Impact is the new black
March has been a busy month for impact and its everywhere you choose to look. It is a refreshing and positive alternative to the negative media stories receiving airtime.
Firstly B Corp Month wraps up today and I was fortunate to attend events online and in person in Melbourne and Sydney. They were full of great stories of business as a force for good and the passionate and impactful people driving true social, environmental and community impact.
I also attended my 5th Impact Investing Summit. It gets bigger and more mainstream each year. This year, 800 people from social enterprises, B Corps, charities and not for profits, mixed with family offices, foundations, philanthropy and other funders, impact investors, asset owners and investment managers to learn, share and network. $150 trillion is now invested in impact, an 8-fold increase since 2020.
It was an insightful two days where amongst other things, the investment returns and social impact outcomes prove the value of investing both by and for women. It was also inspiring to see that every expert panel was at least 50% women, with many 100% women. With anunprecedented $5 trillion wealth transfer to womenlooming, the opportunity for investment in and by women to create social, environmental and economic transformation has never been greater.
Closer to home, last month, we welcomedCerise Canonto theGreatest Good | B Corp™team as our communication and marketing guru. You can learn more about Cerise and the rest of the Greatest Good teamhere.
We have launched ourAustralian Mother’s Day Gift Guide. In addition to 40+ gift hampers, gift boxes and gift packs, we have individual gifts starting at $7. Every purchase on Greatest Good supports an Australian social enterprises, B Corps, charities and not for profit.
As always, pleasereach outif you have any queries or suggestions on how we can do more good.
Jenni Harding - Founder/Managing Director, Greatest Good
Inspiration from our members
Member news
- The Reconnect Projectsupplied laptops and tablets to nine CASPA students in foster care, ensuring they have the technology needed to participate in their education
- A huge congratulations toHotel Etico Australia's Long Run to Inclusion participants! 170 runners covered 411km over 13 days and raised an incredible $125,000
- Kathy JoycefromGood4Business moderated The Value of Design: From Compliance to Inspiration, a B Corp Month event proactively integrating design into social and environmental impact
- Checklist Legalannounced an overhaul to its Pro Bono program and the way it supports registered charities with practical, human-centred legal help
- Congratulations toOne Roof, who have been selected as a finalist in the 2026 Australian Small Business Champion Awards in the Business Services Category
- Aggie Giftshas curated its hampers to include new Indigenous brands and product offerings, just in time for Mother’s Day
- As part of Cultural Diversity Week,SisterWorks Inc.partnered with theVictorian Multicultural Commissionin Victoria to deliver a creative community activation celebrating the stories and cultures that shape our state. SisterWorks will also be a part of the eight social enterprises working with White Box Enterprises to deliver a WorkFoundations program, placing 50+ people facing complex barriers into paid roles and offering participants extensive support and training
- Creative Plus Businesshad a big start to the year with DirectorMonica Davidsonparticipating inAdelaide Fringe, Honeypot, and delivering the first IGNITION SA workshop
- Space2b Social Designwas centre stage at St. Kilda Festival, taking part in the Multicultural Storytime
News and Updates
For-purpose sector news
Staff updates
- South Australian Social Enterprise Council (SASEC)welcomed three new Directors:Rona Puntawe, Todd Nelson and Tom Grosskopf
- Westpac Foundation welcomed former NSW Education Minister Adrian Piccoli and Westpac General Manager Corporate Affairs and Community, Emily Gatt, to its Board
Other news
- A newreport released at the Women in Small Business Summithas highlighted the regulatory, financial and structural barriers limiting women’s ability to start, own and grow small businesses
- Australia could unlock an additional $7–12 billion in donations by 2030 with better support and guidance on giving from advisers, accountants, lawyers and fundraisers.The Unlock Generosity report explains how to navigate this
- Social Enterprise Australia are at the final stages of developing the national strategy.Find out what has been achieved so far and how you can get involved
- AnAICD study highlightshigher expectations and unprecedented governance demands for Boards in the not-for-profit sector
- Australia released itsfirst national biodiversity progress reportunder the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, assessing progress across all 23 global targets to halt and reverse biodiversity loss by 2030
- Impact Investing Hub and Minderoo Foundationhave announced a strategic partnership, with a national education and capability-building plan to strengthen Australia’s impact investing market
- Philanthropy Australia has unveiled a new strategy,Strategy 2033, to guide the next chapter of giving in Australia
- Victoria’s multicultural business precinctsare set for a vibrant refresh, with more than 35 neighbourhoods across the state receiving upgrades
- EthicalJobs.com.auhas released itsannual impact report for 2025, highlighting its support for over 10,000 for-purpose organisations tackling the world’s biggest challenges to find great staff and volunteers
- Westpac Foundation has announced anew strategic directionfor its community and philanthropic investment, focusing on addressing the critical issue of literacy and numeracy in Australian primary schools
- The Federal Government has announcedthat giving funds will be required to distribute 6% of assets each year. The philanthropic industry says reform is still required
- Australia’sposition amid global ESG standardsoffers organisations an opportunity to take a balanced, strategic approach to sustainability, enhancing performance and competitiveness rather than merely reacting to global volatility
- Women are already leading philanthropy in Australia, and with $5.4 trillion in intergenerational wealth set to change hands, greater recognition, visibility, and more inclusive pathways are essential tounlock their full impact
Opportunities to do your greatest good
We are updating the Events/Courses and Paid/Volunteer work pages weekly, so keep checking back to find new events and job opportunities throughout March and beyond.
Asks/offers and resources
We now have over 120 free resources in our Asks/Offers & Resources section designed to help you and your organisation maximise your impact - everything from offers to grow and develop, free guides and toolkits, through to expert advice and services. Use our filters and search bar to quickly find what you need to do your greatest good. Here’s a handful of things we’ve added recently:
- Applications now openfor Indigenous Leadership Scholarships
- NFPs & Social Enterprises can useAtlassian Workflow Apps for free
- Nominations are now openfor the inaugural Queensland Social Enterprise Awards
- SILA applicationsare now open for CEOs from VIC and TAS
- Disability employment support: JobAccess is a free service that helps employers hire and support people with disability
- Applications arenow openfor the next round of Social Impact Fellowships at The Social Impact Hub
Regulatory updates
Our regulatory updates provide a summary of the key regulatory updates, guidance and announcements affecting the for-purpose sector.
Legislative announcements and changes
Key legislative items include:
- The Victorian Government is proceeding withwork from home legislation, with the laws set to come into effect from 1 September 2026
- The Federal Government has commencedpublic consultationon reforms to prevent perpetrators of family and domestic violence from receiving the superannuation death benefits of their victims
Guidance and updates
You can find more on these items and other regulatory updates in ourmonthly regulatory updatesand other updates posted on theBlog Pages(use the Regulatory Updates filter). We can't provide legal advice but you can find proposed and upcoming legislative changes and other insights to discuss with your legal advisers.
