Case Studies

Who are they?
Community Information Strategies Australia (CISA) t/a Connecting Up Australia

Where are they?
Adelaide, Australia

What do they do?
They are a national nonprofit organisation  focused on community information and Information & Communications Technology (ICT) capacity building for the nonprofit sector.

Through the DonorTec program the ILC was able to obtain Microsoft terminal server software, which has meant that they have been able to employ an occupational therapist for a short-term project that can be worked on from home.  Executive Officer, Karen Frost, says, “This would not have been possible without terminal server as the staff member needs to access our database in real time. Accessing downloads through terminal server from home also means that our staff member’s internet usage is not affected as much as if they were doing the same from their home computer.”

They have also seen benefits from other staff being able to access their own desktop from another computer if their computer breaks down or has problems, and for staff travelling around the State to have real-time access to their product database.

Microsoft donations received via the DonorTec program made it possible for SPYNS to use SharePoint server, which has connected school project workers, Aboriginal project workers, seniors, project workers, and playgroup workers.

Information is secure and easily accessible. Their volunteer management committee can see important documents, meeting information and much more from their homes, which is vitally important for the organisation to function properly.

The donations have also made it possible for all workers to have access to the Microsoft Office suite. They regularly use PowerPoint for school programs, staff training meetings, and community presentations. The picture above was taken at the launch of SPYNS’ Glenmore Park Community Centre.

The latest Word and Publisher programs make it possible to create professional looking flyers and documents to advertise community programs and to submit funding applications. This greatly enhances the perception of the organisation, which promotes participation and support, without which these much needed programs would suffer funding loss and lack of participation.

Who Are They?:

• Yothu Yindi Foundation

What Do They Do?:

• An Australian charitable NGO working to eradicate unemployment in Yolngu Aboriginal communities, advocate in the needs of these communities and support broader Australian cross cultural relations.

Who are they?
Moreland Energy Foundation Ltd 

Where are they?
Moreland Municipality, Melbourne, Australia

What do they do?
MEFL works with households, businesses, schools and community groups to reduce wasteful energy use; save money on power bills; and make buildings more comfortable to live and work in all year round.

How does our organisation serve the community?

The UnitingCare Casino Transport Team (UCCTT) serves our community by providing a means of transport for a variety of needed care services such as medical related appointments; keeping the family unit intact by taking the spouse or family remaining at home to visit the person in the health or Aged Care institution; working with other groups to provide an opportunity for shopping, when the client attending the medical appointment lives in a rural region and providing a caring and listening Volunteer to give this assistance.

Public transport in our region is spasmodic and unfriendly for sick, aged and frail people. A vast majority of residents no longer drive; the family has moved away for work reasons, thus leaving frail aged people socially isolated.

“We are better at keeping records of all our stake holders and also much improved communications with our stakeholders as well.”
- Richard Lord, ADA

You’ve seen guide dogs and heard of hearing dogs. Now meet the new dogs on the block. Assistance Dogs Australia is a non-profit organisation that trains Labradors to help enhance the quality of life and improve the level of independence for people with physical disabilities.

Assistance Dogs Australia was started in 1996 and has since placed over 95 dogs around Australia.  ADA has recently been accredited by Assistance Dogs International, making it the first and only assistant dog organisation to be accredited in the Southern Hemisphere.

Puppies are trained through the assistance of volunteer puppy raisers in 3 states or through innovative programs such as Pups in Prison and the new Justice Pups Program at the Frank Baxter Juvenile Centre. During their training the dogs also take part in Aged care visiting schemes and the Reading Labs program to assist school students with reading difficulties.