COVID-19 and the social impact sector... hear from thought leaders

The impacts of the COVID-19 crisis will affect our communities for the foreseeable future. In March, organisations in our sector had to move quickly to respond as the effects of job losses and lockdown hit our communities. Now, as we move beyond the immediate crisis, we are starting to reflect on what we need to do to recover, rethink and rebuild. As a Centre, we are looking at how we can contribute to that process, and we have a number of initiatives underway.

SURVEY: The survey on how COVID-19 has affected community organisations is now available here alongside the report summary and infographics. The dataset from the survey is now available to access and is available here on the HUIE! website. Thanks to HuiE! for making this happen.

INSIGHTS/SUMMARY: We have summarised the survey responses to identify the key actions and activities that can help support the sector to recover, reimagine and reshape the future.

SURVEY BACKGROUND: We have conducted a survey in partnership with Hui E! Community Aotearoa, Philanthropy New Zealand, and Volunteering New Zealand on how COVID-19 has affected community organisations. The survey closed on Friday 12 with over 1400 responses.

Data from the survey will help inform cross-sector discussions and decisions around recovery. As Sue McCabe, CEO of Philanthropy New Zealand noted in a blog post on the survey, "if we just have business or government voices in the recovery, we’re more likely to go back to the society we had pre-COVID-19."

The results of the survey are now available.

SECTOR LEADER INSIGHTS: We asked some individuals thinking deeply about Covid-19 issues in our sector to give us a brief insight into what they have seen and learnt since the crisis started, the challenges they’re seeing ahead, and what the potential solutions to those challenges might be. The first videos posted are from Richard Catherall, Social Innovation Specialist at Auckland Council; Precious Clark, a trustee of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei, a former trustee of Foundation North, and founder of Maurea Consulting Ltd; Paul Ronalds, Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children in Australia and a board member of Australia’s Centre for Social Impact; Ronji Tanielu, policy analyst at The Salvation Army Social Policy and Parliamentary Unit; Peter O'Connor who helps the Salvation Army plan significant, innovative projects and secure funding for those projects; Peter Tynan, CEO of Foundation North and Robyn Kiddle, Chief Executive at Child Cancer Foundation.

NETWORK OPINION: The reduction of social inequalities has long been a focus of philanthropic funders. We asked our network for their thoughts on how philanthropic organisations which have strategies that reference reducing inequalities can embrace this kaupapa as the economic impacts of COVID-19 is likely to increase social inequities. We captured the network’s thoughts in this blog. A key conclusion: “This is a time to put into practice genuine power-sharing and community empowered decision making. It is a time to explore and establish new partnerships, particularly with Māori to support the aspirations of whānau, hapu and iwi. It is a time to build effective and authentic participatory philanthropy, ensuring that decisions about priorities and support for communities are undertaken by those with community mandates.”

RESOURCES AND READING LIST: There is so much thoughtful content and useful resources being produced in response to COVID-19 crisis. We’ve curated a small selection of these excellent resources here. 

If you see something you think others in the sector would be interested in, let us know.

The Centre for Social Impact is drawing on the experience of its network and community to understand the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis on the philanthropic sector, the long-term implications of this event, and to identify possible social impact responses.

Increasing equity - the priority for philanthropy

We asked our network for their thoughts on the impacts of COVID-19 on the philanthropic sector – and the long-term implications of this crisis. This blog captures some of their insights around the issue of increasing equity. We will be producing further blogs on the COVID-19 impacts and how they will affect funders, community organisations, and the wider NGO community.

Read more here.