Building Capacity and Capability

Through our Centre for Social Impact (CSI), established in 2014 as our commitment to strengthening the capacity and capability of the community sector and to amplifying impact, we continued to provide a range of online offerings. Te Pūaha Talks 2022, a series of ten free webinars were hosted and subsequently posted on CSI’s knowledge and practice hub, Te Pūaha o te Ako. Drawing on expertise from across the CSI associate network and partner organisations, topics covered communications and marketing, evaluation, hauora, and climate action. All sessions were focused on practical ‘hands on’ learning, and included a take home kete of resources such as templates and further reading, so participants could build their knowledge and apply what they learnt to their own community organisation or area of practice. Over 1,300 registrations were received to participate, with 89% of participants rating the session they attended as extremely or very helpful to their work.

Wellbeing of the community and voluntary sector is an area where CSI has offered particular support and resources this year. CSI collaborated with HuiE! and Volunteering NZ to produce Tātou tātou, a podcast series to nurture and nourish hauora /wellbeing. With co-funding from Trust Waikato and Rātā Foundation, CSI supported Social Service Providers Aotearoa with a capacity offering for their members. In March Ngahere launched, a new wellness practice designed by CSI associates Tuihana Ohia and Louise Marra. The online Ngahere workshop provided resources designed to encourage individuals to take six one-minute pauses throughout each day to ground and draw nourishment from Papatūānuku.

CSI developed and shared funding information and resources in the aftermath of the adverse weather events that impacted many in January and February. These resources enabled timely access to funding information and support.

Work continued through the year on the development of Haumanu, an approach that brings healing and restoration into systems change work. An online community of practice with over 20 not for profit leaders nationwide was initiated. Feedback received from participants stated an appreciation for how the model is grounded in and informed by Mātauranga Māori, with practical tools and application that they have used for themselves, their teams, their organisation and in some cases with cross-agency teams. Providing powerful insights, connection and confidence, it is transforming their work. Haumanu is central to a three-year leadership programme CSI is delivering for a national social services provider.

As well as funding CSI’s universal offerings, Foundation North also enabled CSI to provide individualised support, such as to grantee Te Karanga Charitable Trust in support of their data collection and reporting, and to Te Korowai o Waiheke for the evaluation of their unique predator free initaitive.

As part of the Community Building Projects programme's assessment phase, 19 applicants were given project-specific advice on their expression of interest. The advice was provided by a capital funding and leisure planning expert.

Support across the rohe has also been enabled through others, such as Ākina’s capability building work with social enterprises and impact-led businesses, and ANCAD’s services, including the Community Accounting Programme offering free support and assistance to community groups on financial recording and reporting; LiiFT Aotearoa, a professional development programme for community groups; and the facilitaiton of Shore Pacific providing networking opportunities, advice, and information to Pacific community organisations based on Auckland’s North Shore. ACE Aotearoa was also contracted to provide individualised support across Tāmaki Makaurau to Pacific-led community groups.