Draft RDA NT NFP Sector Survey 2026

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INTRODUCTION

We want to hear from Northern Territory not-for-profit organisations.

Regional Development Australia Northern Territory (RDA NT) is undertaking this survey to better understand the current operating conditions, priorities, challenges and support needs of not-for-profit and community organisations across the Northern Territory.

Not-for-profit organisations play an important role in our communities and regions. Your insights will help RDA NT build a stronger evidence base about the issues affecting the sector and identify where practical support, collaboration and advocacy may make a difference.

The survey has two parts: the first captures information generally about how your organisation delivers projects. The second is optional and captures information about one specific project.

The survey should take approximately 10–12 minutes to complete.

Thank you for taking the time to share your organisation’s experience.

About Regional Development Australia NT
Funded by the Australian Government, Regional Development Australia NT is part of a national network of 50 Regional Development Australia committees located across Australia’s capital cities and regions, as well as the Northern RDA Alliance. A trusted and not-for-profit partner, the organisation connects with all levels of government to support economic growth, liveability and sustainability. It helps attract public and private investment, provides regional intelligence, practical support and funds initiatives. www.rdant.com.au
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PRIVACY AND CONSENT

Survey responses will be analysed and reported primarily in aggregate, with care taken not to identify individual respondents or organisations through the reporting of small groups.

In the second part of the survey, you will have the option to details about a specific project. These are used to showcase the project to potential funders and project partners. Providing these details is optional.

