Sourced from: https://www.charities.govt.nz/news-and-events/hot-topics/charitable-purpose-and-political-activity/

A recent decision by the Supreme Court has developed the law on what may qualify as a charitable purpose. 

In its decision on an appeal brought by Greenpeace New Zealand, the Supreme Court has found that political activity may itself be accepted as a charitable purpose (rather than just being "ancillary” to an organisation’s main purpose). Refer to the Supreme Court judgment [PDF, 360 KB] and media release for details.

The Department of Internal Affairs - Charities Services and the independent Charities Registration Board are reviewing our approach to assessing applications for registration in the light of the Court’s decision, and Charities Services will issue new guidance for organisations considering applying to register as a charity. We will publish updated guidance on this website when it is available.

To be eligible to register as a charity, an applicant has to show that its purpose and activities meet the definition of a ‘charitable purpose’ set out in the Charities Act 2005—relieving poverty, or advancing education or religion, or other things beneficial to the community. There is a long history of case law that helps to define what can be considered charitable, and the Supreme Court decision now forms part of the law that we apply when considering each application.

Many not-for-profit organisations try to influence change by raising awareness of a societal issue or by lobbying to change the law. This has never been treated as a bar to registration as a charity, provided that the activity was ancillary to an entity's main charitable purpose.

While the Supreme Court decision found that political activity may now itself be accepted as a main charitable purpose, an applicant will still have to demonstrate that its purposes and all its activities provide benefits to the public or a sufficient section of the public, not just to an individual, organisation or closed group, as well as being charitable. Applicants must also demonstrate that they meet all of the other requirements of the Act.

The Court’s decision does not invalidate the independent Charities Registration Board’s previous decisions to decline to register any applicant, or to deregister any previously registered charity, on the basis of political advocacy. Those decisions were made applying the law as the courts interpreted it to be at the time.

The Charities Registration Board and the Department of Internal Affairs - Charities Services will now apply the law as it has been clarified by the Supreme Court. Current applications which have an element of political advocacy will be considered in the light of the Supreme Court decision.

Any organisation that has previously been declined registration on the basis of political advocacy that was not “ancillary” to a main charitable purpose can, if it wishes, submit a fresh application for registration. Applicants will need to demonstrate that they meet all of the requirements of the Act. All applications will be considered carefully on their own merits.

Sourced from: http://entertainment.msn.co.nz/article.aspx?id=8888193

Celebrity promotion of charities is ineffective at raising awareness but can make the stars more popular with the public, a British study says.
A survey of more than 2000 people found two thirds could not link any celebrity with a list of seven well-known charities and aid organisations that they worked for.

Stars did not support charities for self promotion, but this was the unintended outcome of their work, researchers concluded.

The seven organisations mentioned in the survey were Action Aid, Amnesty International, CAFOD, Christian Aid, Oxfam, Save the Children and the Red Cross.

Speaking about their study which also used focus groups, Professor Dan Brockington, of the University of Manchester, and Professor Spencer Henson, of the University of Sussex, said: "Our survey found that while awareness of major NGOs (non-governmental organisations) brands was high, awareness of celebrity advocates for those brands was low.

"Instead it was plain from the focus groups that most people supported the charities that they supported because of personal connections in their lives and families which made these causes important, not because of the celebrities.

"The evidence suggests therefore that the ability of celebrity advocacy to reach people is limited and dominated in Britain by some extremely prominent telethons and the work of a few stars.

"Regardless of what celebrities may want in terms of publicity - and the interviews suggest that many would seek to maximise the attention given to their cause and not to them - it is clear that the celebrity can often do better out of this attention than their causes."

In a separate related study, also published online in the International Journal of Cultural Studies, Dr Martin Scott, of the University of East Anglia, conducted focus group observations with 108 people with nearly half asked to keep a diary on their thoughts about poorer countries.

"In the diaries only six per cent of all entries were about celebrity humanitarianism - almost all of which were about programs or advertisements in the build-up to Comic Relief," Scott said.

"Celebrities were both valued for their seemingly instrumental role in drawing attention to worthy causes but at the same time this was often accompanied by cynical statements (written in the diaries) about their motivations for involvement or about the genuineness of their emotional responses.

