MUBAR! A Cautionary Tale

Patrick Davies • September 6, 2024

MUBAR – Mucked Up Beyond All Recognition!
Patrick Davies, Engagement Officers Hot Take.

What’s your plan with your organisation’s admin when the faecal matter hits the rotating blades? Well, we’ve had a couple of our Member organisations find out. In one organisation the admin person (it was a very small org.) has unfortunately passed away. The organisation, friends and whanau are in mourning and, as we know, the world does continue turning.

And, as usual, someone is there to step into the breech. But. One problem suddenly arises. Where are the passwords? Yup, the admin nightmare. As both organisations used Gmail, they found it impossible to gain access – you don’t know who the back up email is (you know, the one you can send the ‘reset password’ to). Regrettably these organisations no longer have access to all of their emails, online google documents and need to start again.

MUBAR – Mucked Up Beyond All Recognition!

What if your admin person was hit by a bus and you no longer had access to that person to ask them how to get into email, Mailchimp, SurveyMonkey, Facebook – all the 100s of applications that your organisation might be using?

Create a process of recovery, which can come in many forms –

A ‘Hit By A Bus Document’ outlines all the processes that the admin does. From how to get into the phone message to when to expect bills and from who. This is a general kind of soc that has non-secure information in it. Imagine it got left on a bus, would there be anything in there that you wouldn’t want public.
Password apps – here at CNA we use My LastPass for free. At the start of each day, I open my MyLastPass with my password and I get a window with all my applications that I can click on and open. So, my one password gets me into everything, and my boss has a sealed envelope with my password in it in case something should happen to me.
But Paddy, what if someone steals your laptop – won’t they have access.
No, they won’t. Because my big password is not saved on my laptop.
Remember you should be changing your passwords every year if not 6 months. That’s why using an application can help, as it randomises your passwords and also updates them at the same time.

So have a sit down with you folk and look at what you would lose if they fell off the planet. Then set about putting in place ways to recover form that.

It’s like insurance – hopefully you will never need to use it; but when you do you will!

< Older Post

Newer Post >

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

End-of-Year Finance Checklist for Community Organisations in Aotearoa

By Community Networks • March 6, 2025

As we approach the end of the financial year, it’s a great time for community organisations and NFPs to check in on their finances.

Need Help Making 1+1 = 6?

By Community Networks • March 6, 2025

This month, we’re focusing on financial health—cash flow, grants, audits, and long-term stability. But this isn’t just a checklist—it’s an opportunity to tap into the collective wisdom of our community!