UnitedFuture supports the vital role that volunteer and community agencies play in our society. These agencies often have the expertise, networks and strong community focus to deliver services more effectively than government.
It is UnitedFuture policy to:
- Work with the community and voluntary sector to create a forum for leaders of the sector, with the same function and gravitas as the Iwi Leaders Forum. This will help ensure:
- greater coordination between government and NGOs, as well as within the voluntary sector, building a stronger consensus for decisions that affect those using agencies’ services;
- a focus on developing supportive and mutually beneficial partnerships between the Government, the community, and voluntary agencies, including greater cooperation between agencies at a local and regional level;
- government departments keep voluntary agencies up to date with policies that affect their work, and foster policy development networks with voluntary and cultural groups; and
- the development of long-term and sustainable funding pathways for the sector, including the development of social lending and social entrepreneurship schemes;
- Pay premiums to not-for-profit agencies who find sustained employment for the long-term unemployed, with higher rates available for placing clients who face the greatest barriers to employment;
- Establish Family Support Service Co-ordinators, located in Family Service Centres wherever possible, who help families to access government and NGO-provided services such as budget advice, addiction treatment, parenting education, anger management courses, counselling, employment training, and maternity, child care, mental health and child health services;
- Initiate a review of the Charities Act to ensure that it fosters the vitality and success of the voluntary sector and encourages philanthropy and generosity by New Zealanders;
- Establish overseas aid at 0.5% of GDP immediately and reach the accepted international millennium goal of 0.7% by 2020;
- Explore further ways of encouraging greater social participation in voluntary organisations, e.g. seek the active involvement of employers and unions to loan employees out to voluntary organisations in need of specialist skills;
- Encourage young people to become involved in voluntary activities;
- Review the compliance costs imposed on voluntary agencies by legislation, such as occupational health and safety regulations;
- Expand on our previous initiatives of making all charitable donations tax deductible, introducing payroll giving to include gift aid, and extension of access to imputation credits.