Community Services Advisory Group

The Community Services Advisory Group provides expert feedback, advice and recommendations on community sector policies and programs.

Purpose and role

The Community Services Advisory Group (CSAG) was established in July 2015 as the key community sector stakeholder engagement group for the Department of Social Services. It harnesses the expertise of the community sector to provide feedback, insights and recommendations, on issues relating to the department’s grant policies and programs.

CSAG is made up of 27 member organisations, including peak bodies and service delivery organisations, most of which are funded across a range of department programs.

As part of the 2024–2025 Budget measure ‘a stronger more diverse and independent community sector’, the department is leading the development of a community sector partnership framework in consultation with the CSAG. The framework will drive administrative and cultural change across government agencies to:

  • deliver grants that are designed to better serve the sustainability of community sector organisations
  • ensure better outcomes are achieved in delivering government policy.

This measure builds on the October 2022–2023 Budget measure of the same name.

To facilitate public consultation on this commitment, the department has used the engage.dss.gov.au(Opens in a new tab/window) website.

The Blueprint Expert Reference Group (BERG) is a Department of Social Services committee established to develop the Not-for-profit Sector Development Blueprint. 

Find out more about the Blueprint Expert Reference Group.

Membership

The 27 member organisations of CSAG are:

  • 54 reasons
  • Anglicare Australia
  • Australian Council of Social Service (ACOSS)
  • Australian Services Union (ASU)
  • Australian Red Cross
  • Baptist Care Australia
  • Carers Australia
  • Catholic Social Services Australia
  • COTA Australia (Council on the Ageing)
  • Family & Relationship Services Australia (FRSA)
  • Far West Community Partnerships
  • Federation of Ethnic Communities' Councils of Australia (FECCA)
  • Financial Counselling Australia
  • Foodbank
  • Mission Australia
  • National Disability Services
  • Relationships Australia
  • SNAICC – National Voice for our Children
  • Settlement Council of Australia (SCoA)
  • Southern Youth & Family Services Association
  • St Vincent de Paul Society
  • The Benevolent Society
  • The Salvation Army
  • The Smith Family
  • The Social Policy Group (Migration Council Australia)
  • UnitingCare Australia
  • Volunteering Australia.

Contact us

For more information about CSAG, contact CSAGSecretariat@dss.gov.au.

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