The Not For Profit Podcast The Not For Profit Podcast

You may find yourself getting lost in your job and forgetting about yourself and your family in the process. When this happens, it also affects how you interact and work with others. By learning how to draw the line between being doing good work and overworking yourself, you can positively affect your relationship with yourself, your loved ones, and your coworkers.

In today’s episode, we will be talking with Brett Ryan, CEO of Focus on the Family, about three main points: 1) having work and life balance, 2) taking care of yourself, and 3) keeping your tasks in line with the NFP’s mission.

Tune in and know more about how you can become a better person for yourself, your family and your company.

 

About Brett Ryan (2:44)


He has been a husband for 30 years and a father of three sons.
He is also a former critical care nurse.
Brett was a children’s and family pastor in Melbourne for 12 and a half years.
He is currently the CEO of Focus on the Family for six and a half years.

Work and Life Balance (5:01)


Set some parameters.
Learn how to delegate tasks.
Learn to prioritize.
Spend time with your family.
Treat your special someone like a bank account: deposit quality time before making withdrawals.

Taking Care of Yourself (10:38)


Self-care is vital.
Let other people care for you.
Have someone to talk with about yourself.
Avoid taking all the burden and let yourself share it with others.

Being a Team Builder (15:06)


Teach by modelling what needs to be done.
Delegate tasks.
Do not micromanage.
Empower your people.
Learn how to take care of others.
Do not be afraid to take charge.
Learn from others.
Work hard.

Avoiding Analysis Paralysis (17:06)


Know who to listen to.
Older people have more experience and have old school thinking.
Look for people who are more cutting edge and innovative.
Learn to discern what is best for your people in the long-term.

Keeping Yourself on Track (18:42)


Stay true to your foundations.
Uphold your core values.
Focus on your specialty and expand it.

Dealing with Negative Feedback (22:57)


Embrace the antagonistic feedback.
Negative feedback means interactivity.
You can use this as an opportunity to explain and expound on your thoughts about the issue.

 

Who is Brett Ryan?

Brett Ryan is the current CEO of Focus on the Family Australia. Before becoming a CEO, he worked as a critical care nurse in an intensive care unit, and then he became a children’s and family pastor in a church in Melbourne. He helped people with their physical and spiritual needs. Now, Brett helps them with their social problems with their families. He has been married for 30 years and has been blessed with three sons and a grandson.

 

Contact Brett Ryan:

Focus On The Family Australia

LinkedIn

Twitter

 

If you have any questions, you may email me at matt@thenotforprofitpodcast.com.au. You can also visit our Facebook page for more details.

Thanks for listening!


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One of the most challenging parts of running an NFP is accounting. It can be overwhelming to keep track of your cashflow manually. Additionally, it can take much of your time to send out invoices and double-check the numbers.

In today’s episode, we will talk about the Xero Accounting Package and its features. I’ll give you an overview of what Xero looks like, and I’ll teach you how easy it is to use.

Check out the highlights of the episode below and make sure to tune in!

 

Xero Accounting Package (0:04)


Before you log in, there is a two-factor authentication to ensure security.
Once logged out, everything will reset.

Dashboard Screen (1:06)


It gives us a glance at what is happening in your account. You can change what it can display according to your preferences.
The main screen area has two columns. The left side consists of your bank accounts and credit cards, while the right side includes invoices, bills to be paid, and expense claims.

Bank Reconciliations (2:22)


Matching items with your bank statement is simple with Xero.
You can visit Xero’s videos and watch the step-by-step guide on how to manage your bank account in your profile.
Anything green on the information indicates that Xero has found a match with the bank statement line.
By clicking “okay” to match the records, it has added a transaction to the bank line.
At the end of the month or when the company receives a bank statement, they can print out a reconciliation report.

Invoices (8:17)


The right side of the column is the information a company has sent out.
You can create new invoices directly in Xero.

Conversion Balances (10:28)


Conversion Balance allows a company to bring information from another package or from a new system, which the company sets up to open balances and do reports.
You can easily add and remove accounts in this portion.
You can also set your conversion date whenever you want it to be.

