United Future

I am an assistant to the national director of a growing,not-for-profit organization that hopes. They hope to be able to impact the community where they try to serve. We currently have 20 points of contact around the country.

As we process the Charities Commission register due July 2008, I have become increasing aware of how important small groups like ours can impact without much Hooha!

The government register for charitables like ours, means it will add considerable weight to legitimacy and also parceled with this, is the removal of the tax threshold on donations.

So to note that Denise Krum found about IVMA is a worthy note to mention. Us who serve in charitables for some hope of doing good, has to be better in the long run?

To mark IVMA Day I released more information about the good work we are doing to boost charities. This time it was the IRD issues papers about we are looking to make to streamline the tax treatment of honoraria and allowances paid to volunteers like secretaries and treasurers. More details are available at www.taxpolicy.ird.govt.nz.

I think both Quentin and Peter's replies show something significant about United Future. We are not just all talk. We don't show interest in people once every three years and expect a vote out of it.

Volunteers (and their managers) put in the hard yards day in and day out for incremental gains. They see the value of consistency not because of rewards, but because it is the right thing to do.

We are working hard to bring practical solutions to the table that encourage the voluntary sector and we'd like more help to do it. Consider joining us!

Leading a Voluntary organisation is probably one of the most challenging forms of leadership of all, because your AUTHORITY to lead is loaned to you by the team you lead. Volunteers stay because of the immense personal satisfaction they get from helping.

Those that head up voluntary organisations can't sanction or fire or court martial their staff but keep the forward momentum through encouragement and example. These leaders make it their responsibility to see that the satisfaction level of volunteers is well watered.

We do well to honour them.

Have a look at the latest blog on the site - the Question Time exchange between Judy Turner and me, which shows just how much UnitedFuture has done already to advance the support of the charitable and voluntary sector.

Peter and Judy, my thanks for your especially creative way you have so far served your constituencies.

You are right about the hiring and firing. In my experience with two charitables [in the past tense] I have seen the ability of leadership reconcile errors and bad behaviour with a rebuke, rather than firing. The only legitimate firing that had taken place, was of a criminal nature. full stop.

Therefore, many of the staff of these charitables are still holding positive posts after 20 years.

In my research for getting my current charitable I work for up to par with the legislation required before July 08, has been interesting. I have seen the need to be more strategic and transparent - if we are to survive.

Legitimacy I feel is about accountability of those two factors - otherwise,we won't get the funding from the potential donors, that our funding specialist (runs his own agency-gifts his time to us) has said that are 'out there'.