Every Chapter Adds to Your Story

Kia ora koutou,

This month we’re looking at sharing the heartbeat of Aotearoa’s communities

Across New Zealand, thousands of volunteers and community organisations work tirelessly to support others — often unseen and unsung. CNA is helping to change that by giving these groups a collective voice and a platform to tell their stories.

CNA believes that stories are powerful. Facts and figures can show the scale of need, but personal stories reveal the human heart behind the statistics — the neighbour who checks in on a lonely elder, the youth mentor who helps someone find purpose, the budgeting advisor who restores dignity through support. These narratives remind Aotearoa why community work matters.

Through projects like the Better Banking Report, CNA has shown how storytelling can drive systems change. The report didn’t just present data about how bank closures and digital shifts affect vulnerable people — it shared real experiences from communities across the motu. Those stories gave weight to advocacy, ensuring that policymakers and financial leaders could see, hear, and feel the human impact of their decisions.

CNA also supports members to tell their own stories in meaningful ways. One innovative partner in this space is Interactionz, a social enterprise that helps organisations capture, visualise, and communicate their stories through data-driven storytelling and social impact mapping. Interactionz offers practical tools to turn everyday experiences into clear, compelling evidence of value — helping small community groups show funders and the public what they achieve.

Telling your story isn’t just about publicity; it’s about connection, accountability, and pride. When communities share their own voices — in newsletters, on social media, through videos, art, or reports — they strengthen trust and understanding. CNA’s role is to weave those individual threads into a national tapestry that celebrates the resilience, compassion, and creativity of Aotearoa’s people.

Through advocacy, storytelling, and collaboration, Community Networks Aotearoa continues to amplify the voices of the sector — proving that when we share our stories, we share our strength.

CNA is proud to tell your story, to add your chapter to our book.

Patrick Davies

Membership Engagement

< Older Post

Newer Post >

Share

A Governance Milestone

By Community Networks • February 3, 2026

Kia ora koutou, Running a not-for-profit in Aotearoa New Zealand isn’t for the faint-hearted. Funding pressures, rising compliance demands, volunteer burnout and changing community needs can make it feel like you’re spinning a dozen plates at once. But here’s the good news: you’re not alone. One of the clearest signs of that strength is CNA’s Tick for Governance course, which has now reached a major milestone — over 1,000 users have either completed the course or are actively working through it. That’s 1,000 trustees, board members and leaders investing in good governance and better outcomes for their communities. 🎉 Tick for Governance is special because it’s the only truly Kiwi governance course of its kind. It’s written by Kiwis, for Kiwis, grounded in the realities of how not-for-profits operate in Aotearoa. It’s also proudly supported by Charity Services and the Institute of Directors, giving organisations confidence that the learning is practical, credible and relevant. But CNA doesn’t stop at courses. We’re here to help build capacity and ease workloads through a growing suite of courses, apps and practical resources designed for the real world not-for-profits operate in. A standout example is our collaboration with WiseComply, a smart compliance app that takes a huge weight off governance and management teams. Just like Tick for Governance, WiseComply updates your legislative and compliance requirements as they happen, so you don’t have to constantly chase changes or worry about missing something critical. Less stress, more confidence, better governance, more casual cups of tea. We’re also expanding our highly successful Sharp Strategies series. These aren’t your average sit-and-listen presentations. Sharp Strategies go deeper, offering real-time answers from experts on the issues that actually keep you awake at night, especially with the impending re-registration of Incorporated Societies, the General Election and more. Practical, interactive and immediately useful. Together, these initiatives reflect what CNA is all about: creating meaningful building blocks that strengthen individual organisations, lift the sector as a whole, and ultimately contribute to a stronger, more resilient Aotearoa New Zealand society. Five ways your organisation can get involved: Enrol your board in Tick for Governance to build confident, capable governance. Use WiseComply to simplify and stay on top of compliance obligations. Attend Sharp Strategies sessions to get direct, expert guidance on tough issues. Share CNA resources with staff and volunteers to build capability across your organisation. Make CNA learning part of your ongoing planning, not just a one-off fix. As we head into 2026, now is the perfect time to invest in your people, your governance and your future. Engage with CNA, use the tools on offer, and let’s keep building a stronger not-for-profit sector — together. In the words of a wise, wise man – “To Infinity, And Beyond!”