June Newsletter Entry - Ros & Patrick Journals

You might think we’re early with conference information, but trust me, we’re not! We want to give you ample time to book flights and accommodation, discuss with your governance group, and encourage some of them to attend too. We also want to ensure you have time to apply for the Early Bird special and review our incredible program. 

We want to take the time to encourage you to join us. Face-to-face opportunities are rare these days, and we all need them. Things are changing so rapidly, and we need to hear what’s going on and discuss it with each other. I want to highlight two presentations and a workshop that are particularly exciting. 

One of our presentations is from Julian Moore, who will be zooming in from Brisbane, Australia. If you’re a long-term member, you might remember Julian from our West Auckland conference back in 2008. He traveled from Australia to present on sponsorship, but his focus has since shifted. Julian, once an Australian Sponsorship guru, is now an Australian AI expert. He will discuss the hot topic of AI and non-profits, demonstrating practical ways to use AI to simplify your work. He will also take those tricky questions at the end. 

We also have Gordon Noble-Campbell discussing why Return on Investment (ROI) matters for non-profits. Recently, there’s been discussion about Mike King’s Gumboot Charity, which received $24 million by claiming that every dollar invested provided the government with a social return of $5.70. This isn’t new; back in around 2004, the NZ Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations conducted research via Price Waterhouse Cooper, showing that for every dollar the government paid non-profits, they received a return of $5 to $7. Gordon will speak about how ROI can demonstrate value to stakeholders. Gordon is the Chairperson of the NZ Amateur Sports Association and a senior staff member at Forsyth Barr. This will be a fascinating session. 

Lastly, I want to talk about an important workshop by Robbie Taylor from the Reserve Bank. The issue for discussion is ‘The Future of Cash in New Zealand’. This topic is generating a lot of discussions. Can we still use cash at banks? What about shops that no longer accept cash? What is the future of cash in New Zealand and worldwide? This issue is very close to the people many of us work with in our communities. Will cash continue to be used, and if not, how will our people survive? Robbie will provide commentary and answers to many of these questions. This is a workshop not to be missed! 

And that’s only three sessions. I suggest bringing at least two people to our conference so you can split up, as it will be hard to choose between workshops. Don’t forget the great dinner on Thursday night. Get your registrations in next week, because numbers are limited. 

Usual Suspects
Patrick Davies, Engagement Officers Hot Take.

Ugh, conferences… am I right? People get up and chat about the usual things – funding, poverty, ‘thought leaders’... What’s the point? 

Community: whether it be ‘misery loves company’ or ‘a trouble shared is a trouble halved’, can sometimes not be enough to motivate. And why should it? We spend a lot of time bashing our heads against a wall – (it’s usually called ‘resilience’) – and not enough time stopping. 

A conference can be a much-needed break in the routine, as essential as a holiday. Think about it: there are many similarities. You have to organize transport and accommodation – what can I afford? How am I getting from the airport to the hotel (how do I find one that’s cheap but not horrible?). What am I going to do when I get there to get a break? Even holidays can be exhausting. But once you’re there, you realize that you wouldn’t have missed it for the world. 

So, how do you get a break at a conference? 

Let me tell you about lungs – very handy organs. They breathe in and breathe out. As a ‘sometime asthmatic’, I can tell you how panicky it can get when all you can do is not breathe out. Short, gaspy breaths clamoring for oxygen while trying to imagine your lungs are pretty balloons, capable of deflating... think it, think it, think it... 

At work, your mahi is shared by you and your team (if you have one), and a lot of that requires constant output from you. Even headbanging is at your own energy expense; no one helps you by slamming your head into the wall. You’re still burning your own calories. A conference is a time for others to talk at you so that their ideas come to you, rather than you having to reach for them. Those that don’t apply can easily be batted away or inspected to see if there’s any ‘kinder surprise’ that might actually work for you. 

People sit around you and korero; new perspectives as well as old ones might inspire something. This could happen while you wait for a session, over a morning cuppa, lunch, or dinner. “Change is as good as a holiday” – being in a different location may lead you to have space to think, rather than your usual office or rooms. It’s well known that rearranging a room in your house can lift you up; so why not rearrange your working days at a conference? 

Sharing issues can lead to solutions; hearing issues may lead to you offering something. That’s why this conference is collective; that’s why it’s current – we’re having it when we all have something to say, to give, to receive, and, most importantly, to thrive together. 

You are not alone. Let our conference remind you of the support, warmth, and hope.