Shifting focus to medium-to-long term recovery
By Lynne Umbers, Relationships and Events Manager, Philanthropy New Zealand | Tōpūtanga Tuku Aroha o Aotearoa
Work continues across the storm and cyclone affected regions of the North Island, but the discussion at yesterday’s gathering of philanthropic and grantmaking funders was shifting from immediate response to recovery and the medium-to-long term requirements.
The group was interested to hear details of the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal that was launched on 27 February, that will be overseen by a Charitable Trust and is accepting public donations. It will have a medium-to-long term focus to ensure that affected regions build back better with greater resilience and are better prepared to withstand future extreme weather events. It aims to make accessing the funds as straight forward as possible and will consider where best to allocate funds so as not to replicate other organisations’ funding.
There remains a need for resources to assist with the ongoing clean-up which includes workforce, trucks, trailers, and waste removal. There are significant numbers of red and yellow stickered properties so housing repairs and rebuilding is a key focus. Temporary accommodation arrangements are running out and causing concern to those affected who may be forced to move away from their home area and schools.
A number of marae have been damaged and are red or yellow stickered. This damage is being assessed and a co-funding approach adopted to fund the marae directly. Funding is also being made available to support clubs and communities to ensure that rangatahi and whānau remain active and engaged in sports.
Whilst funding for immediate needs is still available, funders are now looking at medium-to-long term relief. There is a strong desire to make access to funds as simple as possible, adopting a high-trust model, and a willingness to share information to support due diligence to reduce the burden on fund seekers.
The team at Philanthropy New Zealand’s Match | Te Puna Taurite (MTPT) service is increasing their capacity to help onboard charities and community organisations seeking funds to support the recovery efforts. Funders are encouraged to help identify those groups on the ground that are seeking additional funding. The MTPT funder forum provides a secure place for funders to connect, share information and collaborate on areas they wish to focus on.
This week we heard updates from the Department of Internal Affairs, Foundation North, Auckland Council, Eastern and Central Community Trust, Trust Tairāwhiti, Hawkes Bay Foundation and Match | Te Puna Taurite. Thank you to everyone attending the meeting for sharing information and insights to help support the response effort.