Strengthening the Sector in 2022/2023

Empowered to Thrive: Head of Community Investment Kate Sclater talks about mahi to support the Strengthening of the Community Sector

Part of our ongoing commitment to the community organisations we support is our investment in Strengthening the Sector through a range of development and capacity-building initiatives.

Our focus is in three key areas: Capability, Capacity; and Context. This framework not only focuses on practical skills, knowledge and confidence, it acknowledges the importance of providing a supportive funding environment, where we as a funder are intentional about how we support and empower organisations to grow their effectiveness.

This year, we held 19 community sessions aimed at removing barriers to funding. We once again teamed up with LEAD Centre for Not-for-Profit Governance and Leadership to deliver ‘Governance Bites’, a series of information sessions for individuals to grow their skillset and confidently run their organisations.

As part of our focus on equity, we supported the Springboard Trust and Boma to deliver a pilot programme called ‘Leading the Future.’ This programme for school leaders looked at how equity is addressed in education through strategy and problem-solving, and it helped the cohort to build networks for educators to collaborate and learn from one another.

From time to time, we will also work more closely with organisations to help them future-proof and set up for long-term success. An example is Kaipupu Sanctuary in Picton, which recently merged with Picton Dawn Chorus, to streamline their resources and ensure the ongoing effectiveness of their collective pest control and conservation efforts.

Over the coming year, we will be thinking about how we support organisations to grow their capability around sustainability, encouraging them to think about how best to reduce their impact on the environment during the ongoing challenges of Climate Change and what steps they can take to make a positive difference.

There are a range of resources to support organisations in our Capacity Building Toolbox. These include practical guides on a range of areas. We will continue to update these resources to cover more areas of good practice in the community sector.