New research from the Bridgespan Group highlights how requirements that nonprofits have low overhead could be making it harder for them to effectively fulfill their missions.

When it comes to nonprofits, mission is paramount. But overhead is still a necessary part of the equation, and charitable groups are often encouraged to keep their spending very low.

A new study from the Bridgespan Group, however, has a fresh take on the issue: Nonprofits shouldn’t have to starve their infrastructure spending in the name of keeping overhead low. Instead, the study argues, foundations should “pay what it takes” to build out that infrastructure.

The argument already has some fans among major philanthropic firms.

“All of us in the nonprofit ecosystem are party to a charade with terrible consequences—what we might call the ‘overhead fiction,'” noted Ford Foundation President Darren Walker in comments to the Stanford Social Innovation Review. “The data included in this article along with comparable data for our grantees convinced us that we had to make a change.”

Walker’s group doubled its investment in overhead as part of its most recent funding round, based on the study’s research. What’s in the study that inspired such a dramatic change? Well, here are a few of the key points:

Indirect costs are higher than budgeted. The study, which analyzed 20 high-performing nonprofits in a variety of sectors, found that indirect costs (the study’s more inclusive term for “overhead”) made up an average of 40 percent of the organization’s total costs—in some cases, far beyond the 15 percent overhead rate allotted by most foundations.

Different types of nonprofits have different needs. A research lab and a global NGO with a wide network of affiliates tend not to have a lot in common, other than the fact that they’re both in the nonprofit space. Because these organizations are so different, they often have different spending needs, with network and field management the most important cost for the NGO, and equipment the biggest cost for the research lab. By putting a firm cap on indirect spending by each organization, it can limit how well these organizations conduct their respective missions. The study showed that one of the research organizations analyzed had indirect costs that teetered near 89 percent, with physical costs the biggest point of pressure.

The focus on low overhead hurts charitable efforts. One group cited by the study, the head of a girls’ mentoring organization, said that the philosophical focus on keeping overhead low has led to disinterest in the real picture by foundations. “They don’t want to listen,” the CEO said. “So we have to have two budgets: one that has the real numbers, and another that shows the funders what they want to see. If you don’t give them what they want, they won’t give you any money.”

By making the point in the study, Bridgespan hopes to encourage a rethinking of how overhead is perceived by foundations and other donors.

“If nonprofits would commit to understanding their true cost of operations and if funders would shift to paying grantees what it takes to get the job done, the starvation cycle would end,” Bridgespan Manager Michael Etzel, a study coauthor, said in a news release. “The grantmaking conversation would shift from an emphasis on what it takes to fund a program to what it takes to build strong organizations and achieve impact.”

The full study can be read on the Stanford Social Innovation Review website.

This article was originally sourced from Associations Now and was written by Ernie Smith.

Western Australian obstetrician and gynaecologist, Dr Michael Gannon, was today elected new President of the Federal AMA, replacing Professor Brian Owler whose two-year term has come to an end.

Dr Gannon, the AMA WA President and former AMA WA Vice President, is the head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the St John of God Subiaco Hospital, where he was born.

He has been passionately involved with the AMA since he was a medical student, and has been Chair of the AMA’s Ethics and Medico-legal Committee for the past two years. He was inducted into the AMA Roll of Fellows at this year’s National Conference.

Dr Gannon said the Australian health system was at a crossroads, making the role of the AMA and its relationship with Government more important than it has ever been.

“The AMA needs strong leadership with an appetite to engage constructively with Government, whichever political party is in power,” Dr Gannon said.

“There are currently reviews into the Medicare Benefits Schedule, private health insurance, and primary health care underway.

“It is vital that the profession has a strong voice in Canberra, and is willing to embark on constructive interaction with Government in responding to the recommendations that these reports will inevitably include.

“If the Government does not talk to the AMA, and vice versa, we are both poorer, and it is our patients who suffer most.”

Victorian GP, Dr Tony Bartone, was elected Vice President. Dr Bartone is the outgoing President of AMA Victoria. He is a member of the AMA Federal Council, and was inducted into the AMA Roll of Fellows on Friday.

Both were elected at the AMA National Conference, which concluded in Canberra today. Their two-year terms commence immediately.