At the end of the survey, you will have the option to share the name of your organisation and contact details.
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What type of organisation do you represent?* This field is required.Please select one option
Aboriginal corporation registered with ORIC
Incorporated association
Company limited by guarantee
Registered charity with another legal structure
Cooperative
Unincorporated community group
Branch or office of a larger organisation
Unsure
Other
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Which of the following describes the organisation?* This field is required.Select all that apply
Aboriginal community-controlled organisation
Local or place-based community organisation
Community or human services provider
Peak body or member-based organisation
Sporting, recreation, arts or cultural organisation
Environmental or land management organisation
Economic development or enterprise organisation
Social enterprise
Faith-based organisation
Volunteer-led organisation
Other
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Which region/s does your organisation primarily operate in?* This field is required.Select all that apply
Darwin, Palmerston and Litchfield
Top End
East Arnhem
Big Rivers/Katherine
Barkly
Central Australia
Multiple remote communities
Territory-wide
Other
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What are your organisation's main areas of work?* This field is required.Select up to four options
Aboriginal community development or self-determination
Aged care
Arts, culture, heritage or language
Children and families
Community development and wellbeing
Disability services
Domestic, family or sexual violence
Economic participation or enterprise development
Education, training or employment
Emergency relief, food security or cost-of-living support
Environment, land or natural resource management
Health or mental health
Housing or homelessness
Justice or community safety
Sport and recreation
Youth services
Other
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What funding sources does your organisation currently use or pursue to support projects?* This field is required.Select all that apply
NT Government
Australian Government
Philanthropy
Corporate sponsorship
Earned income
Community fundraising
Social investment
Other
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Which funding challenges effect your organisation?* This field is required.Select all that apply
Difficulty finding suitable opportunities
Short application timeframes
Complex applications or eligibility requirements
Insufficient staff time to prepare applications
Cost of developing business cases, designs or supporting evidence
Co-contribution requirements
Cash-flow or delayed-payment issues
Short funding periods
Funding does not cover the full cost of delivery
Administration and overheads are not adequately funded
Excessive or duplicated reporting requirements
Inflexible contracts that do not reflect remote delivery conditions
Difficulty funding early planning or project development
Lack of feedback on unsuccessful applications
No significant funding challenges
No clear timeframes for grant processes / outcomes
None
Other
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Does your organisation currently measure social, cultural, economic or community benefits of its work or projects?* This field is required.
YESNO
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What is preventing your organisation from measuring or demonstrating the social, economic or community impact of its activities?Select all that apply
Limited staff time or resources to collect and analyse information
Lack of knowledge or expertise in social impact measurement
Difficulty identifying appropriate outcomes or indicators
Difficulty measuring longer-term changes for individuals or communities
Difficulty measuring cultural outcomes or community-defined benefits
Limited access to suitable data or evidence
Difficulty quantifying the economic value of our activities
Different reporting requirements across funding providers
Difficulty communicating our impact to funders or other stakeholders
We do not currently measure social impact
We have an effective approach and do not face significant challenges
Other
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How does your organisation currently measure and demonstrate the social, cultural, economic or community benefits of its work or projects?Select all that apply
Service delivery or participation data
Community feedback and surveys
Case studies and personal stories
Outcome indicators and performance measures
Independent evaluations
Social or economic impact assessments
Financial or economic modelling
We do not currently measure project impact systematically
Other
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How could better measurement and communication of your organisation's social, economic or community impact benefit your organisation?Select all that apply
Strengthen funding applications and improve our ability to attract investment
Demonstrate the value of our activities to government and funding bodies
Build a stronger case for expanding existing services or developing new projects
Identify what is working and improve service delivery
Demonstrate benefits that are not currently recognised or valued
Attract new partnerships or collaboration opportunities
Strengthen community support and stakeholder confidence
Inform organisational planning and resource allocation
Advocate for changes to government policy or funding priorities
We already measure and communicate our impact effectively
We are unsure how impact measurement could benefit our organisation
Other
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Does your organisation have any current or proposed projects that require additional funding, partnerships or development support?* This field is required.
YESNO
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What are the main barriers preventing your organisation from progressing these projects?* This field is required.Select all that apply
Insufficient funding for early project development.
Difficulty identifying suitable funding opportunities.
Limited staff time or organisational capacity.
Lack of technical expertise.
Insufficient evidence of project need or anticipated benefits.
Difficulty preparing business cases or feasibility studies.
Difficulty securing co-contributions.
Limited access to potential partners or investors.
Governance, regulatory or land-related barriers.
Infrastructure or service delivery constraints.
Uncertainty about future operating or maintenance costs.
Other
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Does your organisation experience any data related challenges? e.g. struggling to access or product data to support planning, funding or service delivery.* This field is required.
YESNO
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What information or data does your organisation need but currently struggle to access or produce? If not listed, please select other and provide a description.Select all that apply
Local population and demographic data relevant to our communities
Evidence of unmet community needs or gaps in services
Local economic data, including employment, industries and business activity
Data about specific remote communities or population groups
Evidence of the social, cultural or economic impacts of our activities
Information about future demand for our services
Evidence to support funding applications or investment proposals
Data about workforce availability, skills and training needs
Information about other organisations, services or projects operating in our region
We can access the data we need but lack the skills or resources to analyse it
No significant data gaps
Other
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Can you describe a situation where a lack of data or evidence made it difficult to secure funding, plan a project, demonstrate impact or make an organisational decision?
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Ok
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Does your organisation experience any workforce related challenges?* This field is required.
YESNO
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What workforce related challenges are currently limiting your organisation's ability to deliver services, expand activities or progress new projects?Select all that apply
Difficulty recruiting suitably skilled or qualified staff
Difficulty retaining existing staff
Lack of affordable or suitable housing for workers
Limited access to local training or professional development
Difficulty recruiting local or First Nations workers
Limited organisational capacity to supervise, train or develop staff
Funding uncertainty or short-term contracts affecting workforce stability
Reliance on volunteers or difficulty recruiting volunteers
High costs associated with employing staff in regional or remote areas
No significant workforce challenges
Other
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What activities, services or projects is your organisation currently unable to deliver or expand because of workforce constraints?
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Ok
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Which forms of external support would be most valuable to your organisation?* This field is required.Select all that apply
Regular information about funding opportunities
One-to-one grant or project advice
Review and feedback on draft applications
Early project scoping and planning
Business cases, feasibility studies or economic analysis
Access to regional, demographic or economic data
Outcome measurement and evaluation tools
Governance, risk or compliance support
Financial costing and sustainability support
Workforce planning and labour-market information
Partnership brokering and introductions
Convening organisations around shared regional issues
Advocacy to government or funders
Small grants for planning, feasibility, design or specialist advice
Training, workshops or practical templates
Not applicable
Other
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What roles should RDA NT prioritise in supporting the NT not-for-profit sector?* This field is required.Select all that apply
Helping organisations identify and develop priority projects
Improving grant and investment readiness
Providing regional economic and community data
Connecting organisations with governments, funders and partners
Convening collaboration on shared regional challenges
Supporting workforce and liveability initiatives
Communicating sector needs to government
Sharing examples, tools and lessons across the Territory
Supporting Aboriginal-led economic and community development
Unsure
Other
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To understand current regional priorities and funding needs, RDA NT is creating project profiles that can be shared with potential funders and partners. Would you like to share information about a current or developing project for RDA NT to profile? The profile will be shared with your organisation for approval prior to being shared.Please contact RDA NT if you would like support completing a profile or would like to complete it over the phone or in person.
YESNO
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What is the name of the project?
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What is the project trying to achieve, and what community need does it address?
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What evidence demonstrates that this project is needed?
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Who will benefit from the project, and approximately how many people could benefit?
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What positive changes do you expect the project to create?
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Could the project generate employment, support local businesses, improve access to services or strengthen the regional economy?
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How could you demonstrate whether the project achieves its intended outcomes?
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What planning, feasibility, design, governance or other preparatory work has already been completed?
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What funding or other resources are needed to progress the project?
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Have potential funders or investors been identified?
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What organisations or expertise could help advance this project?
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Is there any information you would like us to not share publicly about the project?
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Do you have a link to more information about this project?
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Please upload a relevant photo and any other information you would like to share about the project.
Drag and drop files here
Select files to upload
Max. file size: 10.6MB
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Is there anything else you would like to tell us?(Optional)Please use this space to share any other issues, challenges, opportunities or insights that you think are important for RDA NT to understand about the not-for-profit sector in the Northern Territory. This could include emerging issues, regional or place-based challenges, workforce needs, funding or service delivery pressures, data gaps, or opportunities for RDA NT to better support or advocate for the sector.
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Organisation and contact details (optional)If you would like to continue to engage with RDA NT, please provide contact details. This is optional and survey responses will not be attributed to organisations or individuals. If you have provided a project profile, please share contact details so we are able to forward the completed profile to you for review.
Please enter the name of your organisation
Please enter your name
Please enter your email
Please enter your phone
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