Issue 11 - 12 July 2007

Around 135 people from the community and voluntary sector met with 13 Ministers and senior officials from 31 government agencies to discuss common issues on the second day of the Community-Government Forum in Wellington in June.  The event was the first time that such a diverse mix of people from the community and voluntary sector, Ministers, and officials had come together under one roof.

The enthusiasm and commitment of community sector people to talk through issues of common concern at the Forum with Government was magnificent, said Minister for the Community and Voluntary Sector, Luamanuvao Winnie Laban.

The Community-Government Forum was organised by a steering group of sector leaders supported by the OCVS, the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) and the Community Sector Taskforce.

The OCVS is currently advertising for a new Policy Analyst to join our team. If you are committed to the delivery of quality policy advice, possess excellent writing skills, have the ability to research and give clear oral presentations at the highest level, and are able to work collaboratively and responsively in both government and non-government settings, then we are offering you the opportunity to make a real difference. 

Applications must be in by 23 July 2007.  To apply, you should have a demonstrated interest in the community and voluntary sector, experience of community organisations and volunteering, and an understanding of tikanga Mäori and whole-of-government action.

Two regional funders forums in Auckland last week marked the end of the current series of 12 regional forums organised by the OCVS, Philanthropy New Zealand (PNZ) and the Department of Internal Affairs.

Sherri Torjman from Canada’s Caledon Institute of Social Policy spoke at the two Auckland events about the Vibrant Communities project, which is all about community-driven change.  While in New Zealand, Sherri is also speaking at the Local Government Conference in Dunedin, the COmVOiceS Cross Parliamentary Breakfast and the Wellington Funder Network.

Funders in all the regions where forums were held have valued the opportunity to make connections with other funders – many of whom they had never heard of.  In many regions new networks have been established or reinvigorated, and the OCVS and PNZ have heard a number of reports of funders planning future networking meetings. This is a great result and is likely to benefit communities around the country.

Reports from all the forums will soon be posted online at http://giving.org.nz/node/296. This is also the site where you can access the regional snapshots, which highlight various community needs and aspirations drawn from a number of sources. The snapshots focus on Wellington, Upper South Island, Otago/Southland, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Manawatu/Taranaki, Hawkes Bay, Mid/South Canterbury, Northland and Auckland.

Requests for the free publication Mahi Aroha: Maori Perspectives on volunteering and cultural obligations continued to flood into the OCVS.

This is not the only publication freely available from OCVS, you can also order:

• Keeping it Legal E Ai Ki Te Ture
• Defining the Non-Profit Sector (2006)
• He Waka Kotuia: Joining together on a Shared Journey (2002)
• The Government Policy on Volunteering (2002)
• The Statement of Government Intentions for an Improved Community-Government Relationship (2001)
• Communities and Government: Potential for Partnership Whakatopu Whakaaro (2001)

Free printed copies can be ordered by e-mailing your postal address to ocvs@msd.govt.nz, or you can view these and other papers online.

The next Community & Voluntary Sector (CVS) research forum is in Christchurch on Tuesday 31 July (1 - 4pm) at the Beckenham Service Centre of Christchurch City Council, 66 Colombo St, Christchurch.

The next Wellington CVS research forum is on Wednesday 22 August, (1pm - 4pm), hosted by the Families Commission; 6th Floor, Public Trust Building, 117-125 Lambton Quay.

The forums are convened by ANGOA, (the Association of NGOs of Aotearoa), with assistance from the OCVS.

The free legal resource Keeping it Legal E Ai Ki Te Ture includes information on how charities can apply for tax-exempt status and/or register with the Charities Commission. Registration with the Charities Commission is voluntary, but charitable organisations must register if they want to keep or obtain an income-tax exemption on the grounds of charitable purpose. Tax-exempt status remains a decision for Inland Revenue, but registration with the Commission is now a new precondition for Inland Revenue granting tax-exempt status.

The Charities Commission will accept applications for charitable status from any organisation that is a society, an institution or trustees of a trust. The organisation does not have to be an incorporated body.

To see if your organisation meets the ‘charitable purposes’ criteria check out Fact Sheet #7 on the Charities Commission on the Keeping it Legal website.

Statistics NZ, OCVS and the Committee for the Study of the NZ Non-Profit Sector are busy working towards the next major milestone for this international comparative project - the publication of the NZ Non-Profit Institutions Satellite Account.

Statistics New Zealand will create a 'satellite account’, which will pull together economic information on all non-profit organisations in one place. This will enable in-depth analysis of a part of the economy not previously shown separately in New Zealand’s National Accounts.  The Satellite Account is due to be launched in Wellington on 28 August 2007.

