Navigating the Challenges of 'Doing Good' in Aotearoa: A Tale of Privilege and Funding

You find yourself strolling peacefully, relishing what could very well be your only 30 minutes of peace and quiet in an entire month. Suddenly, a stranger approach you, recognizing your work and expressing deep admiration for both your efforts and the kaupapa of your work. They inquire if there's any way they can contribute to and support your cause. Gratefully, you accept their offer.?

However, little did you know that accepting this offer would lead to a series of unforeseen consequences. You discover that, to gain their support you are required to complete a maze of processes that are mostly outdated and based on colonial practices with all the signs and formal procedures under a foreign language that you have been trying to perfect since the early days of active and direct colonisation. As part of their support, you're now also obligated to produce regular reports every couple of months. These reports are meant to demonstrate that, despite your community's outstanding achievements over the past decades, their support is indeed benefiting the community. This requirement adds an unexpected layer of responsibility to your already demanding workload, leaving you with no time for those precious 30-minute walks that used to provide an opportunity for reflection, joy, and be grounded in your values and who you are. Starting to sound a little familiar right!??

As time goes on, you endure the scrutiny of these accountability reports and the disheartening news (sometimes feel like threats) of funding cuts, ultimately resulting in the stranger's (still a stranger) inability to continue their support.? Furthermore, you come to realise that this money, originally perceived as a lifeline, was, in fact, ‘public funding’ that rightfully belonged to you and your community from the start or ‘private funding’ had been taken away from your community due to the long-lasting effects of colonisation and its ongoing systems of direct and indirect violence.??

This example, though grim, is still ideal in the sense that the stranger recognized you and approached you. Usually that level of recognition is only achieved if you are always present at or invited to important events and spaces that require a lot of free time, resource and social capital. Typically, they often have a conspicuous sign outside their building, extending an invitation to you (priority groups) with claims that they genuinely want to support your cause, as outlined in their new strategic objectives. Unfortunately, reaching that person may require navigating through approximately 20 barricaded doors, and if you are exceptionally fortunate, you might eventually secure their support and receive their grace in the form of partial funding along with a list of unnecessary requirements, extensive reports and in very few cases humiliating asks, questioning every cent you spent, while they are okay with a big charity spending $60k-$80k for a venue as long as they have the invoice for it.??

If you didn’t get it yet, the stranger in this very frustrating example is a funder and you are the community group.???

In Aotearoa, gaining recognition and support to serve one's community in today's funding world hinges on privilege. Nevertheless, there are many of us who continue to work tirelessly, whether or not we receive acknowledgement or support, be it from private or public funding sources. I am writing this piece today because, despite numerous members of our community dutifully providing essential services, which should ideally fall under the government's responsibility, without expecting any recognition, we find ourselves compelled to engage in processes that demand privilege, consume significant time, and require specific skills, all by design. As a result, we continue to face exclusion and encounter an increasing array of regulations that not only constrain our ability to do good but also exploit our cultural values of giving and participating in community practices.?A few key observations from my very short but informative time in the sector with Hui E! Community Aotearoa.

• The Charities Registration process and structure are inherently colonial and fail to align with the needs and composition of most community groups, particularly Māori, Pasifika, and ethnic communities (not surprising).?
• Funding approaches lack equity, are burdened by outdated eligibility requirements such as registration status, western governance models and are mainly suitable to retired do gooders rather than grassroot community groups.?

• Funding applications often entail rigid and unnecessary demands.?
• The use of funding (what the funding can be spent on) is subject to unsustainable requirements and illogical restrictions.?
• Funders set unrealistic expectations for community groups, especially when only partial funding is granted.?
• Most funding processes are very transactional and enabling of unbalanced power dynamics that are in some cases humiliating??

To conclude, I would like to pose a few questions for funders to consider as actionable points:?

• Why do funding advisors, who are often the ones engaging with the community on the ground, have no influence on funding decisions??
• Can you explore accepting the Community group's annual report as an accountability report, or perhaps supplement it with a few additional questions if necessary??
• What is preventing the acceptance of new alternatives to charity registration, such as the Gift Collective or Open Collective, which offer transparent and modern solutions? Are there legal reasons behind the stringent requirements that these new alternatives do not address??
• Why is untagged funding seen as a significant concern? Are you aware of the potential impact these restrictions can have on the creativity, sustainability, and long-term strategic goals of the community groups you support??

Not all community groups have the capacity to attend funding forums, launch events, info evenings and have the privilege of personally knowing board members or funding advisers. This is particularly challenging for the majority of our sector, individuals who juggle two or more jobs while selflessly caring for their families and communities. Simply meeting them halfway is no longer sufficient.?For more info on what the sector is collectively asking of government and political parties ahead of this elections check out this page and add your name https://fundingfitforpurpose.nz/