United Way

May I begin by greeting everyone in the languages of the realm of New Zealand, in English, Māori, Cook Island Māori, Niuean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language.

Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni and as it is the evening (Sign). 

May I specifically greet you: Rohan Williams, Chair of United Way New Zealand and General Manager of Smith and Nephew (New Zealand) Ltd; Don Oliver, Chief Executive of United Way New Zealand; Past President Mr Dennis Nathan, Board members, staff, volunteers and supporters;  distinguished guests otherwise; ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you for accepting the invitation to join my wife Susan and I for this Patron’s reception for United Way New Zealand at Government House Auckland.

I would like to take this opportunity to speak about the value of the work of United Way New Zealand and particularly in the economic circumstances that our country and the world currently face.

As this audience will know only too well, United Way is different from most other not-for-profit charitable organisations.  Its aims and mission are charitable, but it does not do charitable works, at least not directly.  As its mission says, it encourages generosity by brokering resources, whether that be money, time and skills, between individuals, businesses and the community. 

Essentially it “helps the helpers” supporting a large number of small-to-medium sized charities that are efficiently and effectively meeting real needs, but which simply lack the public profile to ensure that they receive sufficient funding. 

The benefits of United Way’s work are two-fold.  For the charities, the benefit is that they receive funding and support and do not have to expend as much time and energy in seeking funding from other sources.

For the donors, they can either give to United Way, confident that it will choose an appropriate charity, or donors will use United Way to act as a facilitator to find a charity that meets their needs. 

By providing what might be called a “system for giving,” the United Way allows significant donors to give without having to establish an administrative system for dispersing funds.  The combination of United Way’s small and efficient paid staff with a corps of volunteers throughout New Zealand ensures that a very high percentage of donations is received by charities.

One of New Zealand's most well known philanthropists of recent times, the late Sir Roy McKenzie, once noted that the giving away of money calls for more skill and judgment than the making of it.  United Way can provide that judgment and skill.

The value of its work, however, will become particularly evident as New Zealand deals with the unfolding ramifications of the global economic downturn. 

Charities face both edges of a double edged sword at these times.  Most organisations for which there is Governor-General patronage, look to charitable donations to assist them in making New Zealand a better place.

But in difficult times, the demands placed on the services they might provide, especially in relation to the health, education and welfare sectors, inevitably increases.

There is a saying in management circles in tough times that goes, organisations need to "work smarter, not harder."   I suspect that all charities will have to work both harder as well as smarter.

United Way offers a model that allows charities to do just that.  While monetary resources might be tighter, increasingly organisations and people are offering their time and skills to assist charities. The commitment to assist a charity might be in the form of a long-term relationship, or it might be for a specific project.  A team-building gathering, for example, will be all the more worthwhile if it is supporting a valued charity.

A convenient example is the recent move by a group of senior lawyers in Auckland to provide their services free of charge to the SPCA to assist in prosecuting animal cruelty cases.  

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate United Way New Zealand on its work to make our country a better place. In particular, I want to congratulate its donors for their support.

Volunteering and philanthropic generosity are part of the “glue” that holds our society together.  It goes without saying that without volunteers and without donors important services, particularly in our health and education systems, would simply grind to a halt. For as Sir Winston Churchill once said: "We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give."

And on that note, I will close in New Zealand’s first language Māori, by offering everyone greetings and wishing you all good health and fortitude in your endeavours.

No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tēnā koutou katoa.