“Civil society sits at the heart of our daily activities. We rely heavily upon the vital and often invisible work of the not-for-profit (NFP) sector.
"New Zealand has the highest number of charities per capita in the OECD – over 28,000. This is undoubtedly too many, however their contribution is colossal and not always properly valued.
If we are talking dollar value, in 2018 the charity sector was worth over $12b per annum to our GDP."
From sports clubs to environmental groups, residents associations to animal rescue, support groups to community patrols - the list goes on. Not-for-profits do incredible work across New Zealand, delivering an enormous range of services that are critical to our communities.
Some are fortunate to have enough financial support that they have paid employees, but most rely heavily on volunteers. I’ve had the pleasure of serving on a number of Boards for not-for-profits and I’m always impressed with the dedication and passion of the people involved.
For good reasons there is a lot of transparency and accountability reporting that these groups must undertake. On top of the constant hunt for funding, the administration burden is significant. I’d like to see local and central government support this sector more by reducing the bureaucratic demands and focusing more on enabling these groups to thrive.
I’d also encourage anyone who is looking to do something rewarding to seriously consider helping out one of their local groups. Find one that connects with a passion you share, or that might need your skills. Even sports clubs need accountants, you don’t have to be an athlete.
Check out https://seekvolunteer.co.nz/ for groups looking for volunteers or for governance roles head to the NZ Institute of Directors vacancies page.