About Acacia Blue

A trusted backbone, not another voice in the room.

Acacia Blue bridges financial management, tax compliance and electoral funding and disclosure requirements with on-the-ground operations, coordinating with qualified advisers on formal legal positions, so the people doing the work can spend their time on it.

The person behind the work

Nicole Berkhout

Director · Fractional CFO · FCPA · MAICD

Nicole has spent a number of years as a senior finance leader in the not-for-profit, community and corporate space. As the CFO of a Brisbane medical research not-for-profit, and finance lead at a Brisbane based Brain Injury Organisation, her finance skills have enabled organisations to navigate the challenges of managing diverse income streams and complex regulatory reporting requirements. She's a Fellow of CPA Australia, with a career built on turning complicated financial detail into decisions boards and leaders can actually act on.

Her interest in this particular corner of compliance work started with a campaign, not a client brief: volunteering on Ellie Smith's independent campaign for Dickson gave Nicole a first-hand look at how much financial and administrative pressure sits behind every grassroots campaign, and it's what pulled her toward supporting the community independents movement more broadly.

That combination, deep not-for-profit finance experience and a genuine appreciation for what it takes to run a campaign or a cause, is what Acacia Blue is built on: the same rigour she'd bring to any CFO role, applied to the community groups, campaigns and offices that don't have one of their own.

Connect with Nicole on LinkedIn →

Who we serve

Four groups with different obligations, all supported through the same three pillars.

Community Groups. Community groups and values-aligned organisations building capability for the long term, not just one election cycle.
Independent Challenger Campaigns. Campaigns standing a candidate for the first time, setting up structures, accounts and disclosure obligations from a standing start.
Sitting Members. Elected independents with ongoing disclosure, reporting and office obligations that don't stop once the election is over.
Significant Third Parties. Third-party campaigners spending above the disclosure threshold, with expenditure caps that shift depending on the candidate or issue supported and need precise, ongoing tracking.

The team is based across Melbourne and Brisbane, and the service covers federal and every state jurisdiction.

What we value

Four things that shape every piece of work.

Plain-spoken

We say what needs to be said, without hedging or dressing it up. When a lodgment is due, we say so plainly.

Genuinely invested

Our team has stood where our clients stand, on campaigns and inside community organisations, and we bring that firsthand understanding to every retainer.

Current

Legislation and compliance requirements shift constantly. We invest the time to stay across those changes, so you're not chasing them alone.

Purpose-led

We measure our own contribution against the causes this movement cares about most, climate action, political integrity and gender equity, not just against a compliance checklist.