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You can watch the ACNC’s recent 2025 Governing for Good Forum online via YouTube.
The event on Wednesday 30 July 2025 brought together hundreds of people from across Australia and overseas.
Participants included advisers, academics, government policy makers and representatives from charities of varying sizes and types.
More than 20 speakers shared sector insights in nine sessions; exploring governance challenges and opportunities for charities and not-for-profits.
ACNC Commissioner Sue Woodward AM gave the opening address highlighting the central role that charities play.
‘Charities are the stitching that make up the fabric of our communities,’ Ms Woodward said.
‘Governance is what connects trust to impact, enabling the sector to earn its legitimacy, defend its independence and drive change.’
Ms Woodward outlined the ACNC’s recent achievements, which include registering a record number of charities, updated cybersecurity guidance and new governance resources.
The Hon. Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury presented the keynote address, emphasising the importance of strong governance in the charity and not-for-profit sector, along with a call to embrace innovation, collaboration and adaptability.
‘In a country where 1 in 10 workers is employed in a charity, and millions volunteer, the governance of not-for-profits is not a side conversation. It’s a national concern,’ Dr Leigh told the forum.
‘Governance is what connects trust to impact. It’s how the sector earns its legitimacy, defends its independence and drives change,’ he said.
‘Governance is like gym membership; we all like having one, but real progress comes from turning up and doing the work. The ACNC plays a unique role in setting the tone for governance across the sector,’ he said.
A range of panel discussions were held. ‘Guiding for Good: the latest at the ACNC’ provided an overview across the ACNC, from compliance and registration to red tape reduction and education.
Changes for organisations who have been self-assessing as income tax exempt were discussed in ‘What’s the latest on the ATO’s self-review returns?’.
'Safety first: managing risk overseas' saw a panel of international and local experts in community development, cybersecurity, counterterrorism, financial analysis and policy share insights into how charities can stay safe while working or sending funds overseas.
The spotlight was on charity regulation in ‘The state of charity regulation’, followed by a deep dive into charity compliance in ‘Staying on track: getting the basics right’.
‘Stronger together: supporting diversity on boards’ shared reflections on the challenges and benefits associated with a wide range of represented views on boards, and ACNC Advisory Board Chair, Sarah Davies AM provided final words.
Watch all sessions on YouTube.
Opening address
| Speaker: |
Keynote address
| Speaker: Hon. Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Assistant Minister for Productivity, Competition, Charities and Treasury |
Guiding for Good: the latest at the ACNC
| Speakers: Natasha Sekulic, Assistant Commissioner – General Counsel & Regulatory Services (Chair) Suhanya Mendes, Director - Legal and Policy Michelle Cozadinos, Director – Compliance Tim Liu, Acting Director - Reporting, Red Tape Reduction and ACNC Corporate Services Rachel Smith, Director - Advice Services, Education and Public Affairs |
What’s the latest on the ATO’s self-review returns?
| Speakers: Rachel Smith, Director Advice, Education & Public Affairs, ACNC (Chair) Debbie Williams, CEO, Toy Libraries Australia Jennifer Moltisanti, Assistant Commissioner, ATO Gulnaar Gilhooly, Registration Manager - SAITE, ACNC |
Safety first: managing risk overseas
| Speakers: Cate Bennett, Assistant Commissioner – Operations & Engagement (Chair) Matthew Maury, CEO, Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) Andrew Colvin, CEO, Red Cross Michael Bergmann, Director, NGO Programs and Partnerships Section, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) Katherine Wilson, Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) |
The state of charity regulation – a discussion with state and territory regulators
| Speakers: Sue Woodward AM, ACNC Commissioner (Chair) Craig Turner, Executive Director, Department of Justice Katrina Fleck, Acting Senior Director, Licensing and Registration Branch Robyn Pearce, Executive Director of Consumer, Building and Occupational Services Chantale Hore, Principal Compliance and Assessment Officer, Associations and Compliance Nicole Rich, Director of Consumer Affairs, Executive Director of Regulatory Services Patricia Blake, Commissioner for Consumer Protection Natasha Luschwitz, Policy and Delivery Branch, NSW Fair Trading |
Staying on track: getting the basics right
| Speakers: Natasha Sekulic, Assistant Commissioner – General Counsel & Regulatory Services Michelle Cozadinos, Director - Compliance |
Stronger together: supporting diversity on boards
| Speakers: Cate Bennett, Assistant Commissioner – Operations & Engagement (Chair) Mariam Veiszadeh, Board Diversity Lead, AICD Catherine Maxwell, General Manager Policy & Advocacy, Governance Institute of Australia Jessica Bulger, CEO, Australian Indigenous Governance Institute |
Closing remarks
| Speaker: Sarah Davies AM, ACNC Advisory Board Chair |