Bay of Plenty non-profit organisations struggling for funding

Non-profit services say it's a struggle to find funding.

Non-profit organisations have spoken out about their time-consuming struggle to find funding, with one in Tauranga forced to close.

Maxine Dyer, manager at Families Achieving Balance in Tauranga, said the struggle of trying to secure funding led to the service closing this month.

Families Achieving Balance was a not-for-profit community trust that provided free social services.

The service would get “little bits and pieces” of money throughout the year but it was a difficult process.

“Applying for that funding takes a lot of time, and it’s a very specialised piece of work,’' she told the Bay of Plenty Times.

“We didn’t have enough money to get us to the next payment because we’ve always run on such an oily rag ... now families won’t get our service.”

Some money came from philanthropic funding and the community.

“In terms of philanthropic funding, it’s literally a lottery of who gets the funding. Sure, you do a lovely application and tell them how great you are but you don’t know how the philanthropic spreads that money around.”

Families Achieving Balance closed on October 15.

Bay of Plenty-based SociaLink offers support for non-profits.

Liz Davies, Social Link chief executive, says that without funding organisations are having to reduce services, let staff go and even close doors.

Chief executive Liz Davies said the organisation did what it could to support and empower non-profits so they could deliver the best services possible.

“You don’t know how much money is coming through the door, so it’s a precarious, uncertain time making it very stressful for managers and staff,” Davies said.

In July 2024, an online survey was conducted in the Western Bay of Plenty sector and 61 responses were analysed.

The survey found that 36% of organisations received government contracts. .

Thirteen organisations had contracts with only one government agency, with this being the most important income source.

Organisations reported a change in funding from government sources and 11 said it was either a decrease or the same amount, rather than an increase.

Providers were concerned that government contracts were not keeping up with rising costs and demand for services, and were not including Consumers Price Index (CPI) adjustments.

, Davies suggested such payments should be linked to the CPI.

“Pay for the full cost of the service that they’re funding because there’s been some previous research which showed they fund 80% and expect organisations to find the other 20% of philanthropic funding,” Davies said.

Unseen Heroes offers programmes designed to support young carers aged 24 and under.

Co-founder Te Rina Ruru-Pelasio said philanthropic funders had helped fund the organisation’s current intake but it had to cut back on services due to funding falling through.

Co-founded by Te Rina Ruru-Pelasio and Char Rain, Unseen Heroes is the only organisation in New Zealand dedicated to providing specialised support to all young carers.

“They’re the ones that are keeping us afloat at the moment. But you can only apply once a year, for six months, so what are we going to do for the next six months?

Ruru-Pelasio had to reduce the number of children put through her programme, which is based primarily in Rotorua and the Bay of Plenty.

“We didn’t manage to get as much funding as we had hoped.

“We’d normally put 50 kids through a programme, but this time we only managed to raise enough for 37 kids.”

Rotorua’s Citizens Advice Bureau manager Jane Eynon-Richards also felt pressure of funding with reduced Lakes Council community funding.

She needed to find $35,000 for the year to cover annual operating costs of $95,000.

Paul Laing, a Phillip Verry Charitable Foundation representative, offered a $25,000 grant. The grant meant Eynon-Richards did not need to apply for more grants that offered less money and would be able to keep doors open for the financial year.

Tauranga Foodbank manager Nicki Goodwin said that working within a tight budget was always challenging.

Tauranga Foodbank manager Nicki Goodwin with Jordy Gastmeier, the warehouse manager, and food support and volunteer manager Halena Pritchard. Photo / Sam O'Dea

“Applying for funding can be quite a long process with no guarantee of success. I believe that building a relationship with funders so they have a clear understanding of your charitable purpose is vital.”

Goodwin said she would ask government funders to learn about how specific charities operate, how effectively they run on very little money, and how efficient they are at meeting community needs.

Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.