Here at Charities Services, we’ve been busy planning for the year ahead. Our goals for 2021 are aligned with our vision; that our work contributes to a well-governed, transparent and thriving charitable sector with strong public support. We’re going to work on improving our website, templates, and resources, as well as improving our IT systems and refining our risk-based approach to registration.

Keeping in that theme, our first newsletter for 2021 is all about planning. Planning shouldn’t only be something you do at the start of each year. However, it is a good time to take a step back, reflect on the mahi of your charity and think about what you would like to achieve in the year ahead.

You may not always be able to stick to the plan you’ve set. This was one of the many lessons 2020 taught us. However, good planning will take this into account, allowing you to prepare for these unpredictable moments with a back up plan. 

In this newsletter you’ll find some great information and resources to help you create effective plans for your charity. We also feature Community Waikato who have already done some productive planning for the year ahead.

Tē tōia, tē haumatia.

Nothing can be achieved without a plan, workforce and a way of doing things.

Ngā mihi

Stephen Reilly
General Manager, Kaiwhakahaere Matua

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

The importance of planning

The beginning of the year is the perfect time to make sure your charity has effective strategic and operational plans in place.

Successful planning keeps your governing body on the same page, so they can make decisions with your charity’s plan in mind. This will let you work more cohesively towards common visions or goals. Planning also helps you identify and prepare for potential risks, or even avoid them entirely.

Your charity should have a number of different plans in place. A strategic plan outlines your charity’s mission or purpose and an operational plan outlines the steps to achieve this mission. An operational plan looks at the short-term and should be reviewed regularly, as opposed to a strategic plan which should cover your charity’s long-term goals.

Other plans that your charity could consider creating include a financial management plan, a communications plan, a risk management plan and a continuity plan.

Remember, your plans can be updated any time, not just at the beginning of the year. However, now is the perfect time to look at the plans your charity has in place, what needs to be updated and what needs to be created.

For more information on how planning can help your charity, and how to put specific plans in place, visit CommunityNet Aotearoa. They have put together a detailed resource: Introduction to planning.

Updated advocacy guidance published

Following the recent court decisions of Greenpeace and Family First, the Charities Registration Board updated their approach to assessing advocacy in applications to be registered as a charity. It will now be more straightforward for organisations that advocate for charitable goals to meet registration requirements. 

We have updated our website guidance on advocacy to reflect the Board's new approach. This new guidance explains when advocacy is and isn’t charitable, as well as how we assess if your organisation’s advocacy is charitable.

You can view the updated advocacy guidance here.

Clinics open for 2021

Our weekly online one-on-one clinics have resumed for 2021! Come and talk to our team and get answers to the questions you have about being a registered charity.

We have a range of appointments available depending on what questions you need answered. Financial reporting, funding, registration and general appointments are available with Charities Services and Hāpai Hapori Community Operations staff.

Find out more and sign up for a one-on-one clinic here.

Interning at Charities Services

For the last few years Charities Services has hired a current university student to join us over the summer as an intern. Maia just finished her time as intern and here’s what she had to say.

Kia ora, I’m Maia. I have been working as a summer intern with Charities Services, Ngā Ratonga Kaupapa Atawhai and am beginning my final year of studying Law and International Relations at Victoria University of Wellington.  

My internship has been eye-opening, both in terms of the huge benefit charities bring to communities, hapū and iwi and in understanding how Charities Services works to ensure the sector remains well-governed, transparent and thriving.  

My experience has been vibrant and varied. Each day brings something different, whether assisting the investigations team in dealing with complaints, or helping the capability team engage in and celebrate the important mahi of New Zealanders. I also have my team to thank for such a positive experience and for being so welcoming.

Hāpai Hapori Community Operations update

Hāpai Hapori (Community Operations) is another business group in Te Tari Taiwhenua (the Department of Internal Affairs). They provide information, resources and advice to communities. They also administer Lottery and Crown funding, including the Community-Led Development Programme. 

Hāpai Hapori advisory services

Hāpai Hapori community advisors across Aotearoa work with communities, hapū and iwi to achieve their aspirations. Community advisors can support you in various ways, including providing information and advice about:

• accessing grants
• community-led development
• community projects
• developing and strengthening community groups and organisations
• understanding and working towards achieving meaningful outcomes for communities
• how individuals can contribute and make a difference in their community 
• connecting with other local people, groups, funders, councils or government agencies. 

Grant funds and key dates for 2021

You can find more information on grant funding administered by Hāpai Hapori on the Community Matters website.

Getting in touch

Hāpai Hapori is always keen to hear from groups and organisations about how they can work with you. You can email Hāpai Hapori at community.matters@dia.govt.nz or find your nearest regional office to connect with a local advisor.

