We are grateful to Lawyer Susan Barker and Charities Law Reform Aotearoa New Zealand for the following comment: Budget 2026 makes 10 tax changes for charities, falling broadly into 3 categories: Donations tax credit changes: 1. New cap of $100,000 for donations tax credits 2. allowing in-year donation tax credit Read more
When “Good Practice” Becomes Too Much: Managing Compliance Overload in Small NZ Charities Running a small non-profit (“charity”) in New Zealand has never been simple—but in recent years, many organisations have found the burden quietly slipping from “doing good” to “keeping up.” What used to be a manageable set of Read more
This post was drafted with the assistance of AI. A significant number of incorporated societies missed the 5 April 2026 re-registration deadline. Many will have made a deliberate decision not to re-register. However, others for a variety of reasons may have missed the deadline and thus may be wondering how Read more
Recent months have seen a large number of changes, in the regulatory sense, for NZ charities and non-profit organisations. We recently used an AI programme to check whether we are missing any changes and updates. Here we reproduce the response (from Perplexity AI) in full noting, as always with AI, Read more
Sue Barker, charity specialist lawyer, has drawn our attention to the latest Law Down Under Podcast which discusses all things charities law. With the Government going back to the drawing board following its February issues paper on taxing charities, charities now have, in Sue Barker’s opinion, such an important opportunity Read more
A British podcast tells the story of the legendary fundraising efforts of Captain Sir Tom Moore and what follows. The podcast (42 minutes including promotions) contains lessons for those starting and running non-profit organisations and, indeed, lessons for donors: “When Britain entered its first Covid-19 lockdown in March 2020, many Read more
Dr John Godfrey publishes a periodic blog, principally on fundraising matters. After an introduction, a recent blog starts: “The Third Sector in Aotearoa has significant size. It represents around 4% of GDP and about the same percent of the workforce. The workforce is larger than either Agriculture or Tourism, two Read more
This article has been updated and replaced here
In a recent newsletter, RAINEY COLLINS LAWYERS published an article with the above title. The article commences: “A Society, which was a registered charity, held an AGM for the purposes of voting on new officers as the term of some of the current officers had expired. A member was nominated Read more
Non-profit boards play a critical role in advancing the mission of the organisation and serving its constituents. To achieve these goals, board meetings need to be productive and effective. Here are some tips on how to run successful non-profit board meetings: Other Resources: What are the elements of a good Read more
Q. A member of our committee has suggested that we should take out D&O Insurance . We are a small charity with limited funds. Is such insurance worth it? A. Please note that we are not legal or financial experts but we would suggest that all insurance is a waste Read more
Updated 31 May 2024 Q: We are a church which is a Registered NZ Charity. Some members have suggested that we should, in addition to registration with DIA Charities Services, ‘Incorporate’ with the Companies Office (Registrar of Incorporated Societies). Is this step necessary or advisable? What are the pros and Read more