Payroll Account (14:11)


It shows information about your payroll: your previous payment and when the next would be.
Team members can apply for their leave directly from their log-in.

If you have any questions, you may email me at matt@thenotforprofitpodcast.com.au. You can also visit our Facebook page for more details.

Thanks for listening!
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After fourteen episodes of inviting guests to talk about their experience in the Not for Profit sector, I decided to do something different. The Not for Profit sector is not for everyone, you need to have passion, compassion, and commitment. It’s hard to be in the NFP sector if you weren’t made for it.

So for today’s episode, I‘m handing the reins over to someone I trust enough to interview me about myself and what I do in the Not For Profit space. Charley Valher, Chief Podcast Officer at Valher Media will be asking me some questions which will help you understand more about me and what I do.

This is going to be an interesting episode so be sure to tune in and stay with us until the end!

Matt’s NFP Story

How Matt Ended Up In The Not For Profit Sector


18 years ago, Matt was in a place where he had no idea where to settle in life, with no real desire to go anywhere or do anything.
Matt started working for his father in law in their auditing business and loved what he was doing.
Most of their clients were from the NFP sector, and that’s what got him in.
Matt continued working in the NFP sector because of his love for the industry and the people.
Matt believes that God has put a mandate in his heart to help people, churches, and the NFP sector.

Dealing with Misinformation in the NFP Sector


A lot of people don’t know where to find information.
Matt says it’s his job to help newcomers in the NFP sector navigate their way around.
The website for NFPs is a minefield and Matt helps people find information quicker and easier, making the process simpler all-in-all.

The Ever-Evolving Not For Profit


NFPs have become more complicated over time since Matt’s involvement.
Confusion arose together with the involvement of a few different departments. People were having trouble with who they were supposed to report to or not.
Finances are a bit of a problem for most NFPs.
Legal terms and jargons add to the confusion and that’s where Matt’s expertise comes in.

NFPs in 2020


The biggest change in 2020 for NFPs is the fundraising side of things.
It’s going to be both a good and bad year for all NFPs.
Bad—because most NFPs will be required to do regulated reporting particularly to the ACNC.
Good—because it’s a good time to build and take up a relationship with an accountant or auditor, making this an opportunity to grow.
Matt believes that working with people who are professionals when it comes to their calling, it’s going to make your job easier.

Why Matt Chose Podcasting About NFP


Matt says he wants to cover all things NFP but at the same time, he also wants to ensure the growth of startups and smaller NFPs.
Matt wants to get all the information about NFP across.
For one-man bands that wish to grow from $100,000 to a million dollars, Matt wants to address their need for information on such an important topic.
Matt chose podcasting as an avenue to get information out to as many people as he quickly can.

Future Topics for The Not For Profit Podcast


The difference between Xero and MYOB
Matt wants to talk about the numbers, believing that this information will allow NFPs to make informed decisions.
How to set up fringe benefits for pastors in the different packages using Xero, MYOB, Quickbooks, etc.
Matt wants to talk about the accounting stuff because that’s his passion and strength,
How to do stuff with ACNC
Where do you go to get help in starting/raising funds for your NFP?
Are there different rules for NFPs in different states?
Matt wants NFPs to think big—setting up how big they want to be and how they can achieve those goals.

Common Things that Catch People Out in the Financial Side of the NFP Space


Three biggest things that Matt finds common with his clients in the previous 18 years:

#1: They don’t put enough effort into accounting.
#2: Reporting and compliance—there are fines in place if you don’t do these.
#3: Relationships—building relationships is important in the NFP sec

Empowering children in the age of human trafficking is no easy feat. Efforts made to combat this must not end with one-time acts of charity. We must strive for long-term generational change.

In today’s episode, we will be talking to Rikky Murphy, the International Director of Project Justice International (PJI). He will share with us how they achieve their mission by 1) maintaining and measuring effectiveness in their organization, 2) collaborating with other institutions for their advocacy, and 3) focusing on one village instead of focusing on many.