As well as our electronic newsletter (that you are reading now), the OCVS also produces a printed newsletter throughout the year. It you're not getting the printed newsletter and would like to (or we keep addressing your printed copy to the wrong person, wrong address, etc) please e-mail your details to ocvs@msd.govt.nz.

If you have an event, conference or meeting related to community or voluntary issues, you are welcome to send a brief description of the event to us for inclusion in our email updates.

The NZ Royal Honours System is one way for New Zealand to say thanks and well done to those who have served and those who have achieved.  Awards are given for service to the community or nation, and on merit and achievement, in whatever field, going beyond the normal requirements of duty or office.  Awards are usually announced twice a year (on Queens Birthday and at New Year).  Volunteers and people who have made significant contributions to their communities invariably make up a sizeable portion of those who are officially recognised.

» ANYONE can make a nomination, so go and download a nomination form.

» The deadline for nominations for the New Years Honours list is 1 August.

The Bioethics Council Secretariat recently hosted a one-day workshop on democratic, inclusive processes for policy and decision-making. The workshop was run by Dr Lyn Carson and Anne Pattillo and was attended by 35 people from central and local government, non-governmental organisations, business, crown research institutes and universities.

» Video of the presentations is available.

» You can also read more about why dialogue is needed, and access information on various dialogue processes.

New Zealand’s 5th Youth Parliament has been underway this week, so it seems timely to highlight a resource looking at ways to involve young people in the community through volunteering.

The Volunteering Australia Subject Guide: Young people and volunteering – take a closer look explores what motivates young volunteers, the benefits of involving them in your voluntary activity, ways to make your NGO youth-friendly, and tips for attracting young people to your organisation.

Should volunteer work be calculated as an economic statistic? The UN has long thought so, citing the impact of volunteer projects on a country's social and economic development. But it lacked a systematic way to measure such work. Now the UN's International Labour Organisation, which oversees the gathering of labour data, is working with the Center for Civil Society Studies at Johns Hopkins University to capture the information.

The plan is to get the agencies around the world that run labour force surveys to survey people about their volunteer work as well as their jobs. Currently, only a handful of countries do this with any regularity, says Lester Salamon, director of the Johns Hopkins center.  A recommended procedure for doing this will be presented to the International Conference of Labour Statisticians in Geneva, Switzerland, in December 2008. (Source: Business Week)

The Community Organisation Grants Scheme (COGS) 2007 Funding Round closes on 27 July 2007.

Community and voluntary organisations are urged to apply now at www.cdgo.govt.nz. Not-for-profit organisations delivering community services or running community-based projects can apply for a grant towards running costs. The average grant is $3,000.

During 2006, SPARC contracted Gravitas Research and Strategy Ltd to conduct social marketing, qualitative research to provide greater understanding of what motivates people to volunteer in sport and recreation and identify factors that prevent them from volunteering.

» The Finding and Keeping Volunteers: what the research tells us report is now online.

The Office of the Ombudsman’s new website is designed to assist both the public (who make requests for official information and complaints against government agencies), and the government agencies in the handling of those complaints and requests for official information. The site is written in "plain English" and includes a targeted search facility covering all of the Office of the Ombudsman's publications.

» Access the site using either www.ombudsmen.govt.nz or www.ombudsmen.parliament.nz.

The new Bachelor of Human Services degree at The University of Auckland is being offered for the first time in 2007. It is one of the few professional education programmes in human services in New Zealand, and IS the only degree that offers youth work as a major.  The next intake for the Bachelor of Human Services starts on July 16th and may be studied part-time or full-time.  

If you would like further information about the programme, contact Sheree Allan or click here.

An article entitled ‘NZ Looks to Wikis for Public Engagement’ reflects increasing international interest in New Zealand's approach to online engagement.  It also recognises the importance of the participation community of practice in exploring opportunities for public engagement with government.

» Read the article or read more about the project.

The Walt Disney Company and Youth Service America awards grants of up to $500 to support youth-led service projects. These grants support youth (ages 5-14) in planning and implementing service projects in their community (to take place between 1 October and 26 November 2007). Teachers, older youth (15-25), youth-leaders, and youth-serving organisations are also eligible to apply, provided they engage younger youth (5-14) in planning and implementing the service.

Projects can address themes such as the environment, disaster relief, public health and awareness, community education, hunger, literacy, or any issue that youth identify as a community need. Applications are welcome from all countries, though applications will only be accepted in English.

If you wish to be added to (or removed from) the Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector distribution list for this e-newsletter and other regular communications, send an email to: ocvs@msd.govt.nz with your name and postal address.

The Office for the Community and Voluntary Sector exists to inspire co-operation and superb relationships between the government and the community and voluntary sector. You can find out more about the OCVS on our website: www.ocvs.govt.nz, by email at: ocvs@msd.govt.nz, phone: 04 918 9555, or by fax: 04 913 3080.