This press release was sourced directly from Australian Medical Association online. 

Registrations are now open for the 2016 ASAE Annual Meeting and Exposition in Salt Lake City. AuSAE is pleased to announce we will be hosting a delegation for all Australian Association Executives who would like to attend.

The meeting, which attracts thousands of delegates will be held August 13-16 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, UT. This year’s program promises to deliver opportunities to gain valuable ideas to help manage your association more effectively, build fellowship, and learn about current trends within the industry with international colleagues.

Registration as part of the AuSAE delegation will provide you with a US$500 discount off the normal registration fee.

To register for the event and join the AuSAE delegation please email Toni Brearley toni@ausae.org.au for the unique delegation code.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Melbourne, VIC (22 April 2016) — Advanced Solutions International (ASI), a leading global provider of software and services for associations and not-for-profits, today announced it will renew its sponsorship of the Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE) for New Zealand. AuSAE is the peak not-for-profit professional society in Australia and New Zealand for executives working in associations; ASI will serve as an Annual Partner for New Zealand.

In 2016, ASI's sponsorship will help support AuSAE's conferences, training and workshops, leadership symposiums, networking events, research, member forums, and advocacy efforts in New Zealand.

"ASI is committed to helping not-for-profits achieve "great things" and our partnership with AuSAE furthers that mission," said Paul Ramsbottom, Managing Director of ASI Asia-Pacific. "Their members are working hard every day to make the world a better place and AuSAE serves as an important voice for New Zealand's not-for-profit professionals through its innovative, informative, and insightful programs.

"We're very proud ASI has again decided to invest in AuSAE by serving as a 2016 Annual Partner for New Zealand. Their support will help ensure we can continue delivering professional educational, mentoring, networking and other vital membership programs in the coming year," said Brett Jeffery, AuSAE General Manager - New Zealand.

ASI's Paul Ramsbottom will present workshops with AuSAE on ‘How Social Media Can Boost Member Engagement and Improve Organisational Performance' in Auckland on 10 May and Wellington on 11 May. Details at http://www.ausae.org.au/calendar.

About AuSAE

The Australasian Society of Association Executives (AuSAE) is the peak not-for-profit professional society representing more than 10,000 individual leaders working in organisations throughout Australia and New Zealand. With offices in Australia and Wellington, New Zealand, AuSAE's purpose is to provide the tools, information, and networks not-for-profit professionals need to achieve the visions of their organisations.

About ASI

Advanced Solutions International (ASI) is a recognised global, industry thought leader that focuses on helping associations and not-for-profits increase operational and financial performance through the use of best practices, proven solutions, and ongoing client advisement. Since 1991, ASI has served nearly 4,000 clients and millions of users worldwide, both directly and indirectly through a network of over 100 partners, and currently maintains corporate offices in the USA, UK, Canada, and Australia.

This media release was sourced directly from Advanced Solutions International.

Electricity retailers welcome the Government’s announcement today of further support for the uptake of electric vehicles.

Electricity Retailers’ Association of New Zealand (ERANZ) Chief Executive Jenny Cameron says the package of measures is one of the strongest signals yet of the Government’s intention to encourage people to move away from petrol and diesel.

“It’s great to see the Government is getting serious about this.

“Setting targets to double the number of electric vehicles and offering funding to promote them and support innovation around low emission technology, along with other initiatives, are to be applauded.

“From both an NZ Inc and an electricity industry point of view this is very positive because over time it will help reduce emissions and our dependence on imported fuel, and increase our use of electricity, 81 per cent of which comes from renewable sources.

The electricity retail sector has been preparing itself and is ready to meet this challenge."

About the Electricity Retailers Association of New Zealand

ERANZ was established in August 2015 to represent the electricity retail industry on important sector-wide issues such as delivering value to stakeholders and consumers, and supporting the continued development of an open, competitive, sustainable and effective electricity market.

ends

This media release was sourced directly from Scoop Independent News.

Nominations are open for the 2016 New Zealand Recreation Association (NZRA) Awards, designed to recognise and celebrate those whose efforts have made a lasting contribution to the New Zealand recreation industry.

People who work hard to provide New Zealanders with high quality recreation opportunities deserve greater recognition, whether as individuals or organisations, NZRA Chief Executive Andrew Leslie said.