Find out how YOU can make a change by tuning in! 

Beginnings of Project Justice International (3:34)


Rikky Murphy visited Thailand to see his parents, and the humanitarian work they do for the children inspired him.
Later on, he moved to Thailand with his wife and started different community projects to donate money to those in need.
He eventually met Somkiat, founder and executive director of PJI, and was invited to help start the foundation.

Getting Involved with the Community (5:36)


Rikky felt a genuine passion and care for the children who weren’t going to school, but he does admit feeling overwhelmed.
Rather than moving to Thailand right away, he went back to Australia to teach for one more year to save up money.
When he returned, he learned more about prevention work and decided he wanted to pursue it.

Challenges Faced (7:57)


PJI heavily emphasizes the role of education in preventing child trafficking.
Their team often deals with risk factors affecting the community, such as children being out of school, presence of drug and alcohol abuse, and lack of emphasis on education.
Aside from this, children in Thailand are not automatically granted citizenship in their own country, making it difficult for them to enrol in government schools.

The Solution (9:29)


Focus on one village at a time and go deeper into this in the long term.
Rikky talks about the importance of understanding the village, communities, and hierarchy in Thailand. 
They focused on building relationships with the community from the ground up. 
They also create a position of authority so that they are respected in the community.
The important thing is to be consistent.

Focusing on One Village (13:05)


How do they focus on one village and say no to others?
Rikky observed that groups who didn’t invest in the long term didn’t lead to generational change. No impact was seen in the communities months later.
Despite it being difficult to say no to other communities, their team saw change after years of focusing on a single community, such as improved family structures.

Measuring Effectiveness (15:05)


Setting a strong foundation is the first step to becoming effective.
PJI rates their effectiveness by monitoring the number of days children in the village attend school every week.
Other means of measurement include organizational policies and having key indicators and outcomes for their programs.
Best way to measure effectiveness: be on the ground and see the impact firsthand. That way, they can make adjustments as they go along.

The Role of Collaboration (18:46)


PJI also does rescue operations by working with the police to provide prosecution assistance.
It sends a message that those who will continue with these kinds of operations will be prosecuted.

Tools to Combat Trafficking in Social Media (21:23)


Rikky discusses common misconceptions about human trafficking.
Adult trafficking is also present in the form of false job advertisements on social media.
The investigation team from PJI scours through social media for commonly used words and phrases used by traffickers.
Rikky discusses their collaboration with the police and NGOs to prosecute perpetrators.

Who is Rikky Murphy?

Rikky Murphy is the International Director of Project Justice International. He spent his earlier years teaching in Australia. After discovering his passion for the Thailand community, he and his wife moved to

It’s crucial to have values of your own. Values that you stand on and firmly believe in. These values will keep your integrity intact no matter where you go.

In today’s episode, we will be talking to Ben Naitoko—Senior Pastor of King’s Church, Gold Coast about three main topics: 1) The alignment of values of the Church and the Pastor that takes over, 2) Being an itinerant pastor to full-time pastor (the changes and adjustment period), and 3) The external perception and what he did to push across with it.

Lots of insight in this episode so tune in and enjoy!

 

About Ben Naitoko (3:01)


Ben Naitoko is the Senior Pastor of King’s Church, Gold Coast.
Ben started running King’s Church in 2018.
He’s been in the ministry for 20 years.

 

Adapting and Adjusting (4:10)


From itinerant pastor to full-time pastor, how did Ben adjust?
Ben shares that being an itinerant pastor for the longest time has prepared him for his role today as a Senior Pastor.
The church was already established so there needs to be a level of flexibility in taking over.
Ben applies some of the dos and don’ts of his previous ministry to his present ministry.
Ben allowed the people in leadership positions to adjust and think if they wanted to continue the journey with him.

