This snapshot of the community and volunteer sector highlights trends, addresses key challenges, and shares the collective experiences of organisations across Aotearoa. The report shows that more people are engaging with community organisations and that demand for their services is growing, while funding lags. 

There are around 115,000 non-profit/ for-purpose organisations in New Zealand, around 31,000 of these have charitable registration. In 2018, non-profit organisations contributed $12.1 billion to gross domestic product, including 158 million volunteer hours.  Funding from central and/or local government contracts and other sources of funding are not matching the increases in demand and numbers of people accessing services. 

This survey underscores the need for greater support and recognition of the work these organisations do, highlighting the innovative ways that organisations meet growing demands and support their communities in increasingly difficult circumstances. 

Key findings 

• While more organisations are in the same position financially as they were two years ago, others are worse off, fewer are better off, and more are using reserves than in 2022 and 2020.
• Demand for the services and activities has increased for 77% of the sample, and the numbers of people accessing and using those services and activities has increased by 64% compared to two years ago. 
• Three quarters of organisations who operate rurally report they do not have enough service provision. 
• Close to 40% of organisations who hold government contracts are overdelivering by 26% or more, but value of contracts has stayed the same or has reduced for 58% of these organisations. 
• Some 74% of organisations have still managed to raise wages and salaries in the last two years, and 80% are providing professional development for their workforces. 
• Just under a quarter of organisations feel that they cannot speak publicly about what they and their clients are experiencing. This is a marked improvement on the 2014 Snapshot Survey when 60% of respondents felt they could not speak out.