SettingUpaCommunity-ManagedNot-For-ProfitOrganisation.doc

Setting Up a Community-Managed Not-For-Profit Organisation A guide to the steps and the benefits The Office for the Community Sector (OCS) was established as part of the Department of Planning and Community Development in 2008. The primary role of the OCS is to support and contribute to the long-term sustainability of the Victorian not-for-profit (NFP) community sector. The OCS works with other government departments and authorities to reduce the impact on community organisations of government accountability and compliance requirements and supports the sector to build capacity to continue to be responsive to the needs of Victorians. The Community Child Care Association of Victoria (CCC) is an independent non-profit organisation that provides training, resources, advice and advocacy. CCC works to support the provision of quality, affordable, community-based family and children’s services. CCC believes non-profit community-based services provide a benchmark for quality children’s services. This guide examines the characteristics and strengths of the community-based service model. It looks in detail at: – How to set up locally-managed community organisations; – How to make community organisations more socially inclusive; – Community strengthening and social inclusion outcomes that flow from community-managed organisations. Case studies – Six Victorian community-based children’s services provided information about how they work for the purposes of this project. Participating centres were from a range of regional, metropolitan and urban fringe areas, of differing sizes and varied between small, integrated and stand- alone services. The Centres which took part were: the Clarendon Children’s Centre, the Flemington Cooperative, the Kensington Community Children’s Cooperative, Corio Bay Senior Secondary College Children’s Centre, Remus Way Children’s Centre and the Swan Hill Out of School Hours Program. Table Of Contents Table Of Contents 3 Introduction 4 The Victoria