Reflections on the CFANZ Conference

The Community Foundations of New Zealand Aotearoa conference Empowering Communities (October 21st, 22nd) demonstrated the passion, expertise, and warmth buzzing in our sector. Eleanor Cater, Arron Perriam, and the CFANZ team created an environment where people felt comfortable to challenge, muse, and speak not only from an operational perspective but from an emotional one.

From Philanthropy New Zealand’s perspective, it was extremely valuable to gain a deeper insight into how (and why) community foundations operate in New Zealand. We cam away discussing how our strategy can help to drive up the giving to communities via foundations, and how we might be able to support the progression of the donor journey toward more impactful giving.

One of the most resonating questions I came away with was “how do we empower communities and how do we measure it?”. Not a groundbreaking thought, as we are all constantly excavating this question and the many answers. However, hearing many different takes on this question shed new light and urgency upon it. One of which being “money follows energy”.

The idea of “following the energy” is perhaps a way of framing community need and deficit with a more forward thinking and hopeful stance. Of course, not all energy leads toward positive change, especially from a social cohesion lens (we only need to look to the USA for evidence). The starting point and constant guiding beacon, then, (as articulated by Barry Knight, from the Global Fund for Community Foundations) should be the community at a grassroots level. Energy is humming around social cohesion, food security, improved and more equitable education, safer and more affordable housing, and of course, climate and environmental action.

There were discussions around what drives Community Foundations’ giving, is it the donor, the community, or somewhere along a scale between the two? Campbell Higgins from Acorn Foundation spoke to this through the lens of the “donor journey”. Yes, a donor might have a clear idea of what or maybe when who they want to support with their funds. However, there is room for guidance to suggest possible new pathways to maximise the desired impact. 

Ian Bird from Community Foundations Australia held the room with a rousing talk about community philanthropy as he has experienced it across the globe. He shed light on the tricky threads that connect past, present, and future when it comes to community foundations, legacies, and drastic future change. How do we honour and carry through wishes from the past, while making decisions that will safeguard the (very distant) future? How can we get upstream from where we are now and support our communities so that they thrive long, long after we are gone?

The final keynote was the remarkable Dr. Hana O’Regan. The energy in the room was palpable, as Dr. Hana gave a both emotive and factual background to the narratives pushed upon Māori dating back to the 1800s. The question “how do you think that would feel?” is a powerful one. How do you think it would feel to be made to think that you are not, and cannot, be academic in the school system and life beyond? How would it feel for your children to feel shame or a lack of confidence in their abilities or their social standing in the world because of the narratives forced upon them due to their culture? It was eye-opening to consider what narratives have been fed that we may not even realise we are still perpetuating.

I think I can speak for most of us when I say we left the CFANZ conference feeling optimistic, strategic, and with a refreshed drive to create positive change.

Ngā manaakitanga,

Gin Mabey

Head of Events and Member Engagement, Philanthropy New Zealand | Tōpūtanga Tuku Aroha o Aotearoa

Image one: Rahul Watson Govindan with Rachael McDonald

Image two: Eleanor Cator with Gin Mabey and Anika Speedy