FRANKLIN GAFFNEY
Board Member at STRUT Dance, National Choreographic Centre
Awarded a Bankwest Foundation / AICD scholarship for Advanced Not-for-Profit Governance, May 2018
What sort of work does your organisation do?
STRUT Dance offers choreographers and dance practitioners the possibility to really engage with great national and international masters, the chance to work with collaborative partners in the making of their own performance, and the opportunity to put their work in front of a willing and informed audience.
Describe a typical day's work. I advise and mentor Indigenous corporations and businesses in the post native title environment, predominantly in the resources sector. I assist Indigenous people to develop and mange their businesses, that in turn provide employment opportunities and much needed capital for their communities. The profits generated by these businesses in many cases fund programs that improve the socio and economic wellbeing of communities.
What were some of the key learnings from the Advanced Not-for-Profit Governance course? The course focused on providing board members and senior executives the tools to improve the effectiveness of their organisations and monitor the impact their work is having on the community.
How has it impacted / changed / benefited your role and your organisation as a whole?
Honestly, it’s too early to say. However, it is fair to say that the knowledge I took away from the course will be shared with my board colleagues as we look at various ways to measure the positive impact that the organisation is having on its members and improving the cultural life of Western Australia and Australia.
How did you come to be working in the not-for-profit sector?
I started working in the NFP sector in 2010 when I moved to Kununurra in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. I managed an Aboriginal corporation and negotiated various commercial agreements with governments and private sector organisations both in Australia and China. The profits generated from these arrangements were then deployed to provide better educational, health and housing opportunities to local Aboriginal people. Since then I joined two boards in the arts sector and have thoroughly enjoyed sharing my corporate knowledge to improve the effectiveness of the organisations and learn more about contemporary art and dance.
What do you feel is most needed to sustain and build the impact of the not-for-profit sector?
The NFP sector needs to continue attracting passionate, skilled and experienced board members, senior executives to build teams that will improve the country’s cultural and socio wellbeing. There are many ingredients to achieve this, including developing the capacity of board members and providing the necessary resources to management teams to develop and implement programs. This program assists to achieve build the capacity of NFP board members.
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