I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge your response to COVID-19. Many of you are on the frontlines supporting our most vulnerable communities. The charitable sector has rapidly and efficiently adapted to provide social care, financial support, and to deliver food to those most in need. Times of crisis emphasise the importance of community collaboration. The charitable sector has come together to support both those in need, and each other.

I’ve been inspired hearing how the charitable sector has worked together to care for New Zealanders over the past few months. We at Charities Services continued to hear incredible stories of charities responding to COVID-19 throughout the Alert Levels, and we’ve shared these on our website. You can read them on our Sector Showcase page. In this newsletter we talk to the Salvation Army and Volunteer Central about their work during lockdown, and how they’ve worked together to support their local communities. We also hear from volunteers from the two charities about why volunteering is important to them. You can read the story below.  

A great way to recognise and celebrate all volunteers is National Volunteer Week 2020, which is taking place next week! The theme in 2020 is ‘Te Hua o te Mahi Tahi' (‘The benefit of working together’). You can find more information about National Volunteer Week and how you can celebrate below. I would like to take this chance to personally acknowledge and thank all volunteers across Aotearoa. The mahi you do has a great impact on the lives of whānau, hapū , iwi, and communities across New Zealand. Thank you for your important work. Keep an eye on our Facebook page for more information about volunteering!

It’s also almost election time. Charities play a really important role in political conversations, but they also need to be careful to maintain their independence from political parties. Here is a link to website guidance we’ve created to help charities understand their obligations during election time. 

Another important guide for charities is our 'How to use a conflict of interest register' resource. Conflicts of interest arise when an officer's personal interests impact their ability to make the best decisions for their charity. Our guide is designed to help you identify potential conflicts of interests to prevent disputes and governance issues in the future. You can find it on our website here.

The winners and highly commended in the New Zealand Charity Reporting Awards 2020 have been announced. The awards, organised by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), recognise those charities who have done a great job on their financial reporting. I would like to congratulate all of the charities that were recognised in the awards. For many charities completing their financial reporting is a significant undertaking, so it's important to celebrate this great work. There was a high calibre of award entries this year which is fantastic as it shows the importance of financial reporting to charities. Congratulations again to all of the winners and highly commended. You can read more about the awards below. 

Over the past 2 months we have taken a flexible and understanding regulatory approach, responding to the reality of COVID-19 for registered charities during lockdown. We did not want to increase the pressures charities were facing. As New Zealand is now in Alert Level 1 and charities should be able to resume operating, we have started sending reminders about reporting obligations again. However, we realise charities will still face challenges. If your charity is unable to file your annual return on time, you can ask for an extension by calling our phone line (0508 242 748).

We know this continues to be a time of uncertainty and you may have other questions. You can contact us by email or by calling our free phone line (0508 242 748). The team will be very happy to help with any questions that you may have.  You can also book a one-on-one online clinic appointment with one of our staff here. 

I would like to finish by sharing a whakataukī that speaks to the hard work of essential workers and volunteers. Thank you for all of the important mahi you’ve done over the last several months. 

Whakanuia te tangata ringa raupā.

Celebrate a person with calloused hands. 

Ngā mihi,

Natasha Weight
General Manager

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

National Volunteer Week 2020

National Volunteer Week recognises and celebrates the 1.2 million volunteers in Aotearoa! This year National Volunteer Week runs from June 21-27 and the theme is ‘Te Hua o te Mahi Tahi' (‘The benefit of working together’).

Volunteers are vital to the success of many charities. They work tirelessly and without pay to make a difference in their communities. The latest information from Statistics New Zealand highlights the value of volunteers. They collectively worked 159 million hours in the year ended March 2018, with the value of this labour estimated at $4 billion. What an incredible contribution volunteers have on the not-for-profit sector and the nation!  

Aotearoa’s response to COVID-19 has demonstrated the power and potential of volunteering, Mahi Aroha. The value of collaborative social action shines through at times when our communities are stretched and challenged. Working collaboratively as we come out of lockdown will make our communities stronger, and volunteers will continue to play an integral role in this.

Every volunteer contributes in their own way to strengthening our communities. Join us this National Volunteer Week to recognise and celebrate all of the awesome volunteers all over Aotearoa. There are many great ways to celebrate National Volunteer Week this year. Check out this resource put together by Volunteering New Zealand: 15 ways to celebrate National Volunteer Week 2020 and find more information about National Volunteer Week here.

Thank you to all volunteers for the vital mahi that you do!

Volunteer New Zealand's response to COVID-19

Volunteers have been vital to the wider community's response to COVID-19. New Zealand has around 115,000 community organisations – many of which are small and solely volunteer-driven. Around 50% of Kiwis volunteer, either formally by working for organisations or informally through helping another person. Life under lockdown meant that, for many, in-person volunteering was not an option. But this doesn’t mean that volunteering ceased! It just meant people had to be more creative. It is important that volunteers feel safe and supported and this is where Volunteering New Zealand (VNZ) comes in.

