The Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS) is an Australian organisation that advocates for action to reduce

poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse social, economic, and political causes and effects. When evaluating poverty in ...

and

inequality Inequality may refer to: Economics * Attention inequality, unequal distribution of attention across users, groups of people, issues in etc. in attention economy * Economic inequality, difference in economic well-being between population groups * ...

, and is the peak body for the community services sector in Australia. It was formed in 1956. ACOSS is active in areas of social policy, including community sector policy,

climate and energy In the 21st century, the earth's climate and its energy policy interact and their relationship is studied and governed by a variety of national and international institutions. The relationships between energy-resource depletion, climate change, ...

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...

and

tax A tax is a compulsory financial charge or some other type of levy imposed on a taxpayer (an individual or legal entity) by a governmental organization in order to fund government spending and various public expenditures (regional, local, or n ...

, income support and

employment Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any othe ...

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

housing Housing, or more generally, living spaces, refers to the construction and assigned usage of houses or buildings individually or collectively, for the purpose of shelter. Housing ensures that members of society have a place to live, whether i ...

and

homelessness Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...

, and

poverty Poverty is the state of having few material possessions or little income. Poverty can have diverse social, economic, and political causes and effects. When evaluating poverty in ...

and

. Cassandra Goldie became CEO of ACOSS in July 10, who was previously the Director of the Sex Discrimination Unit at the Australian Human Rights Commission (HREOC). The ACOSS CEO is often interviewed by Australian media for comment and analysis on social matters and policies of the

Australian Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government ...

Governance

ACOSS has a 9-person volunteer Board of Governors, elected according to the constitutio

adopted in August 2019.

Presidents

* June 2020 - present: Peter McNamara * January 2016 - June 2020: Tony Reidy * January 2015 - December 2016: Micaela Cronin * December 2013 - January 2015: Francis Lynch * November 2009 – November 2013: Simon Schrapel * May–November 2009: David Thompson (interim) * 2005-May 2009:

Lin Hatfield Dodds Lin Hatfield Dodds (born Linda Hatfield), Australian social policy expert and former Churchill Fellow, is the CEO of The Benevolent Society, Australia's first and oldest charity, and was the Deputy Secretary for Social Policy in the Department ...

* 2001-2005:

Andrew McCallum Andrew McCallum is a professor in the computer science department at University of Massachusetts Amherst. His primary specialties are in machine learning, natural language processing, information extraction, information integration, and social ...

* 1997-2000: Michael Raper * 1993-1997: Robert Fitzgerald * 1989-1993: Merle Mitchell * 1985-1989: Julian Disney

Members

Source:

State and Territory Councils of Social Service

* ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) * NSW Council of Social Service (NCOSS) * South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS) * Northern Territory Council of Social Service (NTCOSS) * Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) * Tasmanian Council of Social Service (TasCOSS) * Victorian Council of Social Service (VCOSS) * Western Australia Council of Social Service (WACOSS)

National constituency organization members

* Anti-Poverty Network SA *

Australian Unemployed Workers' Union The Australian Unemployed Workers' Union (AUWU), is an Australian union representing unemployed, underemployed and unwaged workers, including recipients of welfare payments and services in Australia. The AUWU is a national organisation, with di ...

* Children and Young People with Disability Australia * National Council of Single Mothers and their Children * Women With Disabilities Australia * YOUNG Campaigns * People with Disability Australia * Women With Disabilities Australia

National organization members

* Adult Learning Australia * Anglicare Australia * Anti-poverty Week * Asylum Seeker Resource Centre * Australian Alcohol and other Drugs Council *

Australian Association of Social Workers The Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW) is the professional representative body of social workers in Australia. It was formed in 1946 at the federal level, although a number of state branches had formed prior to this. The AASW created ...

* Australian Baha’i Community * Australian Communications Consumer Action Network * Australian Community Workers Association * Australian Council of State School Organisations *

Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations The Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO), an Australian non-profit organisation, is the national federation for the community response to HIV in Australia. AFAO advocates for its member organisations, promotes medical and social r ...

* Australian Federation of Disability Organisations * Australian Health Promotion Association * Australian Insulation Foundation * Australian Men’s Health Forum * Australian Pensioners & Superannuants Federation *

Australian Red Cross The Australian Red Cross, formally the Australian Red Cross Society, is a humanitarian aid and community services charity in Australia. Tracing its history back to 1923 and being incorporated by royal charter in 1941, the Australian Red Cros ...

Australian Youth Affairs Coalition The Australian Youth Affairs Coalition (AYAC) is the national peak body for young people and the youth sector in Australia. AYAC was founded in 2002 and is supported by a representative board of directors including young people and youth workers. A ...

* Baptist Care Australia * Better Renting *

Brotherhood of St Laurence The Brotherhood of St Laurence is an Australian not-for-profit organisation working toward an Australia free of poverty. The Brotherhood (as it is colloquially known) has its headquarters in Melbourne but provides services and programs across Au ...

* Carers Australia *

Catholic Social Services Australia Catholic Social Services Australia (CSSA) is a body that seeks to advance the social service ministry of the Catholic Church and consists of member welfare organisations. It was established as a commission of the Australian Catholic Bishops Confere ...

