Your Password Is Weaker Than You Think

With so much of our lives and information contained in that little box on your desk or lap, it’s important that we protect it as much as we can. The most basic form of security is the password and that’s where many of us are going wrong.

How secure is your information? It depends on how strong your password is.

Earlier this year Splashdata released a list of the worst passwords of 2013 which was compiled from files containing millions of stolen passwords posted online during the previous year. What they found is that most of us are so worried about forgetting our passwords that we choose ones which are easy to remember. The problem with that is that if we can work them out, so can some hacker who wants his wicked way with your data.

One good sign which shows we are becoming more aware of our security is that “password” as a password has finally lost its number one spot on the list.

But guess what its replacement is? Yep. It’s 123456.

Here is the list of the top 25 worst passwords of 2013.

1. 123456
2. password
3. 12345678
4. qwerty
5. abc123
6. 123456789
7. 111111
8. 1234567
9. iloveyou
10. adobe123
11. 123123
12. sunshine
13. 1234567890
14. letmein
15. photoshop
16. 1234
17. monkey
18. shadow
19. sunshine
20. 12345
21. password1
22. princess
23. azerty
24. trustno1
25. 000000

Your password is what keeps your data safe so it’s worth creating a strong one and memorising it.

The best passwords, according to Splashdata and most security experts, will have eight characters or more, combining letters, numbers, and symbols. It is recommended that you don’t use the same password for everything, and that you have an even stronger password to keep your financial information safe.

Go and check your own passwords now. If you recognise it from this list, take immediate action to change it.

You’re In The Deep End!

Your treasurer has quit. No one else wants the job. Somehow you find yourself volunteering for the role.

Now what? Numbers aren’t your thing.

How soon till the panic sets in?

Oh heavens, where did you put the calculator?

Like a modern day Robin Hood, you will have to rob the rich to pay the poor – but where do you find the money? 

Don’t worry. It’s not going to be a nightmare. Just use Admin Bandit software which has been specifically designed to help volunteer treasurers and their committees to manage their accounts without going crazy.

Make yourself look professional by taking advantage of the built in features.  Customise Admin Bandit to match your organisation and present a professional image to the committee and the world:

·         import your own logo to appear on all reports, receipts, invoices and member notices.

·         customise terms to match your activities, e.g. Members to Players, Groups to Teams.

·         consistent brand across all correspondence and reports generated for your club or society.

·         consistent clear reports give you confidence in the job you do as a treasurer

In our busy, competitive world, give your organisation the edge by having a good handle on the finances.

A well run organisation is attractive to people when they are deciding which association or club they will commit their time and resources to assist.

Find out more in our video which explains the whys, wheres and hows for you.

Have You Applied For The 2014 Westpac Community Grants?

Is your NFP working to improve the lives of disadvantaged Australians?

Could you do with a boost to your funding?

The 2014 Westpac Community Grants might be just what you need.  The grants have been designed for specific purposes.  This is an extract from the Westpac page.

What we do fund:

• Projects that build on a community organisation’s core work
• Running costs, including salaries, to ensure that community organisations can maintain and develop their core work and services.

What we do not fund:

Organisations that do not have a Deductible Gift Recipient Item 1 status with the ATO, or are not auspiced

• Charities that mainly work overseas
• Hospitals, hospices or medical centres
• Medical research, funding for medical equipment or medical treatments
• Rescue services
• Schools, colleges and universities
• Sponsorship or funding towards a marketing appeal or fundraising activities
• Capital projects, appeals and refurbishments
• Projects that support animals or to promote animal welfare
• Programs promoting religion.

The Westpac Foundation has already provided over one million dollars of funding for community grants. These grants have helped over 113 Not for Profits to expand their operations.  That is a very impressive record.

This year there is a total of $530,000 in grant money available to groups who can meet the funding requirements.

If you have never applied for a grant before, take the time to read the documentation on how to apply and check the selection criteria.  Both are found on the information page.

Applications are open until March 31^st and grant recipients will be announced in June. Please visit the Westpac Foundation to discover more about the grants and to make your application.

What We Can Learn From Australia’s Top Reputable Charities

To be named Australia’s most reputable not for profit organisation is an honour; to be named most reputable 3 years in a row is definitely a great achievement indeed.  Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor Service has been given this honour ranking highest again in the 2013 AMR Charity Reputation Index.

The AMR survey measures across many facets of a non-profit organisation including innovation, workplace, citizenship, governance, leadership and cost management.