You can also meet one-on-one with a Hāpai Hapori staff member at our online clinics every Thursday. Sign up for a ‘funding clinic’ here to meet with a Hāpai Hapori staff member.

SECTOR SHOWCASE

Community Waikato

Photo: The Community Waikato Team

Community Waikato is a registered charity that supports the development of communities, organisations, marae and groups in the Waikato-Tainui region. They offer a range of services aimed at helping communities thrive. Community Waikato regularly carry out planning to help them carry out their services. We talked to them about the importance of effective planning.

You can read more about Community Waikato here. 

QUICK NEWS OF INTEREST 

COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment launched

The Ministry of Social Development launched a new Short-term Absence Payment on 9 February 2021. The one-off payment of $350 is there to help organisations pay workers who can’t work from home while they wait for a COVID-19 test result. Registered charities are eligible to apply for the payment.

You can find out more, including how to apply, on Work and Income’s webpage about the COVID-19 Short-Term Absence Payment. We also publish information about how charities can work through COVID and its impacts on our COVID-19 pages.

The new Trusts Act – What does it mean for registered charities?

The new Trusts Act came into effect on 30 January 2021. The new Act introduced significant changes to trust law that trustees need to be aware of.

Our new blog covers the changes to the Act and how they may be relevant to those charities that operate as trusts.

Read the blog here: The new Trusts Act – What does it mean for registered charities?

If you are interested in the changing environment for trusts, check out this blog by Eleanor Cater, Executive Director of Community Foundations of New Zealand: A new way forward for local trusts.

Myth busting

When we’re out and about, we often hear myths about what charities can and can't do.

Our Myth busting series is a regular feature on our website where we address some misconceptions and bust some myths about the obligations of charities.

This month, we’re looking at when charities can run businesses.

You can read the Myth busting feature on our website.

Reporting standards for Tier 3 and Tier 4 charities - Quick! Time is running out to give feedback!

The review of the Tier 3 and Tier 4 reporting standards is open for your comments until 31 March 2021.

The New Zealand Accounting Standards Board (NZASB) wants to know what’s working well, what isn’t working well and where improvements are needed. Think about the last time you prepared your performance report and share any issues that you came across here.

The External Reporting Board (XRB) and Charities Services will be presenting a joint webinar about the review of the Tier 3 and 4 reporting standards on 11 March. If you’re a volunteer treasurer, trustee, or officer of a small registered charity and aren’t a professional accountant, this is the webinar for you.

The webinar will cover:

• the objectives of the standards
• the current review and how to give your feedback
• the parts of the standards that charities are finding difficult.

The webinar will be held on Thursday 11 March, 12-1pm. Register for the webinar here.

For more information on the review, the XRB has an overview on their website.

Student Volunteer Week 2021

Survey on cheque use by charities

The Fundraising Institute of New Zealand (FINZ) is running a survey on the use of cheques by charities and not-for-profit organisations. FINZ will use the information collected in the survey to help them understand the impact the removal of cheques will have on the sector.

If you want to provide feedback, they have put together a short survey.

New Year's Honours 2021

Each year the Governor-General, on behalf of the Queen, holds investiture ceremonies for people named in the New Year and The Queen's Birthday Honours Lists and in Special Honours Lists. Except for those honours that are in The Queen's personal gift, all awards are made on the advice of the Prime Minister. This year 154 people have been recognised for serving their community or for a significant achievement. Many are involved in charities and work to improve the lives of others. This is a significant achievement in a very challenging year. We would like to extend our congratulations to all of those recognised.

Mā mua ka kite a muri, mā muri ka ora a mua.

Those who lead give sight to those who follow,
those who follow give life to those who lead.

GOVERNANCE MATTERS

Playing by the rules

Your charity’s rules document (usually a constitution or a trust deed) sets out specific ways your charity will operate and make decisions.

If your charity has been established for some time, your rules document may not be applicable or practical in 2021. It’s a good time to get your rules out of the bottom drawer, dust them off and have a good read through to see if they are still useful in their current format, or if they need a refresh.

If your charity is a charitable trust, the provisions of the newly enacted Trusts Act 2019 will affect you. You can find out more about the changes for trusts in our most recent blog.

Your current rules should have a clause about how to amend your rules. It is important that you stick to the process that your rules provide. The High Court has the ability to undo actions if you haven’t followed your rules correctly. 

Pay attention to the clauses about how you conduct your meetings. You may wish to amend them to keep up with technology. Many older rules documents we see still talk about fax and post when many charities are now using email and virtual meeting platforms.

If you do change your rules you must notify Charities Services of the changes. Find more information how to notify Charities Services of changes to your rules here.

RESOURCES