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Sharing insights from SVA’s work and across the social sector to prompt learning and discussion about effective practice.

Frameworks for understanding impact at scale

Continuing in our series of articles on impact at scale, we look at six frameworks or models for understanding how to create impact at scale.

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Five questions to consider when scaling for impact

Dr Neela Saldanha explains why successful pilots often don’t achieve the same results ‘at scale’ and outlines what to consider when scaling for impact. +Podcast

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Rebuilding the career ladder

Rebuilding the Career Ladder aims to improve opportunities for young people from less privileged backgrounds by promoting change in employers’ practices. The Employment Innovation Lab program is its cornerstone.

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John Harding: on elders, the Voice and storytelling 

Introducing John Harding, a highly skilled storyteller and communicator, who brings his experience in fundraising and relationship and program management to his role as First Nations Practice Lead at SVA.

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Integrated child and family centres overcome fragmented service delivery

Integrated child and family centres are one example of how to overcome a fragmented service system.

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Paying what it takes to create impact

Research from SVA and CSI has found that not-for-profit organisations across Australia are, in general, not funded for the actual cost of what they do. The result is less effective operations and reduced impact. +Audio

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Young woman climbing up a broken ladder with a larger (corporate) hand holding the broken piece

Rebuilding the career ladder

Rebuilding the Career Ladder aims to improve opportunities for young people from less privileged backgrounds by promoting change in employers’ practices. The Employment Innovation Lab program is its cornerstone.

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2023 Budget and beyond: will anyone be left behind?

If the 2023 Commonwealth Budget was judged by whether it puts us on a path to ‘solving’ disadvantage, how would it fare?

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paw tracks on pathways heading over the hills symbolising the Backtrack way reaching far and wide

Scaling community programs the BackTrack way

How do you spread the impact of your program when it is rooted in your local community’s response to young people doing it tough? BackTrack has been finding out.

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Paradigm shift needed to address joblessness beyond Covid-19

With joblessness rising fast, responsibility falls with the Federal Government to become the primary job creator and ensure an inclusive recovery.

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SVA Quarterly banner: Rebuilding employment pathways for young Australians

Rebuilding employment pathways for young Australians

What actions are needed from employers and governments to give young Australians from lower socio-economic backgrounds the fair go previous generations enjoyed?

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Teacher holding an apple, Pacifica girl holding an orange

Tailoring for individual needs in school transitions

A case study about tailoring the universally-offered careers curriculum to meet the needs of individuals.

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Funding their vision: organisations share their stories

Four social purpose organisations describe how social impact investing has provided a flexible, mission-aligned and supportive approach to funding their vision. +Podcast

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Barriers in front of person in wheelchair being erased

Capacity building of employers is needed to grow disability employment

A model that uses expert support to build employers’ capacity is proving a necessary first step to increase workplace participation for people with disability. + Podcast

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Summer treats: staff picks 2016

SVA staff share a collection of articles, podcasts, books, videos and films touching on sector topics that have inspired them as they go about their work to address disadvantage.

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Social procurement success: what it takes

Vanguard Laundry Services, the most recent social enterprise created by Luke Terry in Toowoomba, exemplifies how to benefit from social procurement opportunities. + Podcast

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Incubating a pilot

Lessons from incubating a new model for tackling unemployment

Incubating the Industry Employment Initiative highlighted the importance of knowing your endgame, evaluating to improve rather than prove, and of strategic funders who are willing to take risks. + Podcast

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A collective impact learning lab

Learning on the fly has been at the heart of the Burnie Works collective impact initiative. They’ve found that strategy emerges as you learn from what you do.

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Effective ways to support youth into employment

Use these 10 fundamental principles to design and evaluate programs to most effectively counter the persistent problem of youth unemployment.

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Three principles for developing the workforce of the future – now

ManpowerGroup’s global CEO has three strategies for corporates to build the workforce needed in the future – with implications for inclusion and equity as well as productivity.

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A beacon for school-community partnerships

For the Beacon Foundation community engagement at the local level ensures effectiveness and drives sustainability allowing Beacon to move on to new communities and schools.

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Social enterprise: how to pick a winner

Larger, profitable enterprises providing long-term employment are the best bet for a social investment, according to a study of 28 social enterprises by SVA Consulting.

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Laying the foundations for collective impact in solving unemployment

Insights from the collaborative Queensland Social Enterprise (QSE) project which helped set up or expand over 50 social enterprises to address employment exclusion.

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