This week, ACFID and AIDN co-hosted a session on Sustaining Local Capacity as part of our ongoing webinar series connecting Australian philanthropy with ACFID members who have been impacted by the global ODA cuts.  The final session, focused on health, will be held next week—further details are available in the section below.

We also extend our congratulations to two of our members for significant milestones this week.  First, Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) marks its 80th anniversary— happy birthday MAF! Second, Asia Justice and Rights (AJAR) was awarded the Gwangju Prize which is the highest human rights award in Korea for their great work- congrats to everyone involved with AJAR! 

Preparations are underway for next week’s Special General Meeting on Wed the 28th of May at 4 PM, where we will share the outcome of the Board elections and also some key sector updates including reflections from our meeting with newly appointed International Development Minister Hon Dr Anne Aly. If you want to join and have not yet registered to attend please contact Rae Lans.

To Attend

Deputy HOM Briefing with the Deputy Ambassador-designate for Bangkok

Australia’s incoming Deputy Ambassador to Bangkok, Mr Andrew Egan, has requested a briefing from ACFID members via Teams. If you are interested in participating in the briefing, please register your interest below.

Please note that we will set up a coordination meeting with members before the briefing to agree on key messages and finalise a meeting agenda.

The Deputy Ambassador’s responsibilities at Post will include:

• Accreditation as Australia’s Permanent Representative to UNESCAP; and
• Policy and programming oversight of the Mekong-Australia Partnership.

Mr Egan has expressed interest in hearing from members on relevant development issues in the region, including an overview of the situation on the Thai-Myanmar border. Mr Egan is also interested in an assessment of, and updates on, aid delivery and programming in the region in the wake of USAID and other donor ODA cuts.

When: Friday, 6 June 2025

Time: 2:00-3:00 pm

Where: Register here

To Attend

Connecting ACFID Members and Philanthropy – Last Session: Health Webinar

ACFID and AIDN are co-hosting a series of webinars to connect NGOs and philanthropic supporters amid global funding challenges.

Only one webinar remains:

Health – Thursday, 29 May

12:00 pm – 1:00 pm (AEST, virtual)

ACFID members are invited to share examples of projects impacted by recent donor cuts and explore opportunities for philanthropic support.

Register now to secure your spot. Registration closes on Thursday, 22 May. One participant per organisation. ACFID will contact registered organisations to coordinate participation.

For inquiries, please contact Emily Moreton at [email protected].

To Action

Locally Led Action Policy Writeshop

ACFID invites members to register for the upcoming Locally Led Action Policy Writeshops, where we will learn together, share ideas and support each other in developing our policies, statements or guidelines that commit our organisations to locally led action. These online Writeshops will provide a collaborative environment to meet the recent revisions to the ACFID Code related to Locally Led Action. 

Date: Wednesdays 28th May and 18th June

Time: 10 am – 1 pm on each Wednesday

Who should attend: Staff who have responsibility or input into policy development and/or for locally led commitments, and who can take carriage of this work over the longer term.

Registration: here

To Attend

ACFID CEO Members Summit: Shaping the Future Together

ACFID invites member CEOs to a one-day summit on 13 June at La Trobe University, Melbourne. The event will address major shifts in how global aid is conceived, funded, and delivered, offering a space for reflection, strategy, and collaboration. It will feature expert speakers, insights into global trends, and structured discussions to support strategic thinking among peers.

Date: Friday 13 June

Time: 9:30 am – 4:30 pm

Venue: La Trobe University, Bundoora Campus, Melbourne

Audience: ACFID member CEOs (1 participant per organisation)

Registration ​here

To Action

ACFID Media Release – Gaza Joint Donor Statement

ACFID continues to sound the alarm at the horrific humanitarian situation in Gaza. Earlier this week, we were pleased to welcome the Australian Government joining with several other nations to release a recent joint statement to immediately open relief flows into Gaza. You can read the media release here.

ACFID Conference 2025 – Early call for International Speakers

ACFID is making an early call for possible speakers for ACFID’s National Conference, with the theme of ‘Driving Transformation in Development and Humanitarian Action’.

While the program is still being developed, we would love to know if any members will have international visitors or partners in Australia at the time of Conference (5th and 6th of November), who could be possible keynote or panel speakers.

If you have any confirmed or possible visitors who will be here at Conference time, please let us know at [email protected]

here.

To Action

ACFID Conference – Save the Date

The 2025 ACFID National Conference has been confirmed for the 5th and 6th of November in Canberra. More details will be shared soon, please stay tuned.

To Attend

ANCP CoP – Peer learning and Networking Event in Brisbane

The ANCP CoP is hosting an in-person Peer Learning event on ANCP and ADPlans followed by Networking Drinks. If you are interested in attending either or both events, contact Darren Raeburn at [email protected].

Request for information on Global Aid Freezes

Accountability Lab and Humentum are updating their global data on the impacts of Global Aid Freezes. They seek organisations (including INGOs, CSOs, Consultants, Contractors) to provide information on the challenges they are facing and how they are seeing the sector impacted. Earlier iterations of this data can be found here and the new survey to be completed is here. Please feel free to share with your networks and partners.

Food for thought

Australia’s new Minister for International Development, Dr Anne Aly, will be met with a flood of briefings, stakeholder demands and the relentless churn of social media. She’ll need to consider how to make the case for her portfolio—to the public and within the political class—while weighing Australia’s national interests and deciding which development priorities deserve focus.

To cut through all this noise, Development Intelligence Lab asked three leading thinkers and practitioners: What’s one thing a new minister for development should grasp about Australian Development Cooperation?

AP4D Executive Director Melissa Conley Tyler says “The Minister for International Development needs to be an advocate for Australia as a development actor that is invested in the success of its neighbours – for mutual national interest – and bring both the party and the public along with them.”

A Philippines development expert who requested anonymity due to the nature of their ongoing work suggests that “The new minister should grasp the critical importance of strategically investing in inclusive human capital development, which distinguishes Australia’s development cooperation in the Asia-Pacific.”

Matt Darvas, National Director of Micah Australia, thinks that the “incoming Minister for International Development should prioritise bipartisan engagement—working with DFAT to ensure MPs from all parties have meaningful opportunities to see our aid program in action.”

​What’s one thing a new Minister for International Development should grasp about Australian development cooperation?​

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