“The NZRA Awards celebrate those who are making New Zealand a better place for recreation, and helping people get active and connect with others."

“Recreation plays a vital part in making individuals happy and healthy, and communities resilient. It’s important that we publicise the good work that’s happening around the country and making a real difference in people’s lives.”

Last year’s award winners included Te Ara Piko – The Meandering Pathway, a collaborative project between the Rotary Club of Plimmerton and Porirua City Council which won the award for Outstanding Project for its work in regenerating Pauatahanui Inlet through revegetation and recreation.

Sport Beyond School, a project jointly run by the University of Auckland, Sport New Zealand, Auckland Council, Sport Auckland, Counties Manukau Sport, Harbour Sport, Sport Waitakere and College Sport Auckland, picked up the award for Outstanding Community Recreation Programme for its research helping students transition into university recreation and sport after leaving school.

The Outstanding Facility award went to the Arataki Community Centre in Tauranga, while Auckland Council’s Albany Lakes Civic Park received the Outstanding Park award. The Coastlands Aquatic Centre in Kāpiti received the Outstanding Pool award, and the Outstanding Research, Planning, and Policy award went to Hamilton City Council’s Playgrounds of the Future programme.

Individual award winners included Emerging Recreation Leader of the Year Grant MacLeod; Richard Lindsay, who received the Mark Mitchell Memorial Trophy; recipient of the Ian Galloway Memorial Cup Chris Close, and Paul Stuart Memorial Award winner Craig Carter. Auckland Council’s Tepid Baths Redevelopment and Parrs Park were also highly commended in the Outstanding Project and Outstanding Park categories respectively.

Fellowship Awards were also presented to lifelong achievers in the field of recreation Jamie Delich, Robin Pagan and John Latimer.

The 2016 Awards will be presented on 10 November during the Awards Dinner at NZRA’s National Conference, which will be held at the Millennium Hotel in Queenstown from 9-11 November. Award nominations close on 15 September 2016.

For more information or to make a nomination, visit the NZRA Awards webpage under Professional Development at www.nzrecreation.org.nz.

This article was originally sourced from Scoop Independent News.

Tourism Industry Aotearoa (TIA) has today been launched as the new identity for New Zealand’s peak tourism industry organisation.

Formerly known as the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand, TIA has more than 1500 members representing about 85% of total New Zealand tourism business turnover. It is the only private sector organisation to advocate for every sector of the industry, including accommodation, transport, tourism services, activities and attractions.

The organisation’s new name is supported by new branding and a new website www.tia.org.nz, TIA Chief Executive Chris Roberts says.

“The tourism industry has changed and grown considerably in the last few years and we feel our new identity better reflects TIA’s role as the voice of New Zealand’s tourism industry,” Mr Roberts says.

“It clearly signals that we are not simply a membership association but are strongly focused on being the advocate for the whole tourism industry. By incorporating Aotearoa into our name we are also deliberately referencing the culture which is the unique attribute of our country’s tourism offering.”

Mr Roberts says there has been a degree of confusion with the organisation sometimes referred to as NZTIA or TIANZ.

“The correct abbreviation is TIA but those three letters have not previously appeared in our branding. Now there are just two ways to refer to us – Tourism Industry Aotearoa or TIA.”

TIA’s new logo represents the connectivity and alignment which TIA offers the industry. The natural green and blue of New Zealand’s landscape is complemented by the ‘Takahe’ pink of its native birdlife. It incorporates a koru design that references Maori culture and represents a link to TIA’s previous logo.

The new website highlights the diversity and vibrancy of New Zealand’s tourism industry while also making it easier for users to find information relating to their sector or interests.

In July, a new TIA members’ section will be launched which will give users an improved and more personalised experience.

“We are really excited about this step forward in TIA’s evolution. Our mission remains the same – through leadership, influence and action, to achieve tangible benefits for the tourism industry and Aotearoa-New Zealand – and our new identity will play an important part in helping us to succeed,” Mr Roberts says.

TIA was formed in 1953 as the New Zealand Travel and Holiday Association. In 1970 it became the New Zealand National Travel Association, then the New Zealand Tourist Industry Federation in 1984. It has been known as the Tourism Industry Association New Zealand since 1993.

