The Weekly

CEOs in Sydney are invited to attend a roundtable on the morning of 5 May. 

Exact time, venue and further details will be provided soon.Please RSVP here. 

To Note

ACFID Electoral Snapshots

Last week, ACFID shared communications (via email) regarding this year’s ACFID Electoral Snapshot survey, which has been sent to CEOs and the designated survey contact for each member organisation.

Please note that it is the responsibility of each organisation’s Primary Contact to regularly review and update staff details in your organisation’s MYACFID profile, to ensure key communications such as this are received.

If you’re unsure who your organisation’s Primary Contact is, or believe this information needs updating, please contact [email protected] for assistance.

To Attend

Racial Justice Policy Writeshops 

ACFID members are invited to join the upcoming online Racial Justice Policy Writeshop. The purpose of the Writeshop is to help ACFID members develop a policy, statement or guideline that articulates their organisational commitment to the pursuit of racial justice.

This two-session writeshop will create space for reflection, peer learning and structured support to translate commitments such as anti-racism, safeguarding and locally led development into organisational systems and responsibilities. Participants will work collaboratively to draft or strengthen racial justice policies, statements or guidance that are credible, practical and aligned with their organisational context. 

Session 1: 30 April 2026 | 1:00PM – 4:00PM AEST | Register here 

Session 2: 14 May 2026 | 1:00PM – 4:00PM AEST | Register here

To Attend

Thailand HOM briefing with ACFID members

Australia’s Ambassador-designate to Thailand has requested a meeting with ACFID members to discuss Australia’s development priorities in the country. Please note that we will also organise a prep meeting prior to the briefing, to coordinate with members, agree on key messages, and finalise a meeting agenda. These details will be shared with participants who have registered for the briefing.

Australia’s development cooperation with Thailand is delivered through regional programs including Australia’s ASEAN programs, the Mekong-Australia Partnership, and Partnerships for Infrastructure. Australia continues to collaborate with Thailand to improve regional responses to development challenges in ASEAN. In addition, Australia provides small grants for development activities to support local communities and non-government organisations in Thailand through the Embassy’s Direct Aid Program. The Mekong hub is located at the Australian Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Ambassador-designate has expressed interest in hearing from members about relevant development issues in the region. Several ACFID members have active projects in Thailand. Register via this form to receive calendar invites for the briefing and prep meeting.

Date: 30 April 2026

Time: 4:00PM -5:00PM  AEST

Venue: Online (Teams link will be sent)

Email [email protected] for queries.

To Join

The Safer World for All campaign is running a SNAP digital action to protect aid in the lead up to the federal budget. 

As the conflict in the Middle East drives inflation and worsens the cost-of-living crisis we have heard concerning news that the aid budget is at risk. In response, the Safer World for All campaign is raising its voice to show Australian support for overseas aid and to call on our leaders to protect the aid budget this May.  Will you join us? 

 What are we doing?

– Released polling showing public support for Australian aid – MEDIA RELEASE – Australians want overseas aid protected in this Budget – backing help for our regio…

– A digital action calling on the public to pledge their support for Australian aid, Wednesday 15 April – Monday 4 May

– A sector day of action for Australian aid targeting key budget decision-makers, Monday 20 April

How can your organisation get involved?

We’re asking members to mobilise your supporters to sign the public pledge and to show your support for overseas aid by joining the sector day of action on 20 April. 

We’ve developed draft copy to get you started, and we’ll be sharing campaign collateral soon. Read our campaign toolkit for more information on polling results and how you can get involved here. As global insecurity grows, Australia’s leadership could not be more critical. 

Let’s raise our voices and let the government know that the world needs Australian aid more than ever!

Please contact Naomi at [email protected] if you would like access to the social media tiles to share or with any questions.

To Join

ACFID Connect: Webinar on Foreign Bribery

ACFID is pleased to host a webinar in collaboration with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), with special guests from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Bribery Prevention Network. The session will cover Australia’s foreign bribery offences, the impacts of foreign bribery, and the AFP’s role in enforcement and awareness‑raising. It will also include practical guidance from the Bribery Prevention Network on preventing foreign bribery, along with DFAT’s perspectives on the challenges of operating overseas, why foreign bribery is an important issue for DFAT, and considerations for managing bribery risks in international operations.

Date: 29 April 2026

Time: 2:30PM – 3:30PM AEST

​Register here​

To Action

Palestine Development Partnership Plan

DFAT has contacted us to coordinate engagement with members regarding a new Development Partnership Plan for Palestine. Please get in touch with ​[email protected]​ if you are interested in being involved. 

To Attend

Where Do the Dollars Go? Understanding Cross-Border Payments and the Hidden Losses in Aid Flows.