"There were still a relatively large number of occasions in which seemingly authentic celebrities did appear to generate a distinct sense of proximity and agency vis-a-vis distant suffering.

"However, overall the results of this research suggest that celebrities are generally ineffective in cultivating a cosmopolitan engagement with distant suffering.

"In conversations about the mediation of distant others, research participants rarely talked about instances of explicit celebrity humanitarianism."

We welcome to the AuSAE community in New Zealand the following associations

Renu	Borst	New Zealand Society of Anaesthetists
Anna	O'Keeffe	Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa
Joanna	Matthew	Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa
Megan	Button	Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa
Wendy	Walker	Library and Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa
Hadyn	Smith	New Zealand Institute of Surveyors
Angela	Booth	Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia

We are excited to announce Danni Da Ros will be performing at the 2014 AuSAE Symposium Gala Dinner – celebrating AuSAE’s diamond anniversary.

Straight from Australia’s number one rated TV Show, The Voice Australia, “Pocket Rocket Diva” Danni Da Ros is one of Australia’s most talented, versatile and dynamic vocalists. Her powerful soulful tone, unbelievable range, and demanding stage presence allowed her make it to the top 4 in Team Delta on The Voice Australia and gave her a number 19 single on the ITunes Chart with “Alone”. A name synonymous with the Sydney live music scene, Danni has been singing and performing for over 15 years all over Australia and in countries such as the USA, Dubai and Singapore and was the featured singer for Qatar’s Olympic bid in 2007 broadcast throughout the Middle East.

How do you sustain your member’s interest so they renew year after year and remain active, committed members of your community?

At this year’s AuSAE Leadership Symposium there are several membership focused sessions covering a range of specific membership components such as the all-important: retention, segmentation, research and engagement.

We all know good research is fundamental to gaining the information and the insights necessary for successful decision-making, so why not join other not-for-profit leaders at this special event to hear what innovative membership component strategies they have in place and their future plans?

Sound good? Then click here to download the 2014 AuSAE Leadership Symposium Program and click here to register today.

I look forward to seeing you on October 29-30 in Rotorua at this special event.


Kimberley Miller
Events and Communications Manager
AuSAE

AuSAE are excited to announce the 2014 Leadership Symposium “Future Trends for Associations Events” session panel.

• Michelle Blicavs, CEO, International Association for Public Participation
  
• Helen Bambry, Business Events Manager Australia, Tourism New Zealand
  
• Oscar Van Elten, Federal Sales and Event Manager, Australian Dental Association
  
• Sarah Markey-Ham, CEO, ICMS
  
• Brett Jeffery, General Manager, Australasian Society of Association Executives
  

This expert panel will discuss current and future trends for association events including unconferences, event gamification, running hybrid events and changing technology. Our panel will also consider the value of non-attendee engagement and involving delegates in event planning.

Don’t forget early bird pricing to attend the 2014 AuSAE Leadership Symposium (October 13-14) ends in two weeks!

Click here to register today.

We hope to see you there!

Thursday, 31 July, 2014 - 16:15

New Zealand Association of Credit Unions (NZACU) director, Rob Nicholls, has been honoured with a prestigious international award from the World Council of Credit Unions, the international body representing more than 208 million people in 103 countries across the globe.

Last night, Rob Nicholls was presented with the prestigious Distinguished Service Award at the 2014 World Council of Credit Unions’ annual Conference held this year on the Gold Coast. Mr Nicholls was one of only two recipients to receive the award this year by the global organisation.

Mr Nicholls has been involved with the credit union movement within New Zealand and Australia for over 30 years and the award recognised his long standing service, dedication and contribution to the development of credit unions in this region, and internationally.

More than 1,800 international delegates from around the world were at the conference, and Mr Nicholls received the accolade from World Council President and Chief Executive Officer, Brian Branch, and World Council Chair, Grzegorz Bierecki, at the closing ceremony on Wednesday 30th July 2014.

NZACU represents 22 cooperatively owned credit unions and building societies in New Zealand, who in turn provide a wide range of financial services, like savings accounts, loans and insurance.