Volunteering New Zealand is a network of volunteering centres throughout Aotearoa. Over the last few months they have been actively involved in responding to COVID-19. The team was able to quickly pivot to working remotely and they acted collaboratively in their response to supporting the wider sector. They worked closely with the 17 Volunteer Centres around Aotearoa to safely maximise volunteer efforts within the government alert level requirements. VNZ publish regular sector feedback updates and supported the publication of guidelines for volunteering and managing volunteers under the different alert levels. They have also highlighted the importance of existing volunteering infrastructure and managers of volunteers in the response and recovery.

A key focus for VNZ has been data and research. Data is needed to support debate and discussion, and ensure volunteers and communities are part of decision making. Through two separate surveys, VNZ has looked at the status of the volunteering sector during lockdown in Aotearoa. They collected data that will help VNZ better understand the impacts of this event on the sector. Keep an eye out for these results, which will be published soon!

Another shift has been turning National Volunteer Week 2020 into a digital campaign so more people can celebrate volunteering. VNZ wants to highlight National Volunteer Week as an opportunity to recognise how communities are stronger when working together. Volunteers help shape the world we want to live in, now and into the future.

Are you looking for volunteers?

Volunteer Centres around the country have people available to help community organisations! They can help connect people who want to get involved with community organisations. Learn more on the Volunteering New Zealand website.

Webinar: Funding your charity in a post-COVID world

Many charities' fundraising activities have been impacted by COVID-19 and charities want to know what funding opportunities are available to them.

On Thursday 25 June 2020 from 12-1pm Charities Services will host a webinar on funding your charity in a post-COVID world.

In this webinar we will discuss funding options with speakers from Hāpai Hapori Community Operations (another group in the Department of Internal Affairs) and Matatika Mātauranga Kaitautoko The Fundraising Institute of New Zealand (FINZ).

There will be an opportunity for you to ask questions during a Q&A but we also welcome you to send your funding related questions to us beforehand. Please email your questions to events@charities.govt.nz.

Register for the webinar here. 

Hāpai Hapori Community Operations update

Hāpai Hapori is a business group within Te Tari Taiwhenua (the Department of Internal Affairs). They support building community connection, innovation and empowering local people to create positive change in their communities.

This update focusses on community-led development and how Hāpai Hapori have supported communities in the South Island.

Community-led development is a planning and development approach where communities achieve their shared visions and goals by working together. Our goals are to support communities to build on their strengths; encourage wide community engagement; develop local leaders; create community action plans; and define outcome measures to evaluate their achievements. Our team of advisors support communities with both funding and advice dependant on the outcomes the community are looking to achieve.

Hāpai Hapori focus on five principles in their approach to community-led development:

•       Shared local goals driving action and change

•       Using existing strengths and assets

•       Many people and groups working together

•       Building diverse and collaborative local leadership

•       Adaptable planning and action informed by outcomes.

Our experiences in Canterbury taught us that significant challenges provide an opportunity to activate these principles. Research highlights that communities initiating community-led development are stronger and more resilient when disaster strikes.  

The 2010-2011 Canterbury earthquakes created an environment for locally led community responses and initiatives to support community wellbeing. Communities came together to identify their own needs and create shared solutions.

Project Lyttelton is a non-profit grassroots charity committed to building a sustainable, connected community. It is internationally recognised as a model for others seeking to build community using a community-led development approach.  Projects happen through collaboration and strong leadership like their community garden, community market and light festival.

Lyttelton was one of the communities in Christchurch devastated by the 2011 aftershock. The local TimeBank used their large membership base to distribute essential and emergency information as well as encouraging people to participate and work together on their community recovery. Their TimeBank has inspired other communities to establish their own.

Hāpai Hapori helped by providing early advice and support, ongoing funding, and they connected community organisations to support resilience. In the response to COVID-19, we hope to continue to support this work happening in communities throughout Aotearoa.

Communities using a community-led approach have reflected; it’s not just about what has been achieved, it’s also about how and who has worked together on the journey, and the relationships that have developed and led to more resilient communities.

Find more information on the community-led development programme here.

We have a range of funding options available, check out our website or give us a call on 0800 824 824.

Hāpai Hapori Community Operations Team.

SECTOR SHOWCASE

Volunteer Central and the Salvation Army

In this month’s Sector Showcase we are excited to feature Volunteer Central and the Salvation Army.

Volunteer Central is a registered charity that aims to connect communities through volunteering. They enable volunteering in Manawatu and surrounding districts by matching individuals with groups who need support.

When lockdown began the Salvation Army in Manawatu mobilised to organise, pack, and deliver care packages to vulnerable families in their community. There was a real need for essential supplies, and a real desire to help. Volunteer Central directed those wanting to help their community to the Salvation Army’s care package operation.

Volunteers created a “well-oiled machine” to guarantee families have food, blankets, and clothes through difficult times.

