Promoting Generosity
- a project to grow the level of giving in all its forms in our communities

Philanthropy New Zealand, Volunteering New Zealand and the OCVS are spearheading the Generosity Project to explore ways to encourage individuals and businesses to participate in their communities and local community organisations by giving time, money or in-kind donations. Representatives from the community and private sectors and other government departments form the wider working hub and advisory group.

Many community and voluntary organisations state that a lack of resources and volunteers impacts on their ability to achieve their goals. An increasing body of research suggests individual and company generosity is most likely to occur when it:

• is promoted in a number of ways
• recognises the unique character of a local community and the wide diversity of potential donors and volunteers within it
• creatively uses multiple strategies to cultivate giving within diverse populations.

This new initiative will develop and implement a multi-sectoral plan to encourage giving and volunteering.

The Focus on Generosity series of discussion papers was written to stimulate discussion between Hub members, advisors and others in order to guide the work of the Hub. The Hub also encourages you to use the Focus on Generosity series in your own work, as we know that at times, conversations can in themselves be a catalyst for change.

The Hub has invited people to attend a follow-up communities-of-interest meeting on 19 June 2009 to explore where the Promoting Generosity project can go next.  It also welcomes input from others with ideas to share.

The four discussion papers released over a six-month period are:

The project has also generated the following:

»  Prime Minister encourages culture of generosity in speech to Philanthropy NZ Conference (March 2009).

» Minister Turia suggests Kiwis give it up for a good cause – media release highlighting bigger tax credits on donations (March 2009).

»  Read Minister Turia’s media release about generosity and the recession’s impact on philanthropic funding.

» Find out how to claim a bigger tax credit on your donations.

»  Learn about proposed payroll giving and tax changes related to volunteer reimbursements and honoraria.

» Visit Give it Up – a NZ website encouraging Kiwis to donate tax cuts.

» Visit www.donatenz.com – a  portal where individuals, organisations and companies can donate goods, time and discounts to schools, early childhood and not-for-profit organisations in NZ.

» Visit www.givealittle.co.nz – a site offering donation vouchers as a unique gift option.

» Visit www.ammado.com, which connects nonprofits, socially responsible companies and engaged individuals online.

» Explore Learning to Give – an international curriculum resource site to help teach giving, volunteerism, and civic engagement and build character through service learning.

» See neighbourhood projects supported by TogetherNES.

» Read about Little Elms – a community construction project profiled in NZ Trucking magazine.

The following people/organisations are on the project hub/working group:

• Elliot Strange (Signify Ltd) - Chair
• John Prendergast (Community Trust of Southland)
• Kate Frykberg (Todd Foundation/Thinktank Charitable Trust)
• Kitty Hilton (Fundraising Insititute)
• Liz Hampton (IBM)
• Mark Cassidy (Guardian Trusts)
• Melanie Gregg (Department of Internal Affairs)
• Nick Jones (Sustainable Advantage Ltd)
• Rachel Ritchie (Whanganui Community Foundation)
• Richard Till (chef, radio personality and host of community dinners)
• Robyn Scott (Philanthropy NZ)
• Sangeeta Singh (The Chinmaya Mission New Zealand)
• Tania Mataki (Te Puna Oranga)
• Tim Burns (Volunteering NZ)
• Tyron Love (Massey University).

In-kind contributions to the project have come from IHC, Origin Design and IBM. 
Additional support provided by Iris Webster (OCVS), Rachel Roberts (PNZ) and Jenny Blagdon (facilitator)

In 2002, Government made a commitment to support volunteering through the Government Policy on Volunteering and associated work programme.

In 2008, this work was summarised and reported to Cabinet in the document Government Support for Volunteering 2002–2008.