* Centre for Social Impact * CHOICE * Christians Against Poverty * cohealth * Community Colleges Australia * Community Housing Industry Association * Community Legal Centres Australia * Community Mental Health Australia * Community Transport Organisation * Consumer Action Law Centre * Consumers Health Forum of Australia * COTA Australia * DCSS Australia * Disability Advocacy Network Australia * Down Syndrome Australia * Economic Justice Australia * Edmund Rice Centre * Family Relationship Services Australia * Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Councils of Australia * Financial Counselling Australia * Foodbank Australia * Foundation for Young Australians * Good Shepherd Australia New Zealand * Good Things Foundation Australia *

Goodstart Early Learning Goodstart Early Learning is Australia’s largest early learning provider. Formed in 2010 by a syndicate of charities, Goodstart is a not-for-profit organisation that currently has 649 child care centres around Australia. Goodstart’s head off ...

* Health Justice Australia *

Homelessness Australia Homelessness Australia (HA) is the national peak body organisation for homelessness services and homeless people in Australia. The organisation provides systemic advocacy for the sector and works in collaboration with support services, state and na ...

* Homes for Homes * HOST International * Indian (Sub-Cont) Crisis & Support Agency * InfoXchange * Jobs Australia * Justice Connect * LGBTIQ+ Health Australia * Life Without Barriers * Lojic Institute * MacKillop Family Services * Mind Australia *

Mission Australia Mission Australia is a national Christian charity that provides a range of community services throughout Australia. It has its roots in the Brisbane Town and Country Mission (1859) and Sydney City Mission (1862), but was only officially establish ...

* MS Australia * National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service * National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation *

National Association of People with HIV Australia The Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations (AFAO), an Australian non-profit organisation, is the national federation for the community response to HIV in Australia. AFAO advocates for its member organisations, promotes medical and social r ...

* National Association of Tenant Organisations * National Ethnic Disability Alliance * National Family Violence Prevention Legal Services Forum * National Shelter * Office for Social Justice, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference * Oxfam Australia * Playgroup Australia * Public Health Association of Australia * Rape & Domestic Violence Services Australia *

Reconciliation Australia Reconciliation Australia is a non-government, not-for-profit foundation established in January 2001 to promote a continuing national focus for reconciliation between Indigenous (i.e. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people) and non-Indig ...

* Relationships Australia * Save the Children * Secretariat of National Aboriginal & Islander Child Care * Settlement Council of Australia * Settlement Services International * Social Ventures Australia * Society of St Vincent de Paul National Council * Syndromes Without a Name (SWAN) Australia *

The Benevolent Society The Benevolent Society, founded by Edward Smith Hall in 1813, is Australia's first and oldest charity. The society is an independent, not-for-profit organization whose main goals include helping families, older Australians and people with disabili ...

* The Salvation Army Australia * The Smith Family * UnitingCare Australia * Volunteering Australia * WESNET * YMCA Australia * YWCA Australia

Associate Members

* Accordwest * ADRA Australia Limited * Anglicare Community Services * Anglicare Victoria * Association of Children’s Welfare Agencies Ltd. (ACWA) * Australian Education Union (AEU) * Australian Refugee and Migrant Care Services Ltd * Australian Services Union (ASU) * AWARE Community * Berry Street * BeyondHousing * Blue Sky Community Services * Caboolture Community Care Inc * Cairns Alliance of Social Services * Canberra Community Law * Catholic Social Services Victoria * CentaCare New England North West * Centre for Excellence in Child and Family Welfare * Centre for Women’s Economic Safety * Churches Housing Incorporated * Community Housing Industry Association NSW * Community Industry Group * Community Information and Support Victoria * Community Resources Limited * Container of Dreams * CORE Community Services * Cowra Information & Neighbourhood Centre * Energetic Communities * Family Support Newcastle * Family Violence Legal Service Aboriginal Corporation * Financial Counsellors’ Association of WA * Financial Rights Legal Centre * Glebe Youth Service * Homelessness NSW * Illawarra Legal Centre * Institute of Child Protection Studies * Jannawi Family Centre * Lifetime Renewable Energy Pty Ltd * Lutheran Community Care * Melbourne’s Leading Nanny Agency * Mountains Community Resource Network (MCRN) * Muru Mittigar Limited * Nepean Community and Neighbourhood Services (NCNS) * One Future * Orphans and Widows West Africa Inc. * PeakCare Queensland Inc * Peninsula Community Legal Centre Inc. * Penrith City Council * Queensland Youth Housing Coalition * Rainbow Families Inc * Samaritans Foundation * Sector Connect * Single Mothers Lobby Alliance * Social Futures (Northern Rivers Social Development Council) * South East Community Links * South Port Community Housing Group Inc * Southern Youth and Family Services * St John’s Youth Services * Sydney Community Forum * Tangentyere Council Inc. * Tenants Queensland * Think+DO Tank Foundation * United Workers Union * Uniting Communities * Uniting Country SA * Welfare Rights Centre * Westgate Community Initiatives Group * WESTIR Ltd

References

External links

* {{Authority control Non-profit organisations based in New South Wales