Key Outcomes - 2020/21 Year

Accounting for Charities Trust has grown significantly since its inception in 2011, and has expanded its operational area from the Lower North Island to include Hamilton and Auckland. The Trust has worked with and provided subsidised and affordable services and training to over 350 community organisations in the last 12 months.

We continue to receive strong demand from community groups in the regions we serve. We currently have 2 staff members, 6 contractors, and 3 volunteers to manage the workload and carry out the aims and objectives of the Trust by providing subsidised and professional financial management, governance, and training services.

The Trust continues to customise the range of services to community groups. For example, in order to meet demand from committees/boards for more effective governance, the Trust has implemented and facilitates a workshop that covers the essential elements of governance and has also developed a governance self-evaluation checklist for committees/boards which enables them to evaluate their effectiveness and take actions where required, and identify any training requirements to upskill. We have also developed a strategic planning workshop to assist boards/committees meet their goals and objectives.

Support from funders mean we can provide essential training in financial management and governance which are key components for sustainable and viable community groups which benefit society as a whole, at affordable rates. This is a ‘Win/Win” for the Not for Profit sector.

Workshops/Presentations

The Trust has facilitated workshops on Financial Management, Governance for Community Organisations, and Strategic Planning. These workshops were developed to meet the needs of both stakeholders and community groups who wanted a good overview of these hot topics and incorporating a practical approach.

The Trust also runs ‘Finance training for Not For Profits’. The workshop is a 2.5 hour interactive, participative workshop covering the essentials of finance management, new performance reporting for charities, internal controls, and sustainability. This workshop was developed to specifically meet the needs of Treasurers and Accounts staff/volunteers, however it is also useful for Committee/Board members wanting more knowledge of financial management and the new performance reporting requirements.

Since the inception of the Trust, we have delivered workshops and presentations in conjunction with Volunteer Wellington, Hutt City Council, Porirua City Council, Kapiti Coast District Council, Horowhenua District Council, Upper Hutt City Council, and Auckland Council. In addition, we have also delivered a workshop to Te Mana Akonga (Maori student organisations from around NZ) at the Kelburn Marae in Wellington; a presentation in conjunction with the Department of Internal Affairs at the Pacifika NGO seminar in Porirua; a seminar in conjunction with Wellington Law Centre.

In addition we have made ten presentations on governance to boards/committees of community groups in the Maungakiekie/Tamaki region of Auckland in collaboration with the local board.

Covid-19 has disrupted the delivery of workshops in the 2020/21 year so we have adapted using video technology and customised training.

Warrant of Fitness Checks – Finance & Governance

We have utilised the skills and accounting/audit experience available to the Trust to provide Warrant of Fitness Checks on Finance & Governance to community organisations. These organisations based in Lower North Island, Hamilton, and Auckland have benefited from receiving these independent checks on critical controls and procedures.

Accounting/Payroll Systems

Our Trust is a Gold Partner of Xero and MYOB Approved. We have converted manual systems to computerised systems like Xero and MYOB for community organisations. We have also provided ongoing training and support to these organisations. We have also setup Thankyou Payroll for some organisations which is a cost effective payroll solution for the charity/not-for-profit sector. Community groups now benefit by having more accurate financial and payroll reporting and more time to spend on analysing rather than processing information.

One-on-One Training/mentoring

We have provided these services to many of the organisations we have worked with this year. Every organisation has different issues and requirements, and we have the skills within the Trust and the range of services to deal with the issues effectively.

Excellent Networks Established

We have established and maintained excellent networks with key stakeholders in the regions we operate – local councils, volunteer organisations, Department of Internal Affairs, and funding agencies.

BIG thanks to our Funders

Our funders are critical to the success of the Trust in order to provide subsidised services to all community organisations in our regions of operation. We thank the following funders for their support:-

  • Pub Charity
  • Wellington City Council
  • Lottery Grants
  • COGS
  • Hutt City Council
  • Porirua City Council
  • TG McCarthy Trust
  • Infinity Foundation
  • Southern Trust
  • Auckland Council
  • Four Winds Foundation
  • Lion Foundation
  • Wellington Community Trust

OUTLOOK FOR THE NEXT 12 MONTHS

  • Strong demand for assurance work from Charities with expenditure less than $500k per annum including audits, reviews, Warrant of Fitness – Finance, Governance, and Service Performance checks.
  • Strong demand for governance training and support in all regions.
  • Strong demand for financial management training for treasurers and committee/board members
  • Strong demand for online software especially Xero.
  • Strong demand for more workshops and education on Not for Profit sector.
  • Strong demand for one-on-one and customised training, mentoring and support.
  • Strong demand for support and training on performance reporting for charities.
  • Strong Demand for Strategic planning.
  • Strong demand from Charities outsourcing accounting/payroll functions to Accounting for Charities Trust.