Banking Issues in the Community Sector

Ciara OCallaghan • November 30, 2021

CNA is currently gathering information and experiences regarding problems that community organisations have with the banking sector - we want to hear from you!

Months and months to change a signatory...

Chasing down Board members that live across the country for their signatures...

Conflicting and contradictory information and guidance from banking staff...

Endless hoops to jump through, paperwork to complete and problems to solve...

Travelling significant distances to the nearest bank branch...

Do these issues sound familiar? Tell us!

As a representative and advocate for the community sector, here at CNA we always have our ears to the ground, listening for and gathering the concerns of the community organisations of Aotearoa New Zealand. One issue keeps cropping up time and time again - difficulties dealing with banks. So, our latest project involves investigating how banks and changes to banking systems are affecting the work of community organisations.

The first step in addressing this issue is consulting with our network - that means we want to know whether you, your organisation or community members have experienced banking difficulties.

Thank you to everyone who has already submitted responses. We've received stories of months spent getting one thing done; changing signatories; inconsistent forms; EFTPOS problems; depositing cash; branch closures; staff not knowing sector information - let alone our obvious money laundering! Some organisations noted that making any changes at all to how they did banking was a time-consuming and confusing process.

How we interact with banks and deal with money is changing fast, such as the digital transformation of IRD, clsure of rural and suburban bank branches, the Reserve Bank considering a digital currency and more. CNA wants to ensure community organisations' concerns and perspectives are heard amid these changes.

We want to hear about any problems or negative experiences you've had. Fill out this survey to tell us about your experience.

This is the start of a collaborative project with our member organisations across the motu, including Community Waikato, Community Waitakere, Taupō Council of Social Services, SociaLink, ANCAD and more...

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Hapori Aotearoa Conference Wrap-Up

By Community Networks • March 10, 2025

Last week Patrick represented CNA at the Hapori Aotearoa – Growing Communities Together in sunny Tauranga presented by Inspiring Communities and the Tauranga City Council. A two-day conference focused on providing practical resources amplifying community development. With each day having multiple concurrent workshops there were difficult (and esciting) choices to be made. The hottest topics were Social Return On Investments / Social Investment, Te Tiriti, and (no surprise) funding within the Sector. There were great speakers and a lot of table korero, spilling of tea, and sharing ideas and resources. Did you know there is a Regional Data Explorer on the Social Investment Agency website ? How might organisations use this to target their mahi and applications? “The Social Investment Agency’s Regional Data Explorer supports access to data for regional and sub-regional decision-making. It brings together 70 datasets or 'indicators' which can be filtered to meet a particular need." Another great workshop (Belinda Gorman ) looked into connecting with businesses to explore various ways of funding. Looking at alignment, how to approach and creating that relationship. One contribution we were able to make was a handy dandy doc on how to use the free version of ChatGPT to create a start – how to create a document that begins your journey on support, sponsorship and funding. Here it is – Using ChatGPT to Get $. And it was a great chance to catch up with Members – SociaLink (also a supporter of the conference); Volunteer Kapiti and Community Networking Trust. It was a time to catch up with friends from other organisations and to make new connections, both strengthening our reach around the Motu. Whilst conferences are expensive, attending can hit many birds with one stone and its important to get out of your own area, headspace to remind yourself that you are not alone in what’s going on; that there are people with ideas around you; and that (while it can be a draining experience) it is a fantastic way to recharge your spirit. We look forward to hosting our Members at our Members’ Only Hui on Friday, 7th November in Te Whanganui-a-Tara /Wgtn for exactly those reasons. Oh, did I mention it’s also our 50th Anniversary celebrations? Patrick Davies, Engagement Officer