As today 23 May 2022 flaxroots is still waiting for statements from the ministers who signed the Government briefing paper, Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan and Hon Stuart Nash.
The Impact Initiative was part of the the Department of Internal Affairs with MSD the handling ministry. MSD has now handed Social Enterprise over to the Ministry of Innovation, Business and Employment MBIE.
In this post series we go deeper into points raised by our open letter.
“It is our ability to pull together, voluntarily for the most part, to help those who were and continue to be most greatly affected. While we are continuing that work today, we are also struggling to sustain ourselves. This network was waiting for the Government’s response to The Impact Initiative recommendations – to relieve the pressure and address the gaps in the system. However, in the absence of long-term solutions and sustained commitment from the Government, we are concerned that our work in communities will remain uncertain at best.“
The enablers in our network are entities and/or passionate individuals who want to see change happening in and for our communities from the ground up. The enabler’s legal structures range from trusts to incorporated societies with charity status to incorporated companies with a mission in the statutory declaration, operating as a for-profit entity.
“Sustaining ourselves” means that for the work enablers do, there is either funding from the philanthropic or government sector or it’s charge-up consulting fees. Supporting start-ups with a social, environmental and governance mission puts those entities into the same position of scrambling for funds.
“.. our work in communities will remain uncertain at best.” Enablers and community/social/kaupapa-driven enterprises have been doing the work for a long time, even without funding. Volunteering was and still is the backbone of undertakings with a mission.
Every charity sees volunteers drying up, people are barely keeping up surviving. A long way from thriving.
We are dreaming of a well-supported enterprise sector for passionate action to solve tricky issues in the community. These actions must align with Te Tiriti o Waitangi, mana boosting for the collective and the individual, together with our natural world.