The Weekly

The world is watching the fragile cease fire between Israel and Hamas this week with hopes that it will hold and that there will in fact be lasting peace. Clearly there is work still to be done. We will continue to gather our members involved in the region – information about these meetings will be shared via the Humanitarian Reference Group (or you can contact Naomi at [email protected]).

Thank you also to everyone who joined the Pakistan Head of Mission briefing this past Monday. These sessions with incoming ambassadors are an important opportunity for those of you working in these locations to share your insights, bring your partner perspectives, and develop important initial relationships. Watch for future briefings which will be announced in this newsletter.

Next week’s ACFID Connect with Deputy Secretary Jamie Isbister is an important opportunity to hear his perspective on DFAT strategic priorities and in particular what that means for ACFID members. There will also be some space for Q&A. You need to register to attend – the link is below.

Finally, a quick reminder: Registration for the ACFID National Conference closes next week. Concession tickets are available. Don’t miss the chance to engage, learn, and connect.

To Attend

ACFID Connect Session: International Development and the future of DFAT / NGO partnerships

Event Details – October 23rd at 2 PM

Join fellow ACFID member CEOs to hear DFAT Deputy Secretary Jamie Isbister speak on the Government’s priorities for Australia’s international development cooperation.

Jamie will provide timely and strategic insights into how DFAT is responding to global development disruption and what this means for the role of NGOs in Australia’s development landscape.

There will be space for Q&A during the one-hour online event.

Register here

Presenter Details: Jamie Isbister, Deputy Secretary, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Calendar details: Online meeting, 23 October from 2 – 3 PM

To Attend

ACFID 2026 – 2031 Strategic Planning: CEO Engagement Sessions

ACFID is developing its new 5 year strategic plan and we want all of our members to add your voice to shape our priorities.

We will be doing this as part of our CEO networking events in November. Two of these will be in-person meetings and one will be online. We are hoping that CEOs will be able to attend one of these three events.

Please hold the following dates in your diaries:

• Melbourne Member CEOs: 24 November 6PM – 8PM (venue TBD)
• Sydney Member CEOs: 20 November 6PM – 8 PM (venue TBD)
• Online option for all CEOs: 21 November 10 AM – 12 PM (Teams meeting)

We will send more details in near future but please mark your diaries now!

To Attend

ACFID National Conference 2025 – Registrations close 24 October!

To Attend

ACFID New Member Webinar

21 October 2025, 2:00-3:30pm AEDT

Know an organisation interested in joining ACFID? We’re hosting an information session for new membership applicants. Feel free to share the webinar link with your networks to help spread the word.

Register here: Event registration form

If you have any questions, reach out to Tamara at [email protected]

To Attend

ACFID Code of Conduct Drop-In

The Code team will be hosting it’s online drop-in session again on Tuesday 28 October 2025!

The session will be 1-2pm (AEDT) on Tuesday 28 October 2025. This session will not be recorded and aims to offer an informal space to talk about anything ACFID Code related!

Please come and drop by to meet Whitney and Marvin from the Code team and give feedback or ask your compliance questions.

Log into your MY ACFID account and register your interest here

If you have any questions, please email the Code team at [email protected]

To Attend

Philanthropy and International Development

To Attend

AI Discussion Group within Data Governance CoP

To Attend

MAF 80th Anniversary Fundraising Gala

Consultants – String Theory

Skills: Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning

We work alongside organisations and communities to understand what works, what doesn’t, and how to improve.

We simplify the monitoring and evaluation process so everyone can be part of it.

We seek the views of multiple groups to ensure that as many as possible have a voice.

We don’t just deliver data; we use creative ways to tell the story of a program to ensure findings are meaningful for the intended audiences.

We have decades of experience and have managed over 100 monitoring and evaluation projects across 19 countries. Visit our website to learn more.

Read more here.

Consultants – Athena Board

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

Upcoming Events