Vu Le visits Tāmaki Makaurau at pivotal time for community and voluntary sector

A massive mihi to Vu Le (the writer behind the blog NonprofitAF.com) for an uplifting and invigorating session with a packed audience of Tangata Whenua, community and voluntary sector organisations (AKA Jedi Unicorns) earlier this week at Te Mahurehure Marae.

When Foundation North was offered the opportunity to partner with Hui E! Community Aotearoa to host an event in Tāmaki Makaurau, we jumped at the chance. We wanted to provide a free in-person session as a thank you to Tāmaki Makaurau’s community sector. Tickets were snapped up like baby goats sprinkled with fairy dust!!

Vu invited the sector to own its power more and explore new models of governance, while he called for funders to provide catalytic funding for community-led organisations which would allow their mahi to be sustainable.

Our Strategic Advisor Nicola Brehaut comments, “Vu’s laser-sharp observations on philanthropy, equity and transparency are still ringing in many funders’ ears from his kōrero at the Philanthropy New Zealand conference in 2019 and he did not disappoint again. We’d like to think that with a rise in multi-year grants, swifter decision times and ventures into participatory grantmaking, we have taken some of Vu’s whakaaro on board. We continue to listen and learn though!”

Hui E! Kaiwhakahaere Matua, Rochelle Stewart-Allen says, ''Vu Le's visit to Aotearoa New Zealand has come at a pivotal time for the community and voluntary sector. We need our funding systems to change in Aotearoa and having a strong voice like Vu's is vital to making funders listen to what our community groups need. This is why Hui E! played a key role in bringing Vu to Aotearoa, we are here to champion the tangata whenua, community and voluntary sector. These community groups need us right now. Funding bodies can help us help the helpers. Let's all be the change we want to see''.

It has been great to collaborate to provide this takoha to grass-roots organisations that do so much to help communities in Tāmaki Makaurau thrive - we hope everyone enjoyed coming together to network, reconnect, make new friends and have a good laugh!