Throughout the last 63 years, the organisation has continually championed the interests of its members and the tourism industry.

TIA’s new identity was revealed at TRENZ 2016, the New Zealand tourism industry’s premier international trade event. TRENZ brings together about 300 New Zealand tourism operators (exhibitors) with targeted international travel and tourism buyers and media from New Zealand’s key established and emerging tourism markets. The event directly helps to grow New Zealand’s

$30 billion tourism industry. Hosted by Destination Rotorua, TRENZ 2016 is being held at the 

Energy Events Centre Rotorua, 10-13 May 2016.

TIA manages TRENZ on behalf of the Tourism Industry New Zealand Trust. TRENZ is supported by Tourism New Zealand, Air New Zealand and other industry partners.

This media release was sourced directly from Scoop Independent News.

New Zealand Planning Institute chief executive Susan Houston takes up a new role next month as the first executive director for the New Zealand Defence Industry Association (NZDIA).

Houston has more than 20 years’ experience in leadership roles within government and not for profit organisations in New Zealand and Australia.

For the past six of those years she has driven change at NZPI, transforming the organisation into a highly regarded national institute that contributes to the direction of the country.

Testimony to the huge transformation that she has wrought in a relatively short period of time is the fact that the NZPI typically scored around 40 to 50 percent approval for the variety of services it offered to members in its 2011 membership satisfaction survey. By late 2015 that approval rating had lifted to over 85 percent in all instances.

Houston says she will miss the people she worked with in her roles as NZPI chief executive.

“I have had a great team, a great board and have been proud to serve the New Zealand planning community. Planners are just awesome. While sad to be leaving NZPI and the planning community, I am looking forward to implementing the NZDIA strategic plan and working with its members to ensure that NZDIA is meeting their expectations and needs."

“An equal priority will be forging strong relationships with NZDIA’s partners such as the New Zealand Defence Force, the Ministry of Defence and wider national security and border protection agencies."

NZDIA chair Bernie Diver says the appointment of Houston in the new role at NZDIA heralds an era of change and development for the organisation and the board’s commitment to implementing its strategic plan.

This media release was sourced directly from Scoop Independent News.

Forget matching museum programmes to the school curriculum and focus instead on inspiring curiosity in kids and teaching critical thinking.

That’s one of the ideas from a keynote speaker at this week’s MA16 Museums Australasia Conference in Auckland.

Museums Aotearoa Executive Director Phillipa Tocker says MA16 – the first joint conference with Museums Australia – has brought together experts from around the world to share ideas about what is working well in the cultural sector and to tackle the challenges that lie ahead.

“To collect, preserve and protect will always be at the core of what we do but the way we make our content available and the way we interact with our communities is evolving all the time.”

Tocker says advances in technology continue to be adopted to create new and exciting experiences in our museums and galleries but, interestingly, personal interactions and community involvement in exhibitions have been at the centre of some of the most innovative recent programmes.

“We have seen some very original and successful public programmes in the past year that have centred on a hands-on, community-driven approach where the museum or gallery is inviting the public in as a co-curator and asking people to bring their own ideas to the space,” says Tocker.

MA16 keynote speaker Elizabeth Merritt, founding director of American Association of Museums program and Center for the Future of Museums, says the future of the sector should be about building on its strengths and examining and challenging traditional thinking that may no longer be relevant.

For example, Merritt says, museums are very good at ‘informal learning’ which teaches the sorts of skills that are increasingly recognised as vital for our future workforce, such as curiosity, critical thinking and how to work collaboratively.

“Constraints of funding and politics and tradition, and a focus on tests and facts, make it hard for schools to teach these skills but [museums] can knock it out of the park,” says Merritt.

For that reason, museums shouldn’t get too caught up on matching their school programmes to the national curriculum, says Merritt, and instead should use their content and collections to get kids curious, encourage them to ask questions and ‘learn how to learn’.

Merritt says another consideration for the future has to be how museums connect with audiences beyond their walls and share their content more broadly, something made much easier by technology and the option to digitise content and share it online.

