Amalgamation to create new entity for the community sector

The Association of Non-Governmental Organisations of Aotearoa (ANGOA) and Social Development Partners (SDP) have proposed amalgamating to form a new community sector entity.

Both organisations seek to support, inform and advocate for community organisations and members. In the proposal, they state that amalgamation of the organisations would enhance the brands, identity and key functions of both organisations. The initial proposal to amalgamate was published in July 2014 following six months of groundwork. Sector feedback on the initial proposal has now been incorporated into a revised version, released in October 2014. Input from a Tiriti Reflection Group has been included.

It is proposed the new entity will be structured as a hybrid, governed by a Charitable Trust made up of between five and nine members. To ensure the organisation remains effective and connected to its support base, formal supporters of the entity would be given the right to elect a minimum of three trustees on a rotating basis, and a skills matrix would inform trustee elections and appointments.

Supported by its purpose and principles, the entity would work across three broad categories: Hui (being a forum for the sector), Awhina (providing practical support for the sector), and Kōrero (being a public voice for the sector). A Tiriti Working Group will be established to support the work of the Trust, with an initial life span of five years.

Each organisation was asked to support the establishment of the new entity at their respective Annual General Meetings (AGMs). They were also to be asked to authorise their Board to approve a final Trust Deed and to appoint members of an Interim Trust Board by 31 December 2014. It is proposed the Interim Board be responsible for establishing the new body, inviting community organisations to sign up, commencing a programme of work and convening an Inaugural Annual Meeting within 12 months of the start date of the new entity. The new entity is anticipated to commence work in 2015.

Suggestions for a name of the new entity, currently known as Working Title Aotearoa, were to be sought at the AGMs of each organisation and a final decision made after the AGMs.

Media:

New national body for community sector, Scoop, 16.07.2014

SDP & ANGOA to look to amalgamate, Social Development Partners, 29.11.2013

Image: Working Together Teamwork Puzzle Concept by LumaxArt. Licence: Creative Commons CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons