We know governance can be an issue for some charities because we see examples of where poor governance has had a negative impact on a charity’s ability to operate effectively and meet their objectives.

Fortunately, there are a range of resources and organisations that can help improve governance. In this edition of our newsletter we showcase SociaLink, who are based in the Western Bay of Plenty. SociaLink have developed some great resources to support good governance. I also encourage you to read our recent blog on governance resources. 

I would like to congratulate all the nominees and winners at the recent Women in Governance awards. A special mention goes to Justine Smyth for being awarded the supreme award. Justine is a trustee of the Breast Cancer NZ Register Trust Board and the Chair of the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, both registered charities.

Another aspect of our role is to ensure that our systems are easy to use. I am pleased to announce improvements to our processes. In particular, deregistered charities can now re-register using their old charities (CC) number. Find out more about this later in the newsletter.

This month we welcome a new Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector. It was a privilege to work with our previous Minister Hon Peeni Henare. Hon Poto Williams was sworn in as the new Minister on 3 July 2019. She is the MP for Christchurch East and has a background working in the community sector. I really enjoyed our first meeting this week and look forward to working with her to support her with her priorities.

Before I sign off I want to let you know that our Annual Meeting will be held in the Christchurch Town Hall on Monday 23 September 2019. More information, including how to register, will be sent out to all charities soon. We look forward to seeing those that can make it along, sharing our work plan, and getting your feedback and questions.

Ngā mihi

Natasha Weight
General Manager, Charities Services

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Meet the new Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector

The Minister was sworn in by the Governor General on 3 July 2019 and said her new role is an “absolute honour and a privilege.”

We here at Charities Services wish to extend a very warm welcome to Hon Poto Williams and we look forward to working together to support a strong and flourishing charitable sector.

Strategic planning

We recently asked registered charities what kind of governance support they needed and many of you told us that strategic planning and managing risk are tricky.

A plan is like a recipe, it gives you the ingredients and their quantities, how to put it all together and in what order so that you get what you envisioned. Planning can be simple or detailed, depending on the size and purpose of your group. Good planning enables you to clearly describe to people outside the group your intentions, goals and progress. Find out more about planning on CommunityNet Aotearoa.

Strategic planning

Your strategic plan should answer these three questions:

• What do we do?
• Who do we do it for?
• How do we excel?

There are a number of great resources available and you can find more information about putting together a strategic plan on CommunityNet and NZ Navigator and the Wheelhouse.

Risk management

When you are planning it is important that you think about risk to your charity. When was the last time your leadership team properly considered the risks your organisation faces?

The first step is to consider the possible risks and identify them.

Creating a risk management plan is an approach that:

• recognises risk
• considers the likely probability of the risk occurring
• identifies the likely impact should the risk occur and
• describes how the risk will be managed. 

CommunityNet Aotearoa has a Risk Management Plan that you can download and edit. They also have a Risk Management Toolkit which will help you to identify and understand risk factors for your organisation, create a risk management policy and manage and monitor the risks you have identified. You can download the whole toolkit or just the parts you need.

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

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

Do you want to show off the great mahi (work) that your people do? 
Charities Services is putting out a call for photos that could be featured on our website and in the resources that we produce. If you have a great image that you want to share with us, then this is what you need to know:

• The photo needs to be of a high quality and size suitable for publication. 
• When choosing an image, think about what you are saying with it. 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.
• You will need to get the permission of everyone who is in the photo and 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 but we will credit your charity. 

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.

SECTOR SHOWCASE

SociaLink Tauranga

The SociaLink team, from left: Ciska Vogelzang, Catherine Donnelly, Joy Ngatoko Jack-Kino, Kathy Webb, Liz Davies, Liz Stewart, Charlotte Van Doorn. Photo supplied / Socialink

There are an estimated 225 social service providers delivering over 700 services in the Western Bay of Plenty. SociaLink aims to strengthen and empower this thriving social and community sector so organisations can connect, share and work together. 

SociaLink provide a healthy mix of support, encouraging both face-to-face and online learning and interaction. They organise networking and community events, training programmes, forums and educational workshops, share relevant training, research, new policy and legislation and manage The Kollective – the Western Bay’s new co-working community service hub.

SociaLink also provides a suite of free online resources that includes a social services directory. The online resources cover modules on financial management, marketing, and strategic planning. Human resources and financial policy modules are being planned. 

Earlier this month, the online suite was expanded to include a comprehensive collection of information and training resources on governance. The module is conveniently divided into ten components covering topics such as board composition, risk management and engaging with stakeholders and community. We were most impressed by the new governance module and approached Liz Davies, General Manager of SociaLink, to tell us more about the development of the resource.

What motivated the development of the governance resource?

Whilst community organisations are hugely appreciative of people prepared to contribute their time to community organisations, people appointed to boards of trustees often have little or no experience in governance. They are often unaware of their responsibilities and legal liabilities as a trustee, for example, health and safety legislation. Whatever size or stage an organisation is at, governance is governance and we thought a resource that would highlight the main roles and responsibilities would be useful. 

We recognised that when supporting not-for-profits you need to start at the top and ensure organisations have strong and effective governance. Strong governance can then provide strategic direction, oversight of activities and finances, ensure legislation is complied with and monitor performance of a community organisation. SociaLink’s Mapping the Social Sector Project identified that 14% of the 144 organisations interviewed were keen to grow their skills and knowledge in governance. Even if it wasn’t highlighted for others, there are always things to learn about good governance.

We also recognised that it was important to make information about governance as accessible as possible, so busy trustees can upskill themselves at a time convenient to them. It can also be used by the whole board to initiate and inform discussions and to guide the activities of the board.

How is the resource set up?

Liz Stewart, SociaLink’s Research, Advocacy and Policy Advisor, compiled the resources and scanned a wide range of governance material in New Zealand and further afield. Nine universal areas of governance were identified that are important for trustees to be familiar with, regardless of the size of the organisation they are governing. These are: Roles and responsibilities of Trustees; Board composition; Culture, ethics and values; Strategic planning; Risk management; Performance of your organisation; Board effectiveness; Board integrity and accountability; and Engaging with stakeholders and community.

The governance resource is organised so that people can go straight to an area of governance they want to know more about or, if they are new to governance, it is recommended that they start from the beginning and work their way through each section.

Each section is structured with a general introduction to the topic along with links to more in-depth information including webinars, websites and a range of relevant templates from the social, community, sports and art sectors. This allows people to get a general sense of the topic, or delve more deeply if they wish.

Governance is about vision and strategic direction. Does the resource include the unique perspective of Māori?

Yes, it recognises that whilst good governance principles are universal, no two organisations are ever the same. There are also particular characteristics of Māori organisations which bring extra dimensions to the practice of governance. We have included a resource from Te Puni Kōkiri which explores aspects of Māori governance such as how tikanga and kawa are incorporated in the practice of the board and the long term view many Māori organisations take.

Mapping the Social Sector (2017) is important research providing a much sought-after snapshot of what the social sector looks like in the Western Bay of Plenty. How can this resource help a governing board?

A key role of a board is to set and review the organisation’s strategic direction. Information from Mapping the Social Sector allows the organisation to see themselves within the wider context of social service delivery and consider whether there are organisations they could be collaborating with, if there are other organisations delivering similar services, and to identify gaps in services.

What tips would you have for someone who is thinking of duplicating a SociaLink service for their region?

• Ensure it is sector driven so it delivers the services the sector needs; it won’t necessarily look the same as SociaLink.
• Develop relationships with funders to be able to communicate the needs of the sector and broker relationships between funders and providers.
• Role model good practice. Don’t expect providers to do anything you wouldn’t do. 
• Build a diverse board with deep sector experience, tangata whenua representation and business acumen.
• Recruit a great team of passionate and talented staff and enable them, including providing flexible working conditions and being outcome focused. 
• In addition, and given Māori experience worse health and social outcomes than other members of the community, we have prioritised our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We have done this by building capacity and capability to explore how we can add value to the Māori social sector, as well as build the capability of mainstream services to engage and work with Māori.

NEWS OF INTEREST

Women in Governance awards

Women in Governance 2019 award winners. From left: Justine Smyth, Sue Kedgley, Chelsea Grootveld, Anna Fox, Melanie Taite, Nikki Harkerss. Photo by Jill Allan.

On 20 June 2019 the Women in Governance awards were held in Auckland. An initiative of Women on Boards NZ, the awards recognise and celebrate innovation, excellence, creativity and commitment to diversity by both organisations and individuals. A number of board members from registered charities were nominated across the various categories, including Orchid Atimalala who is the first woman to Chair the Auckland Museum Trust Board.

The Minister for Women, the Hon Julie Anne Genter, presented the awards and highlighted the fact that there were a record number of women serving on State Sector boards. The supreme award was the Inspiring Governance Leader Award, which was awarded to Justine Smyth. Justine is a trustee of Breast Cancer NZ Register Trust Board and the Chair of the Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, both registered charities. 

Charities Services would like to congratulate all the nominees and winners on being role models for women leaders in New Zealand. To learn more about the nominees and the winners visit the Women in Governance website.

Events

RESOURCES