The Weekly

This week, ACFID held the final CEO Roundtable consultation on our strategic plan development (this meeting in Melbourne). It has been really useful to have 60 leaders from across our membership participate in the past 2 weeks of consultations. Thank you for your time and input which will help shape our Board discussions next week.

ACFID also welcomed two funding announcements from the Australian Government this week. On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, ​the Government committed an additional $25 million over five years to strengthen frontline services in the Pacific.​In addition, connected to World HIV Day event hosted by ACFID member Health Equity Matters, the Government announced ​a $48 million investment to support Pacific governments​ in responding to rising HIV rates across the region.

On Thursday, ACFID convened the bi-annual meeting of the Humanitarian Reference Group (HRG) in Canberra. If any of your agencies are involved in Humanitarian work and would like to join this important group you can learn more by emailing ​Naomi Brooks. ​

ACFID is also progressing work with members on several parliamentary inquiries currently underway. These include two inquiries by the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade, as well as a new inquiry into Democracy and Human Rights in Myanmar. More information on these inquiries, and opportunities for member involvement are available below.

Finally, it is with deep sadness that we announce the news that the amazing Jess Mackenzie will be leaving ACFID in January to take a role at DFAT.  We are going to miss her!  Please watch for our job advert next week for the Director of our Policy and Advocacy team.

To Join

Parliamentary Inquiries

The ​Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee​ has launched an additional inquiry into ​Democracy and human rights in Myanmar​. ACFID will be working with the Myanmar COP to develop a submission to this inquiry, if you would like to be involved, please get in contact through the Myanmar COP or by emailing the Policy & Advocacy Team. 

To Note

Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Inquiries

ACFID has started the process of consultation for submissions with members in the coming weeks in relation to the following two inquiries; 

– ​Inquiry into the role of Australia’s international development program in preventing conflict​ and 

​​- ​Inquiry into gender equality as a national security and economic security imperative​

For more information, please contact Imogen Harper at ​[email protected]

To Action

Sector Specific Salary Survey

ACFID is currently working on the development of a sector-specific salary survey with an outsourced provider. It is our hope that with enough support from the membership, this survey will provide robust HR data that is fit-for-purpose and tailored to our sector. 

We need your help to make this relevant to the membership. Please complete ​this short, 5 minute confidential survey. 

To Attend

Meeting the Moment: Women Deliver 2026

Join us for a cross-sector webinar as we prepare for Women Deliver 2026, coming to Melbourne next year. This global conference will spotlight gender equality, climate resilience, and adolescent girls’ futures. 

The webinar will bring together leaders from nonprofits and philanthropy to explore how we can turn this shared vision into coordinated, tangible action. Through two focused panels, speakers will share practical insights on collaboration, feminist leadership, and strategic investment to drive meaningful change ahead of Women Deliver 2026.

Date: 3 December 2025

Time: 4:00PM – 5:00PM (AEDT)

Venue: Online

Register ​​here​.

To Response

ACNC survey into banking challenges faced by charities that operate overseas

The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC) is inviting charities that operate overseas to participate in a short survey exploring their experiences with banking services. 

The survey aims to build a clearer picture of the banking experiences of charities working internationally. It will help identify common issues and inform future engagement with charities, financial institutions, regulators and policy makers. 

Feedback is sought by Wednesday 3 December 2025. Please click this ​​link​  to access their survey.  

To Attend

Indo-Pacific NGO Blended Finance Accelerator Workshop – Hybrid Learning Session

Save the Children Australia and DFAT’s Blended Finance and Investor Engagement Unit are hosting a hybrid workshop in Melbourne’s CBD. The session will present best practices directly from Australian NGO leaders on innovative blended financing models. The workshop will run from 10am-12pm and include a working lunch. 

 Date: 5 December 2025  

​​Time: 10:00AM – 12:00PM ( AEDT ) 

​​Venue: Save the Children Australia – Melbourne Office & online 

​​            Level 9/469 La Trobe St, Melbourne VIC 3000 

Register ​here.

To Read

Publication of DFAT 2024-25 Report

DFAT’s 2024–25 Annual Report highlights stronger regional engagement, a secure global presence, and initiatives driving prosperity through diplomacy, trade, and climate action, supported by a global network of 115 posts and seven strategic groups delivering on our Corporate Plan and performance measures.You can access it ​here​.

To Apply

Infoxchange Free Scholarships for AI Learning

Infoxchange are providing scholarships which give access to short-self paced courses titled Google AI Essentials & Prompting Essentials Specialisation, which are designed specifically for non-technical roles.

Participants learn to:  

​​- Use AI tools to save time and boost productivity  

– Understand risks like bias and hallucination  

​​- Apply effective prompting techniques  

​​- Complete a real-world workplace project  

​​- Earn a certificate upon completion  

Please note that there are a limited amount of scholarships available. 

Click ​here​ to find out more. 

To Note

StoneX Payments stands ready to support ACFID members in the delivery of funds to project partners and field offices working in Sudan.

Following recent regulatory updates from the Central Bank of Sudan, StoneX is now authorised to process SDG-denominated humanitarian payments to beneficiaries at any bank, provided the beneficiary’s account is not classified as a ‘special account’. This new directive lifts several previous restrictions introduced earlier this year, broadening our payment capabilities in the region.

 StoneX takes a stringent approach in our application of financial crime controls, encompassing anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terrorist financing (CTF), and international sanctions. The sanctions ‘DFAT’ imposed on Sudan are not comprehensive but ‘sectoral’, they target and prevent financial transactions in sectors such as ‘military’ and ‘arms embargo’. It permits payment of funds necessary for the timely delivery of humanitarian assistance or to support basic human needs by humanitarian organisations.

As an FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) regulated company, StoneX must adhere to Western sanctions; this includes the arms & military embargo in Sudan. We conduct real-time live screening of all Sudan payments against these embargoes to avoid breaching or circumvention of any sanctions in this jurisdiction.”

For more information, please contact Michael Stachowiak at ​[email protected]​ from StoneX Payments. 

To Note

Learn with ACFID Site Outages

The Learn with ACFID platform is currently experiencing intermittent outages. We’re working on a long-term solution that will be implemented in the coming weeks. Thank you for your patience, and we apologise for any inconvenience caused if you’re unable to access the site during these periods.

To Join

Join the PNG Community of Practice + Co-Convenors Wanted for 2026

The ACFID Papua New Guinea CoP is refreshing and moving to the ACFID Communities Platform. We’re seeking additional co-convenors to help lead discussions on PNG’s development context, share insights, and coordinate advocacy and stakeholder engagement.

Interested in a convening role?  Contact Anne at​ [email protected].​

Not yet on the Communities Platform? 

See the ​CoP Guidelines​ (page 12 onwards) or email ​[email protected]​ for support.

To Attend

AI Discussion Group #2 – Implementing AI

The AI Discussion group will be having our second meeting on Monday, 8th December from 10-11am to talk through implementing AI within our organisations and discuss common approaches to governance/management, risks, buy in and AI use cases. 

Everyone is welcome! This group is an open, informal space for sharing ideas and discussing all things AI. 

Date:  8 December 2025 

Time: 10:00AM – 11:00AM  (AEDT) 

Venue: Online 

Please join the Data Governance CoP to RSVP for this discussion group.

Consultants – Athena Board

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Upgrade your governance with a platform your board will actually enjoy using. Read more here

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