Economic resources
Most groups strive towards economic sustainability, especially in terms of sustainable funding or self-resourcing. These resources give ideas and practical ways on how to achieve this.
General funding resources
The Funding How-to guide on CommunityNet– where to get funding and how, some information on self-resourcing groups. The Community research How-to guide has facts on social auditing.
www.community.net.nz
Funding and sustainability
This edition of The NZ Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations' (NZFVWO) quarterly publication 'New Dialogue' explores some of the issues surrounding funding and sustainability. Some of the key questions considered are:
- where organisations want to be one year out, five years out, ten years out and beyond
- how to pursue a mix of funding options that allows organisations to be true to their missions
- how best to continue delivering services
- the amounts of money needed, what it's for, and the conditions an organisation is or isn’t willing to accept.
www.nzfvwo.org.nz/files/nd16web.htm (The publication is also available as a downloadable PDF document at www.nzfvwo.org.nz)
Triple bottom line reporting
TBL means sustainable development equal responsibility and accountability for: financial performance, environmental performance and corporate social performance.
It involves cost saving and improving environmental performance.
Benefits of TBL include:
- Enhanced reputation
- Benchmark performance
- Improved operations and management\improved risk management
- Increased confidence from investor, insurers and financial organizations
- Improved communication with stakeholders
www.dse.vic.gov.au under "sustainable"
Triple Bottom Line guide and tool
The New Zealand Business Council for Sustainable Development has a developed Sustainable Development Reporting as key tool for triple bottom line reporting and a practical guide on how to do it.
www.nzbcsd.org.nz
This has a description and checklist of a sustainable model linked from "capital" on graphic. It includes writing a sustainable report, socially responsible investment and stakeholder dialogue. Available on the Ministry for the Environment website under Key Initiatives
www.mfe.govt.nz/
Profit, People, Planet (issues and options for TBL)
This publication goes into options for triple bottom line reporting.
www.mfe.govt.nz/publications/sus-dev
Other economic sustainability resources
Corporate sustainability and capacity
Under “Resources” in Bookshelf there are two good articles on:
- Corporate sustainability and responsibility and
- Building community capacity: assessing corporate sustainability.
Council of Social Services of NSW
www.ncoss.org.au/bookshelf/index.html
An article on sustainable funding in the voluntary sector, on the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations website under Information / Publications
http://www.scvo.org.uk/scvo/Home/InformationHome.aspx
Good Financial Management Guide
It's on the National Council for Voluntary and Community Organisations'
website under “publications”. This offers practical advice on managing a group's finances with a mind on the present and on the future.
www.ncvo-vol.org.uk