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
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
With a number of charities struggling to survive, and news recently of a number closing down or seriously considering it (see note below), it was good to see some financial advice for charities recently posted from Andrew Austin of Jarden Wealth. The article starts: “Charities play a crucial role in Read more
A recent newsletter from RAINEY COLLINS LAWYERS discussed the above topic. The article starts: “There are some key differences between charitable trusts and incorporated societies. Which entity works best for you will depend on the type and goals of your organisation. Incorporated society An incorporated society is a membership-based organisation. Read more
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
From the Charities Services Newsletter June 2024 Good governance and the Charities Act The Charities Act changed in 2023 and now there is a new requirement related to the governance of your charity. Charities will now need to review their governance every three years. When you come to file your Read more
ImpactLab have published a report with insights into the Charitable sector in New Zealand. The report explores the “Social Return” on investment in the sector across NZ. The Executive Summary of the Report starts: “Funders and charities across Aotearoa have diverse interests, backgrounds and approaches. But they share a common Read more
“Good Governance is fundamental to the success of your organisationBy getting your governance right, you will have capable, diverse, and engaged board members, a strategy about how to achieve your organisation’s ambitions and serve your community, and ensure your organisation is operating in a legal and ethical manner. The Good Read more
On 28 June 2022, the Supreme Court delivered its decision that Family First New Zealand does not advance a charitable purpose. In doing so, the Court endorsed Te Rātā Atawhai, the Charities Registration Board’s (the Board) 2017 de-registration decision. Under the Charities Act 2005, the Board is responsible for making Read more
We have started a new non-profit group and realise that we need to develop some formal policies. Can you point us towards a resource which may help? Platform | Atamira has published a very useful library of policies templates. While primarily aimed at mental health service providers, many of the Read more
Asking “What is the “best” legal structure for a non-profit organisation” may be seen as the ‘how long is a piece of string’ type of question as the answer is far from straightforward and is dependent upon a number of factors. Indeed, in some cases, a not-for-profit organisation doesn’t even need Read more
Here’s another useful and insightful post from RSM Global: “You’re on a board. You’re not financially trained but you appreciate that reviewing finances to ensure they’re under control is an important aspect of good governance. What should you be looking for? What are the questions to ask? Is there a Read more