Read the full story and hear more from the volunteers involved in these efforts here.

QUICK NEWS OF INTEREST 

New guest blog published

April Mackenzie and Jamie Cattell from the External Reporting Board (XRB) have written a useful guest blog on how COVID-19 might impact the audit reports you see on the Charities Register. They’ve covered the different audit reports you might expect to see, and explained what each of these could mean.

The blog is for people who use a charity’s financial statements to decide if they want to support a charity, and for registered charities who want more information about what audit reports mean.

Check out April and Jamie’s guest blog here. 

One-on-one online clinics available 

Charities Services and Hāpai Hapori Community Operations are holding online one-on-one clinics for charities every Thursday.

Come and talk to our team to get the answers to your questions about being a registered charity. We have a range of appointments available, depending on what questions you have. Financial reporting, funding, registration and general appointments are available with Charities Services and Hāpai Hapori Community Operations staff.

To register for a clinic click here. 

We look forward to meeting you!

New Zealand Charity Reporting Awards 2020 winners announced 

The winners and highly commended in the 2020 New Zealand Charity Reporting Awards have been announced.

The awards, organised by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), recognise best practice among registered charities in meeting financial reporting standards. These reporting standards give greater transparency and consistency among charities.

Peter Vial, New Zealand Country Head for CA ANZ praised the calibre of award entries. In follow up conversations with the winning charities, CA ANZ noted that the qualities of transparency and excellence highlighted in the winning financial reports were also demonstrated in charities' responses to COVID-19. Vial said charities are a critical "shock absorber" when a crisis hits.

Well done to all the winners and highly commended!

Read the winning reports here.

Chartered Accountant Fellowship nominations open

The 2020 Fellowship Nominations are open for Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand (CA ANZ). Fellowship recognises members for their outstanding career achievements and contributions to the profession.

Please take the time to consider worthy members in your area. If you would like clarification or assistance with a nomination, your regional Local Committee of Chartered Accountants has a Fellowship sub-committee that can assist you. This can be accessed through the Chair of your Local Committee or CA ANZ Regional Manager.

Nominations close 31 July. Find out more here.

Here is an example of what can make a great photo. Photo supplied by Surf Life Saving New Zealand

Do you have a great image that tells the story of your charity?

Do you want to show off the great mahi that your people do?

We are looking for photos that could be featured on our website, our social media pages and in the resources we produce. If you have a great image that you want to share with us, this is what you need to know:

• The photo needs to be of a high quality and size suitable for publication.
• Dynamic images that show people doing something are better. Make sure it isn’t blurry or too dark. Think about how it is framed and where the eye is drawn to in the image. Think about what you are saying with the image.
• You will need to get the permission of everyone who is in the photo. If there are children in the photo you will need the permission of their parents or caregivers.
• By sending us your photos, you will be allowing Charities Services to use the photo in different publications and online. We will credit your charity wherever the photo is used.

Don’t be shy! Send your photos to info@charities.govt.nz and include the word ‘Photos’ in the subject line. Remember to include your charity registration (CC) number and a statement that you have been given permission to use the image by the people in the photo.

UPDATES FROM WIDER GOVERNMENT

GOVERNANCE TIPS

National Strategy for Community Governance

Over the last 18 months the Advisory Group for Community Governance has been meeting to develop a national strategy to improve governance in the community sector. Charities Services has been involved in an advisory capacity since the beginning of the project.

The goal of developing a national strategy is to strengthen, unify, enhance the value of, and support best practice in community sector governance. The group’s vision is that all community organisations in Aotearoa are well governed.

Six outcome areas were identified from discussions, knowledge of the sector and research findings:

• All community governance group members will have basic governance skills
• All community governance groups apply their basic skills
• Everyone values community governance
• There is a strong pipeline of diverse, talented community governors
• Best practice in community governance is identified and shared
• Chairs are supported and have opportunities for development.

Co-design sprints and National Action Plan

Between March and May 2020 a series of two day co-design sprints were held. The sprints were originally designed as face-to-face meetings, but were moved online after the first meeting because of COVID-19. Over 150 people from across New Zealand collaborated together to design actions to address the six outcome areas. These actions have been incorporated into the National Action Plan for Community Governance. The launch of the National Action Plan in August will take place on Zoom. This means all sprint participants, and interested members of the public, can attend.

We will keep you updated about the launch date of the National Action Plan, and include information about how you can attend, in future newsletters.

InvolveMe

The Volunteering New Zealand InvolveMe tool is a free online self-assessment looking at the factors that go into making a great volunteer programme. It covers four main categories: Strategy, Culture, Tools, and Resources and Communication.

Your answers are summarised into a clear and easy to understand report. This report makes it a breeze to identify areas where you or your organisation can improve. It also contains a reflection area regarding your assessment, an action plan, and additional resources to help you improve your organisation’s volunteer programme.

Find out more about InvolveMe here.

RESOURCES