Community Services Advisory Group

The Community Services Advisory Group (CSAG) is the key community sector stakeholder engagement group for the Department of Social Services (the department). CSAG engages in monthly information sharing between the department and the community sector on issues relating to grants policy and process improvement opportunities across the community services sector.  

10th Anniversary of the National Apology for Forced Adoptions 21 March 2013

Blueprint Expert Reference Group (BERG)

The Blueprint Expert Reference Group (BERG) is established to develop a sector-led not-for-profit (NFP) Blueprint as a roadmap to boost the NFP sector’s capacity to support and reconnect Australia communities.

Get involved

CSAG and BERG are looking for further community sector involvement to inform policy decisions. Learn how you and your organisation can get involved!

CSAG was established in July 2015 by the department to harness the expertise of the community sector, and is made up of 26 member organisations that are funded across the range of department programs and includes both peak bodies and service delivery organisations. A focus of CSAG throughout 2023 will be consultation with its member organisations through an engagement strategy to deliver the October 2022-2023 Budget measures:

  • Support for Community Sector Organisations – including the development of innovative approaches to grant funding; and
  • The Development of the Not-for-profit Sector Development Blueprint (the Blueprint), which will provide a roadmap for government reforms and sector led initiatives that will provide NFP and charity organisations with sustainable solutions to expand services in the coming years.

The department will utilise the Engage.dss.gov.au forum to facilitate wide spread consultation and input to support directly from the sector to the department.

Current CSAG Membership

The 26 member organisations of CSAG below, comprise of community sector and peak body organisations:

  • Anglicare Australia
  • Australian Council of Social Service
  • Australian Meals on Wheels Association
  • Australian Red Cross
  • BaptistCare
  • Carers Australia
  • Catholic Social Services Australia
  • COTA Australia (Council on the Ageing)
  • Family Relationship Services Australia
  • Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia
  • Financial Counselling Australia
  • Foodbank
  • Migration Council Australia
  • Mission Australia
  • National Disability Services
  • Relationships Australia
  • 54 Reasons (Save The Children Australia)
  • Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care
  • Settlement Council of Australia
  • Southern Youth & Families Services Association
  • St Vincent de Paul Society
  • The Benevolent Society
  • The Salvation Army
  • The Smith Family
  • UnitingCare Australia
  • Volunteering Australia.

For further information please contact CommunityServicesAdvisoryGroup@dss.gov.au.

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