Thinking of volunteering? Check the Charities Register first

The Charities Commission is urging people thinking of volunteering to check the Charities Register for inspiration and information about charities they might wish to support.

Charities Commission chief executive Trevor Garrett says that publicity for Volunteer Awareness Week (14 - 20 June) has prompted many more people to think about joining the estimated one million New Zealanders who already volunteer, and that the Charities Register is a great place to start.

“If you are thinking about volunteering, and would like more information about a charity you have in mind, or would simply like some ideas about charities you could support, the Register has a wealth of information to help you,” he says.

“Simply go to the public Charities Register and search using the criteria that interest you. For example, you can put in a keyword and your local area of operation. We have registered more than 22,000 charities, and are adding more every day, so there is plenty of information there to help make a decision about the charities you might want to support.”

The Register holds information about charities that the public can browse, or search by name (or key word), officers, sector, activities, beneficiaries, or area of operations.

You can also see each registered charity’s contact details, their rules (governing document), their application for registration, and their Officers’ certifications.

Around 5,000 charities (so far) have filed Annual Returns and financial statements with the Commission, and the public can also see those on the Charities Register.

Mr Garrett says that anyone volunteering for a charity that is on the Register can be confident that it has a genuinely charitable purpose. “If a charity is on the Register, you can be sure that it meets all the Charities Act’s criteria, that it will have access to guidance and support to ensure it is well managed and governed, and that its operations are transparent.”

For more information or to search the Charities Register, visit the Charities Commission's website: http://www.charities.govt.nz.