The Wilderness Society - Structure and Governance

Structure

The Wilderness Society (TWS) was established in 1976.  Today, it is a group of not-for-profit, non-government organisations working together in a federation.  The overarching body is The Wilderness Society Australia Incorporated (TWS Australia) – a national federation of all the other TWS organisations.  TWS Australia is an association, incorporated in South Australia.  Its members are all the other incorporated TWS organisations.

The member groups of the TWS Australia federation are:

• The Wilderness Society Inc (TWS Inc) - the largest of the organisations with major offices in Hobart and Melbourne and some staff located in other states.  It is an association, incorporated in Tasmania. TWS Inc provides TWS's National Campaign Director (NCD), and has a National Campaign Team (NCT).  It undertakes national fundraising, communication and business operations on behalf of all TWS organisations.
• Local organisations which are associations incorporated in their own states:
• The Wilderness Society WA Inc.
• The Wilderness Society (South Australia) Inc.
• The Wilderness Society (Tasmania) Inc.
• The Wilderness Society Victoria Inc
• The Wilderness Society (Sydney) Inc – services members throughout NSW other than those serviced by TWS Newcastle
• The Wilderness Society Newcastle Inc – services members in Newcastle and surrounds
• The Wilderness Society (Queensland) Inc.

A diagram of the structure can be seen here.

Membership

All individual members of the Wilderness Society are members of TWS Inc.  Many, including all who have joined since 2007, are also members of their local TWS organisation.  Since 2007, membership forms have been applications to join both organisations.

See our Membership page for more details of membership

Campaign Centres and Offices

There are Wilderness Society Campaign Centres located in all state capital cities, Cairns and Launceston.  These centres are run by the relevant state or regional incorporation.  From these centres, we undertake research and policy development, campaigning and community outreach to help protect nature.

Two national offices, in Hobart and Melbourne, handle membership servicing, national fundraising projects, communications, and business operations.  This includes the production of our magazine, Wilderness News, and our wilderness calendar and diary.

National Campaign Team members are located around the country.

Funding

The vast majority of our funding is provided by members who pay membership and regular donations to support our work.  Other funds come from public fundraising, bequests and donations, and online and retail sales of campaign merchandise.  See our annual reports.

Governance

TWS Australia

TWS Australia is governed by the Policy and Planning Meeting (P&P), which occurs twice per year or otherwise as required.  It is composed of delegates chosen by each of the member groups (TWS Inc and the local organisations).  It decides on shared policy, and conducts planning, for the whole TWS federation.

The day-to-day administration of TWS Australia is overseen by its Finance and Administration Committee.

There are two TWS Australia committees that have important roles and provide national integration - these are the National Campaign Committee and the National Business Operations Committee.

TWS Inc

TWS Inc is governed by the TWS Inc Committee of Management elected at the Annual General Meeting which is usually held in October or November each year and is open to all TWS Inc members.  Constitutional amendments passed in December 2010 ensure that members are notified in writing, by post or email, at least 49 days before the meeting.

Day-to-day management of TWS Inc is overseen by a four-person Collaborative Management Team (CMT) which reports to the Committee of Management and consists of the National Campaign Director, National Membership and Fundraising Manager, National Communications Manager and National Business Operations Manager.

TWS Inc is an Income Tax Exempt Charity and a Deductible Gift Recipient.  Donations to its public fund, the Wilderness Fund, are tax deductible.

View the official TWS Inc web page.

View the TWS Inc constitution.

TWS local organisations

Each TWS local organisation is governed by its own management committee, elected at its own local Annual General Meeting, usually held in October or November.  Requirements for notifying members vary from organisation to organisation.  Each organisation has a Campaign Manager or equivalent and in some cases a Business Manager or equivalent who report to its committee.

For information about the achievements of all the TWS organisations, see our annual reports.