August Newsletter Entry- CNA Journal By Ros & Patrick

By Ros Rice, Executive Officer.
Kia ora everyone,  I hope you’re doing well and staying cozy during these colder months. 

Firstly, I wanted to sure you know about the research that CNA has recently completed about how Banks treat their Non-For-Profit customers. You may have heard about it on social media or the news, but if you’d like to get your own copy of the report to read yourself, you can download it for free from the link in this newsletter. It’s a long read, but a very important one for those interested in improving the banking systems of NFPs. 

While releasing the research was a huge milestone for us, what happens next is just important... 

CNA doesn’t want to launch this research and not follow-up and take action.  We want to help and work with Banks to see some changes, some real progress. Here’s a small taster of what we’re currently working on: 

• We plan to review Bank's websites to see if they have got clear plain English instructions for NPOs on how to do the basic tasks like changing signatures or getting onto online banking. 
• We hope to offer help to Banks with identifying their Golden Unicorns. (Their staff are experts at NPO banking and have the empathy to work with us.) 
• We are talking about Bank Changes as The Golden Trail. 
• We will be looking for a Bank to trial new ways of working with the Sector.  (Any Banks out there interested in being the Golden Trailblazers? ) 
• We will be looking for glossaries, checklists and Golden Unicorns from the Banks. 
  
  

We will give the Banks some time to bring their procedures into order, but then we will be checking.  We will be able to let you all know in 2024 what sort of response we have received from NZ’s Banks.  We are yet to decide, but there is a chance that this time we will be able to name and honour the Banks who have taken us seriously and who want to work with this sector.  Let’s wait and see. Hopefully, we can just say “all the Banks” have put a bit of effort into providing us with better service. 

You’ll also find lots of material in our August edition’s newsletter about ways we can all do our bit towards alleviating climate change. There are little things every organisation can do.  Learning how we can reduce emissions; trying to measure our carbon footprint and making a step-by-step plan to minimize waste in both big and small ways. The Climate Action Toolbox from MBIE is a great resource to get you started.  If you want to send us what your NFP is doing, please do, we would love to share it with our membership. 

Thank you for tuning in. Remember we are here to support your organisation, so if there is anything we can do to help, whether you’re in need of sector advice, resources or just a friendly chat, we’re all ears. 

Until next time, 

Ngā mihi, 

Ros 



Patrick's Hot Take! 🔥 By Patrick Davies, Engagement Officer.

Be a garden. Water yourself, grow, and sometimes sprinkle a little fertiliser here and there. As we look to support and grow the world around us and make it a better place, we need to also think about our own environment. Do we really know what well-being is?

Yes, we are all stretched, and our sector is stretched, just like our environment. We have just experienced the hottest month on record, and we will continue to break that record in successive weeks and months. And then that domino will be hit by that butterfly's wing, and our office will be hot.

Hot, in the sense that there are numerous issues that need direct and urgent attention. Hot, in the sense that everyone and their emotions will be bumping into each other, and frustration is a very real weather condition in some workplaces.

We are told to take 10 minutes here and there to just chill, but do we really?

We are told to get 8 hours of sleep a night, but can we really?

We are told to drink 8 litres of water a day, but who likes water?

Well, I do. Usually, hot with caffeine. Sometimes I feel like a kid being told to eat all my vegetables.

Now I feel like I can't clean up an oil mess in the Amazon, and that can lead to anxiety about what is happening with our environment and a sense of helplessness.

What I've found is that the phrase "think globally, act locally" works just as well in my mahi. What's on my desk? What do I need to get done? Yes, I can be mindful of the world of my organization and not feel responsible for everything. I might be responsible for everything if I'm the top cat. But thinking globally helps you locally.

You've got friends outside of work who make up a part of your habitat.

You most likely have family who are part of your dwelling.

You most likely have work colleagues who are part of your island.

Just take a moment and think of these people – right now. Take a couple of moments to sit and think of each of these. Then add that you and your organisation are part of a larger ecosystem that, yes, has its predators, but also has its growers, movers, shakers, and carers. There are so many in the sector who share your worries and also share your load. You all make up a forest that cycles through the seasons and provides oxygen, shelter, shade, and homes for all of those we help in the sector.

And you also have us here at CNA.

So, while you care for our planet and its environment, please remember that you are also that planet, that environment. And when you thrive, we all thrive. We are all growers, movers, shakers, and carers.