Any profits made stay within New Zealand, and are returned to the members in a combination of ways, such as fairer fees and interest rates with community involvement.

by Janie Smith | 29 Jul 2014 Sourced from: http://www.hrmonline.co.nz/news/making-teleworking-work-for-you-190154.aspx

Being able to work remotely is becoming increasingly important to businesses and employees alike, allowing for more flexible work practices.

But it’s not as simple as letting employees work from home.

AUT University’s New Zealand Work Research Institute released the Telework Briefing, a collection of findings on managing telework.

Institute director, Professor Tim Bentley, said that teleworking was about giving employees the flexibility to make their own decisions on how to work best and the tools to achieve outcomes.

“If a proper teleworking policy is implemented across the company, both employers and employees will reap the benefits.”

The research found that trustworthiness was the biggest expectation that employers had of employees who worked remotely.

The report said that organisations had emphasised that their teleworking arrangements were based on “high trust relationships in which employees are treated as responsible and are expected to act with integrity when teleworking”.

The clear communication of expectations and organisational support were also key factors in successful teleworking.

“Managers can lead teleworkers effectively by maintaining an open line of contact and communication of expectations, as well as providing them with infrastructure support so they can work effectively off site,” said Bentley.

Balancing the amount of time spent in the office and working remotely was important, as the research showed that workers who spent a lot of time teleworking could end up feeling socially isolated, more anxious and less satisfied with their jobs.

Successful teleworking also depended on buy-in from the organisation’s leaders.

“It is important to have a culture that places a high value on employee empowerment and trust, and then develops and maintains leadership and resources,” said Bentley.

The research provided these 10 tips for senior management:

1. Understand the implications of the ‘new ways of working’ for the organisation

2. Establish a business case for incorporating telework in the organisation’s flexible
work practices

3. Develop a policy framework for telework implementation and ensure guidelines are
followed

4. Develop and maintain a culture of trust and engagement within which telework
operates

5. Encourage and facilitate telework uptake within the organisation

6. Assess and develop the capabilities needed to support and manage telework

7. Provide the appropriate infrastructure and support for telework

8. Assess and manage the risks associated with telework

9. Ensure teleworker well-being and safety

10. Monitor and review telework practice and outcomes

The Chant Legacy Scholarship provides funds to students seeking to undertake postgraduate study in the area of governance.

Applications are now closed for study in 2014. Applications for commencement of study in 2015 are open in August 2014.

How it is possible
The Chant Legacy Scholarship has been made possible by a trust set up in the original will of the late Mr Leonard Watson Chant. He was elected an Associate Member in 1926, and advanced to Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in 1938. He gained first place in the Institute’s Australasia examinations, and was awarded ‘gold medallist’ and a ‘Certificate of Merit’ at the time.

He established a tutorial college with the objective of strengthening the knowledge of those enrolling for these governance examinations, with a key interest in accounting and company secretarial work. His work advocated governance education opportunities for those people interested in further knowledge in the governance area.

Eligibility
In order to be eligible you need to show that you meet the requirements of entry into the nominated postgraduate governance study in accordance with the rules of the relevant government accredited education provider.
Your course of study needs to be relevant to your career aspirations.
Your selected course must also fit in with the aims and intent of the Chant Trust.
You must show a financial need in order to apply for the scholarship.

Application
If you would like to register your interest in the next round you can email us at chantlegacy@governanceinstitute.com.au or if you fulfil the above eligibility criteria. Please download the application form here.

For more information please click here.

Sourced from: http://www.forbes.com/sites/moiraforbes/2014/07/10/are-you-leadership-material/

According to Sylvia Ann Hewlett, CEO of the Center For Talent Innovation, how you perform in your job isn’t enough to land you a spot in the corner office. In her latest book, Executive Presence: The Missing Link Between Merit And Success, Hewlett argues that being perceived as “leadership material” is just as critical as ability when it comes to achieving career success . Hewlett’s research reveals that a variety of factors contribute to projecting a leadership presence, from how you dress each day, to the way you communicate, and even to the number of PowerPoint slides used in a presentation. For women, this can present unique challenges, says Hewlett, as a narrower band of acceptable behavior remains in the workplace.