Every year, NGOs move billions of dollars across borders to fund programmes in the region. Yet, a significant portion of these funds never reaches the intended beneficiaries in full. This webinar explores how cross-border payments actually work—why they are often slower, costlier, and less transparent than expected—and where hidden losses occur along the payment journey.

Join our Partner StoneX, who in collaboration with the National University of Singapore Global Research & Consulting Group and AVPN, will deliver this informative webinar.

Date: 22 April 2026

Time: 11:00AM -12:00PM (AEST)

​Register here​

We’re excited to share the 2026 National Conference Concept Note, centred on the theme ‘Mobilising the Collective: Reshaping Systems for a Just Future’. The program will focus on how the development and humanitarian sector can use collective voice, solidarity and systems change to respond to intersecting global and domestic challenges. 

We are inviting input into the conference through program suggestions, concurrent session submissions and nominations for our 2026 awards.  You can read the full conference concept note ​here​. 

See more about contributions below.  

Program Input 

Members are invited to recommend speakers and panels for the 2026 Conference. Suggestions that will enable us to amplify and platform diverse, underrepresented, and locally grounded perspectives are especially welcome.  

Suggestions should be aligned with the 2026 theme, ‘Mobilising the Collective: Reshaping Systems for a Just Future’, and at least one of the conference pillars, ‘Collective Voice and Solidarity’, or ‘Influencing and Adapting to Systems-Change’ 

Please submit your suggestions ​via this form​ by Friday 1 May 2026. 

Concurrent Sessions 

We are seeking expressions of interest for concurrent sessions at the 2026 National Conference! ACFID members and other organisations in the sector are invited to propose sessions that contribute to advancing this year’s theme, ‘Mobilising the Collective: Reshaping Systems for a Just Future’. Concurrent sessions breakout sessions from plenary that allow attendees to delve deeper into specific topics and are designed to be more participatory in nature.  

We are especially seeking proposals that: 

• Engage diverse voices and actors, including beyond the sector, 
• Have participatory elements for delegates, and/or, 
• Offer practical insights, actionable strategies, or are focussed on specific outcomes. 

More information here​ and please submit your EoI by Friday 5 June 2026 to Anne Fitzpatrick at ​[email protected]​.

Nominations for 2026 ACFID Awards 

Nominations are now open for the 2026 ACFID Awards, recognising outstanding contributions to human rights, the development sector, and media reporting. Awards include the Sir Ron Wilson Human Rights Award, the Outstanding Contribution to the Sector Award, and the ACFID Media Award. Recipients will be honoured at ACFID’s National Conference in Canberra. Submit your nomination by Friday, 28 August 2026.  

More information ​here​ 

Consultants

Clear Horizon – 15% off MEL courses

Clear Horizon is a values-driven, B-Corp certified, women-led company. We support teams and organisations to monitor, evaluate, learn and ultimately to improve the impact of their strategies, programs and initiatives. We have nearly 20 years of experience in Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) across the international development sector, including working with DFAT, MFAT, World Bank, United Nations, INGOs and managing contractors. We work across a range of sectors including social and economic development, gender equality, disability inclusion, democracy and civil society strengthening, health, education, infrastructure, climate change and disaster resilience, and agriculture.

We are currently offering the ACFID Network 15% off the cost of five courses commencing in 2026. Check them out here!

Consultants

Exclusive Offer – Transform Your Board & Committee Governance

Athena Board is proud to partner with ACFID to help not-for-profits save time, secure documents,and improve governance.

Trusted by charities, international aid agencies, and community organisations across Australia,Athena Board’s secure platform makes it easy to collate, produce, and share board materials while protecting sensitive information. ISO27001 certified and fully encrypted, it’s built to meet the highest standards of security – at a price designed for the NFP sector.ACFID members receive 10% off Athena Board’s already low NFP rates, giving you a high-performing,low-cost solution to:

• Reduce admin time and streamline meeting preparation

• Strengthen governance and compliance

• Provide directors with tools like digital voting, annotations, conflict registers, and offline access

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

First Data Governance CoP meeting 2026

You’re invited to join the Data Governance Community of Practice on 29 April 2026 from 12:00–1:00 PM for its first session of the year. This session will focus on developing a practical data governance checklist to support organisations setting up or reviewing their frameworks. You can join the session via the CoP platform.

Date: 29 April 2026

Time: 12:00PM – 1:00PM AEST

Jobs

Development Manager  | Conciliation Resources Australia | Read more here

GEDSI Adviser | Centre for Sustainable Development Reform at the University of New South Wales | Read more here

Senior MEL Adviser |  Centre for Sustainable Development Reform at the University of New South Wales | Read more here

Upcoming Events