July Entry: What, Free?! Too Good to Be True?

Patrick Davies • July 6, 2023

Whenever I get something for free, these days I wonder – what’s the catch?

Recently, thanks to the Ministry of Social Development, CNA was able to offer financial support to all of our members and their members in turn to set their governing bodies with free Tick For Governance courses. Some groups jumped at the chance and are well on their way to enticing funders by being able to demonstrate their upskilling and competency by being awarded a governance qualification.

It seemed a little weird to me that I had a lot of enquiries checking that this was legit and that it was for free. Until I realised that yes, if I got that in my inbox, I would’ve given it the side eye too!

With so much communication going on in the world, (I always think of alien races getting headaches from what we are continuously transmitting into space), it’s hard to separate the wheat from the chaff. Let alone wondering if people know what wheat and chaff is these days 😉

So how do we get this message of free courses across? What is the future? Will ChatGPT let us be able to write better email campaigns? Newsletters? Write better grant applications?

I was very interested to read Afifa Saleem’s article on the latter. You can read that here.

Does this mean that we might be able to get our good ol’ ChatGPT to handle all that while we get on with the mahi. It’s an interesting idea, and certainly it might write a good start to an application but we all know you canna trust the tinman to do the final work!

Just as we trust the humanity on a committee, or board, or trust to do the mahi with all the heart and diverse viewpoints they have. So, what better gift than to help them be the best governing body they can be. If you did get that email, it is a bona fide offer, and if you want to know more we may be able to make that deadline a little elastic.

Give the gift of governance – it’s a present we can all enjoy.

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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

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!