2022 Not-For-Profit Governance Award Winner
December 8th, 2022
Australian Wildlife Society
“The success of the Australian Wildlife Society is a direct reflection of the Board’s excellence in governance… allowing the Society to respond to and meet unexpected needs and challenges.” – Nominator
The Australian Wildlife Society, founded in 1909, is a national not-for-profit wildlife conservation organisation dedicated to conserving Australian wildlife through national environmental education, public awareness, advocacy, hands-on wildlife conservation work, and community involvement. Managed by a Board of nine volunteer Directors, the Society benefits from their outstanding governance, management, and strategic direction, as they oversee ambitious grant programs, awards, and campaigns.
Some notable initiatives include creating a Publication Committee to assist with the success of their popular quarterly magazine, establishing an annual colouring-in competition to engage younger audiences, and writing to Ministers to advocate for the protection of native wildlife and improved changes in legislation. Notably, the latter resulted in the Board of Directors meeting with the NSW Minister for the Environment to support a ban on opera house nets across the state and implement a net exchange program to help save the platypus and other air-breathing aquatic wildlife from drowning in NSW rivers.
The impact of their work has ensured that the Society’s important message around conservation continues to be heard and amplified among new audiences, whilst also ensuring that all internal affairs are conducted with transparency and accountability.
To learn more about the Australian Wildlife Society’s work, visit their website.