Growth Fund, many of whom have agreed to work for free. Cumulatively they will potentially forgo more than $1 million in fees each year. All management fees to Third Link, net of expenses incurred, will go to support SVA. This will be an estimated 1 per cent of the fees per year or an annual revenue stream of around $1.5 million once the Fund closes at $150 million. Read the Sydney Morning Herald article written by Adele Horin about this announcement . Michael Traill comments on the current economy’s impact on charitable giving in the Australian Financial Review 18 July 2008
Australian families are feeling the pinch as plummeting stock prices, high interest rates and the increased price of household staples like food and petrol take their toll which may affect their charitable giving, reports Emma Connors in the Australian Financial Review. In tough times, people still donate because they understand that others may have it even harder than they do. While these factors are yet to stem philanthropic flows from wealthy individuals and businesses, those groups are thinking twice before digging deep. And charities are adjusting their plans accordingly. SVA, which depends largely on corporate donations and wealthy individuals to sustain its support of social entrepreneurs and other activities, reports its funding inflow is slightly ahead of target. Chief Executive Michael Traill said income had grown every year, including the 12 months to 30 June. However these supporters are not simply handing over their money. ‘The not-for-profit sector is moving from cheque-book charity, where there is little connection between donor and recipient, to engaged philanthropy,’ Mr Traill said. ‘There's no question the market is tough and charitable contributions are discretionary but I am optimistic about our capacity to grow – the challenge for the sector is to do so with clarity and accountability.’ How non-profit work can be a rewarding alternative for professionals
12 May 2008
Growing numbers of young professionals and seasoned executives are joining the non-profit sector, particularly with organisations that acknowledge the need for decent pay and structured professional development.
SVA founder and chief executive Michael Traill told the Australian Financial Review that talent which ‘jumped ship’ from the private sector shouldn’t have to live hand to mouth.
While he believes SVA has access to astonishing talent who would accept pay levels much lower than they were used to, the issue of remuneration is still important in the non-profit sector. Ethical Investor magazine profiles the launch of SVA Consulting
May 2008
SVA achieved an Australian first with the launch in April of its consulting division, reports Ethical Investor magazine.
SVA Consulting will help non-profit organisations and their funders clarify direction, measure performance and improve capacity.
The group’s executive director, Duncan Peppercorn, says he is confident there is demand for a consulting service dedicated to helping non-profit organisations achieve their next stage of growth and long-term sustainability. Chris Cuffe launches the Third Link Growth Fund to support the non-profit sector 10 April
SVA Executive Director Chris Cuffe announced today the launch of the Third Link Growth Fund. The creation of the Third Link Growth Fund is a unique and pioneering initiative. The Fund provides investors with an opportunity to participate in a professionally managed investment. Importantly, all fees received from managing the Fund’s investments, net of expenses incurred, will go to support the non-profit sector via ongoing donations to Social Ventures Australia (SVA). The name ‘Third Link’ directly signifies this important connection between the non-profit sector (often referred to as the ‘third’ sector) and investors. For more information about the Third Link Growth Fund, please visit www.thirdlink.com.au. Watch Third Link Growth Fund's profile on ABC's Inside Business program or listen to Chris Cuffe's interview with Fran Kelly on ABC Radio's Breakfast program. SVA Launches the Indigenous Investor Circle 19 March 2008
SVA launched the Indigenous Investor Circle at a lunch in Sydney today. This initiative has been established to provide support for proven programs that are combating issues in this critical area of social need. The Indigenous Investor Circle helps to take these programs to scale through a powerful pooled investment model that leverages funding dollars. It contributes to a cross-section of non-profit organizations and initiatives. For further information on this initiative please download our Indigenous Investor Circle brochure.
Megan Davis, Director of the Indigenous Law Centre and Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Law of the University of New South Wales, discusses Indigenous Community Issues with a group of around 50 people at the Royal Automobile Club in Sydney on 19 March 2008.
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New research report shows Australia lags the world in philanthropic giving but new opportunities emerge 10 March 2008
A new report commissioned by the Petre Foundation—Good Times and Philanthropy: Giving by Australia’s Affluent—was launched on 10 March 2008. The report, produced by the Australian Centre for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Studies based at Queensland University of Technology draws upon the latest research to examine giving trends by affluent individuals in Australia and how these compare with overseas counterparts. Speaking at a briefing hosted by SVA in Sydney (SVA hosted a similar briefing in Melbourne on 11 March), Petre Foundation Chairman Daniel Petre said: 'On an asset basis affluent Americans currently give around 10-15 per cent of their net worth to philanthropy. Their Australian counterparts seem to be allocating less than three per cent. 'On an income basis wealthy Americans allocate 3.8 per cent of income to charities while average wealthy Australians give less than one half of one percent. The report shows that although the average household income of wealthy Australians rose by 36 per cent over the last decade, their charitable giving over that time only increased by from 0.36 per cent of income donated to 0.45 per cent of income donated. Responding to the report, SVA Chief Executive Michael Traill said the report articulated some very clear opportunities to enhance the nexus between the non-profit sector and affluent Australians. 'The non-profit sector must provide evidence that giving will make a difference. Organisations need to take a more strategic, results-oriented approach and to provide their funders with engagement opportunities and an understanding of the social issues involved. At the same time, funders wanting their money to contribute to creating sustainable social and environmental change need to take a more strategic approach to their philanthropy. 'Our experience is that when this occurs funders tend to provide much larger amounts and for longer periods because they are prepared to take a long-term view and are clear about the social return on their investment. They are connecting their heads to their hearts.' Download a podcast of Daniel Petre discussing report findings
Download the entire report
Download an executive summary of the report
Download Daniel Petre's presentation from the launch event
Read media coverage about this research...
Sydney Morning Herald, 'More bang for their buck'
Sydney Morning Herald, 'Rich getting richer - but giving away less'
The Australian, 'The rich are keeping it for themselves'
Australian Financial review, 'Australia's rich are poor givers'
Sydney Morning Herald, 'Australia stingy on philanthropy front'
TheAge.com, 'Rich not giving enough to charity'
Herald Sun, 'Deep pockets and short arms'
| Left to Right: Daniel Petre, Michael Traill, Kym Madden and Wendy Scaife at the research report launch in Sydney. |
Michael Traill comments on 'The Strategic Philanthropist' in the Business Spectator 15 February 2008
In this commentary, Michael explores how Australia's philanthropists can make their generosity deliver real impact. He offers six practical steps to stragetic philanthropy. Read Michael's commentary in its entirety
Read Michael's past articles from the Business Spectator Michael Traill comments to the AFR about the impact of recent market gyrations on corporate giving 2 February 2008
Corporate Australia’s growing willingness to support philanthropic causes is unlikely to falter regardless of the recent share market correction.
Social Ventures Australia chief executive Michael Traill says he is ‘cautiously optimistic’ corporate philanthropy will not come undone despite the harsh market conditions.
Speaking to the Australian Financial Review, Mr Traill says: ‘There is no question that when the market falls as significantly as it has done, commitments might change.’
Yet corporate social responsibility had become a popular subject among business leaders in the past five years, and many major corporations had given significantly and generously in that time.
‘Some of these may tie their level of charitable giving to a percentage of profits but there is also a significant countervailing trend that is pushing corporates to engage and much of that is being driven internally, by staff,’ he says.
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