Some of the bolder statements from the opening day of the conference, being shared via #MA16 on Twitter, have included keynote Robert Janes’ request for museums to “move beyond neutrality to help address climate change” and Moana Jackson’s comments that museums are dangerous if they fail to tell indigenous stories.

Other MA16 keynote speakers include Dr Dawn Casey, former director of the National Museum of Australia and the Western Australian and Powerhouse Museums, Boon Hui Tan, the former director of the Singapore Art Museum and now Director of the Asian Society Museum in New York, and Moana Jackson (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Porou) co-founder and director of Ngā Kaiwhakamarama i Ngā Ture the Māori Legal Service, and David Garneau Associate Professor of Visual Arts at the University of Regina, Canada, who is part of a five-year Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council-funded curatorial research project “Creative Conciliation”.

Another challenge likely to be debated at MA16 is looming cuts to funding – in a sector already operating with typically tight budgets. A decline in revenue for the New Zealand Lottery Grants Board means Creative New Zealand will have less to share with the sector and it has warned applicants to budget for a 10% drop in funding.

“Funding is a critical issue right now,” says Tocker. “Museums and galleries in this country rely to a huge extent on lotteries grants, philanthropic funding, and all those other sorts of funding which are not public core government funding.”

Tocker says the nature of funding in New Zealand makes it very hard to plan.

“It’s a huge challenge when the funding is not constant or reliable and when it’s dependent on things like lotteries income where the drivers for that are completely outside the cultural sector.”

Despite the tight budgets Tocker says New Zealand can be very proud of the quality of the exhibitions and programmes on offer around the country. The best of the best will be announced at this year’s New Zealand Museum Awards later this week.

MA16, the Museums Australasia 2016 conference, is running in Auckland from 16-18 May. It is the first joint conference of Museums Aotearoa and Museums Australia and the theme is Facing the Future: Local, Global and Pacific Possibilities. 

The winners of the ServiceIQ 2016 New Zealand Museum Awards will be announced in Auckland on Wednesday 18 May 2016.

Museums Aotearoa

Museums Aotearoa is New Zealand's professional association for public museums and art galleries, and those who work in or with them. New Zealand museums and galleries care for more than 40 million items relating to our history and contribute to our national identity. Generating in excess of 1000 public exhibitions and publications and attracting over 8 million visits each year, museums and galleries are a top attraction for New Zealand's overseas visitors.

This media release was sourced directly from Scoop Independent News.

The Energy Management Association of New Zealand (EMANZ) today announced who will take over the reins from outgoing Executive Officer Ewan Gebbie.

After a thorough search and selection process, Dr Mike Hopkins has been appointed to the role.

Mike is a dual (NZ and UK) citizen whose background is in consulting. Before moving to New Zealand, he worked extensively in the energy sector in the UK, delivering advocacy and public relations guidance to organisations such as the British Wind Energy Association, The Electricity Pool (the clearing market) and Innogy, a European based sustainable energy venture capital fund.

Mike has also worked on market research and product development projects in the energy industry and on branding projects with the Engineering Council.

After seven years as Executive Officer, Ewan Gebbie has chosen to stand down and let someone else take EMANZ forward.

“The organisation is in great health, and there is no better time for the organisation to go through a transition such as this” Ewan Gebbie said. “I can thinking of no better person to take on the role.

Mike’s previous energy sector involvement, business background and PhD in Finance make him perfectly qualified and experienced”.

EMANZ Chair Scott Noyes added “The Board is thrilled to have such a high calibre individual to take over the great work Ewan has done to broaden EMANZ’s influence in the energy services sector. Mike’s strengths in marketing, advocacy and financial acumen will position EMANZ to serve its members well in a market poised for growth and opportunity”.

Mike Hopkins also commented “Ewan is leaving a huge pair of shoes to fill. He's done a great job over the years and I'll be continuing that work as well as bringing my own ideas to growing EMANZ. With a progressive Board steering EMANZ, the future looks bright and I'm looking forward to playing my part in delivering it."

Mike will be returning to New Zealand from Sydney to take up the role, where he has spent the last few years in the university sector. He will be on board full-time in early July and will be attending the EMANZ annual conference on 17-18 May in Auckland. Ewan will continue to work with

EMANZ to manage business continuity and to assist Mike as he settles in.

This media release was sourced directly from Scoop Independent News.