I spoke with Hewlett recently about what characterizes executive presence and what it takes to master this oftentimes-elusive quality.

You define executive presence as an “amalgam of qualities that telegraphs that you are in charge or deserve to be.” What’s the one quality that you believe is most effective in conveying executive presence?

We found that executive presence (EP) is a dynamic mix of appearance, communication, and gravitas. However, 67% of the 268 senior executives we surveyed reported that “gravitas,” the confidence and judgment you inspire in others to follow and trust your vision, carries the most weight in projecting executive presence. This quality is extremely important because it signals that you not only have depth and heft but you also have the confidence and credibility to get your point across and communicate the authority of a leader.

What’s the biggest misstep women make that undermines their executive presence?

Constantly referring to lists, reading notes, using eighty-seven PowerPoint slides, and shuffling papers truly undermines one’s gravitas and women are oftentimes guilty of these behaviors. I mention a story in the book about a woman who was passed over for a C-suite promotion. When I asked her boss why she didn’t make the cut, he said it was because every time she made presentations, instead of looking you in the eye and talking compellingly about her team’s performance, she’d have her head in lists, notes, or some dreary presentation. She presented herself, time after time, as someone who didn’t know how to command the room or trust herself to remember the thrust of her presentation.

You devote an entire chapter in the book to “Appearance.” Walk us through some of the more common appearance “blunders” that particularly effect women.

While perceived as far less important than gravitas and communication, appearance turns out to be absolutely essential to executive presence, primarily as the first bar one must hurdle in order to be assessed on other, more critical faculties. More than any other physical trait, 35% of our senior survey respondents identified “good grooming” as EP’s most impactful physical trait for women. Appearing polished and “put together” is less about what you wear, per se, but how you wear it. In effect, looking well groomed requires being 1) appropriate and authentic, 2) attractive but not sexy, and 3) chic but not trendy or high fashion. Walking these fine lines is part of passing through the appearance filter, at all stages of your career.

Notable appearance blunders, not surprisingly, are unkempt attire (83% say it detracts from a woman’s EP, 76% say it detracts from a man’s) and, for women, too-tight or provocative clothing (73% say it detracts from a woman’s EP).

Being perceived as too aggressive or too “female” can at times work against a woman’s leadership presence. What’s your advice to women on this point?

For women, wrangling executive presence is a complex, time-consuming struggle, with unspoken and biased rules . Specifically, our research shows that women have a smaller window of acceptability than men. Many of the missteps that can throw off a woman’s executive presence are not only unique to women, but are also easier to makeundefinedand harder to recover from.

A central piece of wisdom we gleaned is that if women want to clear executive presence’s many hurdles, they must signal to others that they want real, honest, unvarnished feedback. While it may seem fundamentally unfair that the burden to create a safe space be on the subordinate, direct report, or the protégé, an invitation to offer critiques makes the already touchy subject easier for mentors or managers to tackle, especially when you assure them that you’ll receive feedback in the spirit of improvement versus criticism. Feedback can be helpful in pointing out which paths to takeundefinedand which pitfalls to avoid.

Women employees must not be solely responsible for overcoming the hurdles I described. The organizations they work for, and the white men to which the majority of women report to, share a vital role in widening executive presence’s latitude for women, and creating environments that honor versus stifle differences among all people.

Authenticity is a key part of effective leadership, yet many women feel a certain pressure to conform in their professional lives. How does one balance this?

There’s real tension between authenticity and conformity. I’m deeply aware of the value of not losing your identity, not losing what makes you unique. In fact, CTI research reveals that having innate diversity on teamsundefinedmembers who are female, nonwhite, or of non–European originundefinedboosts the team’s innovative potential by providing critical insight into the needs and wants of overlooked or underserved end users. In other words, your inherent difference makes you a valuable asset to teamsundefinedand leadersundefinedwho might benefit from the unique perspective that difference confers.

Leverage what makes you different and how that difference can be an advantage in providing an insight or capturing a market opportunity that other colleagues wouldn’t have been able to capture.

Also, one important thing to remember when talking about authenticity is to always remember your ‘non-negotiables.’ What constitutes a compromise to your authenticity as opposed to just a compromise?

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