2015 survey highlights untapped potential for business innovation in Australia’s nonprofit sector

The Australian nonprofit sector received an overall innovation index of 66 per cent in a recent study, suggesting there is significant room for improvement across the board.  

The 2015 Innovation Index ─ The Australian Not-for-Profit Sector, a study commissioned by Australia Post and GiveEasy, pinpoints the innovation capability of the nonprofit sector in Australia against seven critical attributes. The survey included more than 774 professionals working across the nonprofit sector Australia-wide.

“Like many businesses, our not-for-profits (NFPs) often have trouble breaking out of old habits, seizing opportunities to innovate and improve how they work, particularly given the new technologies that burgeon around us,” says Nicholas Gruen, Chairman The Australian Centre for Social Innovation.

The key goals of the survey were to draw attention to the diversity of the sector, its innovative capacity, barriers to innovation and its importance to the Australian economy.

The key outcomes suggest:

·      -Innovation is thought to be a key driver of revenue.

·      -Increased funding is believed to be the single strongest driver of innovation.

·     - Only 18 per cent of respondents agree funding was available for testing innovative initiatives.

·      -67 per cent of respondents agree innovation is central to their organisation’s success.

Steven Bowman, business advisor and global spokesperson for Conscious Governance, says the findings are not surprising.

“Innovation is all about connecting the dots that have always been there, but we have refused to see. Greater awareness of what is possible, rather than what you have decided has to be, is one of the key attributes of conscious governance. Directors have a responsibility to create for the future, and choosing to nurture innovation is one of the tools to create this.”

Steven Bowman recommends four ways nonprofits can boost their innovative capacity and begin to think with greater strategic awareness:

1.      1. Begin to actively use the vison/mission/purpose of the organization as the key strategic filter for all decisions.

2.     2. Lead with questions.

3.      3. Create an innovation culture through mindset, behaviors, symbols and processes.

4.      4. Foster collaboration and build spirited teams.

More information:

Steven Bowman is an internationally recognized leader on strategic awareness, innovation and conscious leadership. He has advised many hundreds of boards and senior executives, using tools and resources, many of which are free to download.

Website: www.consciousgovernance.com

For more information, call 04438325782

The Innovation Index for the Australian Not-for-Profit Sector can be found here