 

Values (8:18)


Ben took over the church in a troubled state, so more than vision, he brought his values in.
Values were the most important thing during that time, rather than vision.
Ben received advice when he revealed his desire to take over a church: “Write down six top values he has and never take a church that doesn’t have four of them.”
Values are like glue—they are the sticking point that keeps everything together.
Ben makes sure that the people in every leadership position represents their values.

 

The Church and The School (13:45)


Being the largest independent Christian school in Australia, it was not ideal for the senior pastor to handle being chairman of both school and church board.
About branching out
Ben is committed to doing campus ministries.

 

About Building Schools (18:01)


Are there future plans for building a school elsewhere?
Ben talks about the numbers.
Ben discusses the advantages of running a private school.
Building a brand—Christian schools are known for Christian values.
In a broad sweeping statement, for a Christian school to do well, they need to offer a strong quality education.

 

Branding (21:31)


Branding sounds a bit too secular to be called as it is for a church.
The reality is everyone has a brand. For the church, it’s the external perception of the church.
Ben did a rebranding to the external perception of their church.
The rebranding brought about a change.

 

Who is Ben Naitoko?

Ben Naitoko is the Senior Pastor of King’s Church–Gold Coast. Ben has been doing the ministry for 20 years now. He started as an itinerant pastor, going from place to place to speak about the message of Christianity. In 2018, he became the Senior Pastor of King’s Church and has since done a wonderful job at making a good name for their church. Ben is married to Trish, his partner both in life and ministry, and they have three sons.

 

Contact Ben Naitoko:

King’s Church-Gold Coast

Facebook

Instagram
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Goals play a large part in any organisation—they serve as the driving force in moving forward. Having a goal makes it easy to see where a company is headed. However, what happens when the goals you’ve set turn out to be unachievable and quite unrealistic?

Our guest for today, Scott Watkins, Chairman of the Board for Pollinate Group Australia will answer the question we’ve mentioned above. Along with that, we will be discussing two more things: 1) Mergers of NFPs, and 2) Having effective communication tools within the board and volunteers.

This is going to be an interesting and valuable conversation so make sure to tune in until the end.

 

About Pollinate Group Australia (2:44)


What is the Pollinate Group?
What does the Pollinate Group do?
Pollinate Group focuses on training women to be entrepreneurs.
Scott talks about the main focus of Pollinate Group and the story behind why they do what they do.
Scott shares the spark that led to the decision of an NFP merger.

 

Merger (5:48)


The controversy behind a very rare NFP merger.
What were some of the challenges and stereotypes they had to face and breakthrough when the merger started?
Seeing the merger as an opportunity to scale and accelerate growth.
What NFP did Pollinate Group merge with?
Stepping away and sacrificing to make room for better operations.
Scott talks about the benefits they gained from merging two NFPs.
Lessons—things that they could have done before the merger.

 

Adjustments and Challenges (12:43)


Scott reveals that the Pollinate Group gladly accepted the changes that the merger brought about.
Acceptance came easily because the board could see clearer options ahead.
Being understanding about the changes made it easier for everyone to move forward.
Language and cultural barriers.

 

Overcoming the Challenges (14:41)


Technology made working with different cultures a success.
Maximising digital platforms for all sorts of communication—project planning, record keeping, documentation meetings.
Tech-savvy board members have played a huge part in making it all work together.
What happens to members who are not very tech-savvy?

 

Scope of Work (18:00)


Who mediates between the board and the ground personnel?
Board members are involved in specific aspects of the operation.
Scott shares the different functions of each member of the organisation.
Board members at the Pollinate Group participate largely in the organisation’s operations.

 

Who is Scott Watkins?

Scott Watkins is the Chairman of the Board for Pollinate Group. Pollinate Group is a Not For Profit organisation that focuses on empowering women and improving the lives of people who live in India and Nepal. Their aim is to develop women into becoming the leaders of their communities. The Pollinate Group is one of the rare NFP organisations that merged with another NFP to scale and accelerate their growth. Scott is also involved with another NFP organisation namely Parkrun.

 

Contact Scott Watkins:

LinkedIn

Pollinate Group

 

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