CAB Facing Funding Cuts

Jill Smith from Citizens Advice Bureau Far North (CAB)

Most volunteers feel uncomfortable when they are asked by funders to put a dollar value on the work they happily donate to help improve their communities.

The fact is, we now live in an era when all volunteer groups applying for funding are asked to quantify their voluntary community service in dollar terms.

Well, CAB North Shore has done just that. It commissioned the services of a research company that concluded the Bureau's social return on investment was $13.20 for every dollar invested. That return could be safely used by every Bureau throughout NZ.

Many of us volunteers understand the REAL value of the service we provide. We see it or hear it after we've discussed an issue with a client. It usually goes something like this - "I don't know whether you can help me.........." to a "Thank you. I never thought of that" or "I don't know what we'd do without you".

Back to that REAL value again. It doesn't look anywhere near as attractive on a funding application as the cold hard reality of the dollar return on investment.

So this is where you come in. At a time when our workloads are increasing and becoming more complex, the Citizens Advice Bureau NZ is facing funding cuts. The funding future of many Bureaus is at risk.

To secure a sustainable future, we would appreciate it if you contacted Grant McCallum MP at Grant.McCallum@parliament.govt.nz. Mayor Moko Tepania at mayor@fndc.govt.nz and Bay of Islands - Whangaroa Community Board at belinda.ward@fndc.govt.nz. Please let them know the value you place on the services offered by our awesome volunteers at Citizens Advice Bureau Far North and respectfully ask them to sustainably fund us so that we can keep delivering our valuable service.
Thank you.