Our first year.
We are one year into SCARD’s transformation into a charity and have set the foundations for significant change. This journey, while challenging, reflects our deep commitment to making a difference, particularly in our efforts against skin cancer. As we move forward, our focus shifts to adapting our internal operations, such as administration and IT, to better serve our goals.
SCARD Inc: a registered charity.
The first 12 months saw us secure official charity status with the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission (ACNC) and establish a governance structure that aligns with our mission. With these milestones achieved, we’re now diving into the operational heart of our organisation. The goal is clear: align every aspect of our operations with our new identity as a charity. This means transforming our financial practices to prioritize transparency and accountability, updating our IT systems to safeguard donor information, and revising our administrative policies to reflect our charitable activities and values.
Cost management and planning.
We’re carefully mapping out our fund management strategy in the finance department. Currently, our funding comes exclusively from donations made by our founders, which highlights the critical role of our Treasurer. Given that SCARD serves primarily as a platform for practitioners, the public visibility that benefits other charities, including those focused on skin cancer, doesn’t fit our model. Therefore, while our options for public fundraising are somewhat limited, this doesn’t hinder our mission’s progress.
We’re actively developing a plan for accepting donations, including practical ways to acknowledge our supporters. We must maintain transparency and accountability for every dollar received and spent, making long-term budget planning an essential component of our financial strategy.
Technology and data.
In the realm of technology, our IT team is diligently ensuring that our technology foundation is secure and efficient, aligning perfectly with our mission and prioritizing the protection of the data we oversee. For instance, we’re crafting a Collaboration Framework to set clear guidelines for our partnerships with research and educational bodies within our shared areas of interest.
At the heart of our operations is the SCARD Surgical Audit. As we transition to a charitable organisation, part of our change management strategy involves thoroughly redeveloping essential aspects like the data entry system, enhancing integration with external service providers, and broadening our acknowledgment by Colleges for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) purposes.
The next two years.
This transformation isn’t just about meeting legal standards; it’s about embracing the essence of our mission in everything we do.
We look forward to sharing our progress and learning with our community, as every step we take brings us closer to realizing our vision as a charity.
