Community Tips: Techsoup NZ

Ciara OCallaghan • March 8, 2022

In a new blog series we are calling Community Tips, CNA will be discussing tricks, tools and resources that can support and help out our member organisations and their kaimahi.

During CNA's 2022 Conference at the end of February, one of our fantastic presenters, Amanda Reid from BERL (Business and Economic Research), talked with our attendees about the impact of current and future technology on community organisations. Amanda's presentation looked a lot at cybersecurity risks, and how NGOs can mitigate them and respond, as well as taking the opportunities presented by new technologies. We're starting off our Community Tips series with a post on Techsoup NZ, an awesome technology resource for the not-for-profit sector that Amanda recommended in her presentation.

In their own words, Techsoup is a not-for-profit focused on "building stronger communities through technology". Kind of like a technology-focused CNA, they serve the not-for-profit sector by providing products, training, services, education, advice, resources and information to their membership. Providing everything from Social Media training courses to discounted Microsoft Office packs, event management, website building and cyber security protection, all services cater to the specific needs of community organisations. These services are often free of charge or discounted to ensure accessibility for the communities that need it the most.

Membership is free and currently consists of around 30,000 charitable organisations.. Techsoup also partners with other technology companies to provide more products and information. Here at CNA we receive weekly emails about workshops, discounted tech products, news from the tech industry and handy tips.

You can find out more here and sign up as a Techsoup member here.

Find out more about Amanda's Presentation and the other resources she discussed on our Conference Reflections page here.

Feel free to get in touch with us with any questions or comments!

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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