The year is just about half over. This is a good time to revisit and reflect upon your goals and dreams for this year.

Is ‘do good schmoozing’ an oxymoron? Liz doesn’t think so. She believes that integrity is at the heart of all good networking. If you reckon networking has to be fake and unscrupulous, this post might be the push you need to get out there.  Until recently, I had a BIG issue with professional networking.  My issue […]

We’re halfway through the year. Yikes! I am not quite sure how it’s been six months since Christmas but here we are. It’s a good time to dust off goals and intentions from the New Year and reflect on the year so far. Or in gardener-speak, do a bit of weeding and pruning, and feed […]

The satisfaction of knowing that you’ve made a real difference? That’s hard to beat. Working at a not-for-profit (NFP) can be absolutely amazing, but it’s not always going to feel like laughing-while-eating-an-organic-salad. Sometimes, working at NFP can feel like being trapped on an island filled with dinosaurs.  While I’m not trying to dissuade you from working […]

Contrary to what we often see in films and on TV, board members aren’t always suit-clad white, older men. We know that diversity leads to greater strength, and resilience, so it’s not surprising that not-for-profit boards are often made up of diverse ethnicities, genders and ages. A not-for-profit board makes sure an organisation has a […]

Working for a not for profit can be immensely rewarding and life-enhancing, but it’s important to be honest about the challenges too. That said, here are 10 surprising skills that’ll help you thrive at a not for profit.  It’s not all solar power and organic roses. In the real world, not for profits often lack important resources […]

Sick of distraction, ‘busywork’ and a whole of lot emailing? You don’t need to quit your job to transform your work-life. Cal Newport’s concept of ‘deep work’ allows us to create a more meaningful, more satisfying, more fulfilling role in the job we have now.  Think about your average work-day. Does it include: Masses of emails? Definitely. ✔ Swathes […]

GOOD PROFILE: Laurie Foon, Sustainability advocate Named the Kiwibank Local Hero Award in 2017, Laurie’s warmth, generosity, smarts and incredible personal connections make her a natural leader of Wellington’s sustainable business revolution. Here’s a quick run-down of Laurie’s career, and what drives her! Current job(s): She is currently the Wellington Regional Manager for the Sustainable Business […]

Guest post by Waveney Russ – The Ākina Foundation Starting something new is daunting. Whether you’ve thought about beginning your own charity, not-for-profit, NGO, community group or social enterprise, knowing where to find reliable resources to guide you on your first stages of the do-good journey can be confusing and disheartening. At The Ākina Foundation, […]

Guest blog: Anna Guenther, Co-Founder and Chief Bubble Blower at Pledgeme — I often get asked about how to get something started. Uncertain entrepreneurs, bored public servants, conviction filled activists all struggle with this. As stupid as it sounds, what I tell them all is that sometimes you just have to jump. You need to […]

We all know amazing things can happen when great people work together, so imagine what might emerge if more of our charities, social enterprises and businesses did the same. You don’t need to dream! We’ve scoured our Land of the Long White Cloud to find five fantastic examples of ‘do good’ collaboration. Tackling issues fro […]

Following on from last week’s blog with Good Sort, Anake Goodall, we asked for his thoughts on Kiwi examples of a really good social enterprise.

Guest post: Alanna Irving — “What is it that makes you a leader? Why is it you who often takes the lead?” This question was posed to us, a group of relatively young people at different points in our professional journeys, by our facilitator, Suze Wilson, at the Asia New Zealand Foundation’s Rethinking Leadership hui. […]

This week we have a guest Q&A with Erin Polazcuk, National Secretary at The New Zealand Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi (the PSA), the largest trade union in New Zealand with over 63,000 members. — What is PSA all about? PSA represents everyone from physiotherapists to DOC rangers; scientists to parliamentary cleaners; […]

Guest post by Pat Shepherd. Pat is the Founder & Chief Doer of Things at the One Percent Collective – encouraging a collective of Kiwis that support local charities, by committing to gift 1% of their income, whatever that might be. Over the past six years, Pat has grown this charity from scratch. Through the […]

After six years at university I left with a couple of degrees. Today, you can probably learn most of what I studied through a myriad of websites and apps from science, arts and commerce topics, for a tiny fraction of my student loan…. From using javascript, learning how to speak Español, finance skills and more. […]

Last week I was invited to an event titled “Challenges Leading in the Not for Profit World” hosted by McLaren Associates (a recruitment company, with a focus on the not for profit world) alongside Inspire Group. The speaker at the event was Terry Shubkin the CEO (a.k.a Chief Excitement Officer) of Young Enterprise Trust, a […]

“The great thing about reading is that it broadens your life” –  George R.R. Martin (Author, Game of Thrones). While Game of Thrones might have added some colour (and gore) to my life, there are a whole load more books which have broadened my not for profit career.   Here is a compilation I’ve put […]

And now, 7 good bits about working for not-for-profits

7 realities about working in the not for profit space.