AMR’s Managing Director Oliver Freedman said that the Royal Flying Doctors had in particular built a strong reputation across this broad base. 

Freedman commented, “The research demonstrates that for a charity to have a strong reputation, it is not enough simply to be supporting a good cause.  These organisations also need to be innovative, strong community leaders, demonstrate appropriate cost management, be transparent in their governance and provide a good workplace for employees.  The Royal Flying Doctors came up well in all these dimensions, and their overall reputation ranking reflects this community view.”

Coming in a very notable second is the McGrath Foundation which managed to rise a whole eight places from last year to achieve this astounding result.

The Foundation communicates clearly about what it is raising money for, and where it will go,” Freedman said.  “This has contributed to its overall reputation in the eyes of Australians because they understand what the charity stands for and can see the work it is undertaking out in the community.”

These two charities are certainly a great act for all not for profits to follow and it just goes to show how much transparency, innovation and reputation play a part in an organisation's success.

To learn more about the charities and the AMR Charity Reputation Index visit the original article.

Seasons Greetings

Well what a fantastic year it has been and we look forward to an even bigger and better one next year.

We hope you have a lovely holiday season and enjoy the Christmas and New Year festivities.

See you in 2014.

Why Do People Volunteer?

Although volunteering is a term dating back to the middle of the 18^th century, it is a thriving practice in the modern world. People all around the world volunteer for certain causes and events and a lot of charities and activities are constantly recruiting volunteers.

Have you ever wondered why people volunteer?

Certainly volunteering has a lot of advantages. For example, volunteers notice an increase in their self-esteem, feeling that they are doing something good and making a difference. Moreover, a lot of people volunteer to do things they like, which means that they are having some fun while doing it. It also brings them into the company of new friends and acquaintances who are connected by the commitment to the same good cause.

Of course, there are other reasons that make people volunteer. For example, volunteering is now widely recognised as a strong point on one’s resume, university or job application. Moreover, by participating in certain activities, volunteers develop various professional and personal skills that may come handy in their later life and career. Working in teams may also have benefits for the volunteers, improving their social skills and leadership qualities.

We should not forget that lots of the events recruiting volunteers aim to make the world a better place to live. This is surely a strong motivation for a lot of volunteers, who are up for bringing about social change and improving the world. Working for a charity or an organisation with a good cause certainly looks like a good way to spend your free time instead of wasting it.

Of course, there may also be other reasons why people volunteer; the reasons are different for everyone. When asked about why they participate, volunteers share various reasons; for example, because they were asked, because they wanted to impress someone, to relax or take their mind off of something or because they wanted to help people.

Volunteers are amazing people who make a significant difference to the world. Let’s make sure we appreciate them.

Why Treasurers And Accountants Aren’t Really Boring

Are you one of those people who think treasurers and accountants are boring? Well, you are not the only one. People all over the world share your opinion and tend to assume that accountants and treasurers are more effective than the average sleeping pill.

So we decided to bust this myth and to give you some reasons why treasurers and accountants aren’t really boring.

1. First of all, these people work with money! They have money (or data related to money) in their hands every day, day after day, for their whole life. Without acting like materialists, how can anything related to money be boring? Surely a lot of people have dreamt of having a job that fills their hands and lives with money! Well, that’s what accountants and treasurers have.
2. Now take treasurers as a group. The name of their profession comes from ‘treasure’. How can anything related to treasure be boring? We grew up with books like ‘Treasure Island’ and filled the cinemas to watch ‘The Pirates of the Caribbean.’ These stories showed us people looking for treasure, but if you are a treasurer you get to find and guard the goods all the time.
3. A lot of accountants and treasurers in fact have favourite accountancy jokes and are happy to share them with us: ‘An accountant is a person who doesn’t have the charisma to be an Undertaker’ or ‘Q: Why are they putting the accountants at the bottom of the ocean? A: They found out that deep down they are not so bad.’
4. In fact, a lot of accountants or treasurers are just ordinary people with a great sense of humour who just happen to be interested in the things that we don’t want to bother with. Thank heavens for their perseverance and intelligence! Without them, we would be forced to deal with our own money or lack of it. Luckily someone has an eye on the numbers for us.

If you are not yet convinced that accountants and treasurers are not boring at all, check out this funny post with the typical Monty Python spin on it: http://whatdoclientsreallywant.com/are-accountants-boring/.  You just might change your mind!