I wrote this article for the Sunday Star Times and it was published there on 17 May 2026. Sharing it here as well, so it’s accessible, even for people without a subscription. (But subscribe! News media organisations need help too).
At a time when everything seems pretty challenging, it’s nice to know you can help.
We are sitting at the epicentre of a wicked problem. That’s how a community leader recently described to me the predicament her organisation was in.
The cost of living crisis and the fuel crisis are hitting communities hard, which means the need for her organisation’s services was increasing – at an alarming rate.
So in the same way that households are juggling to make ends meet, charities are looking at where they can tuck and trim, re-prioritise or delay, to keep delivering essential services.
And on the other hand, charities helping communities are grappling with increasing costs and reduced funding. Government funding to charities has decreased significantly, and so charities are turning increasingly to grant funders, philanthropists and individual donors to seek to make up the money they need to do the work. This is creating incredible competition for a limited pool of community funds, at the same time as many grant funders and philanthropists are tightening their belts too.
The Good Registry asked some of our charity partners to tell us how the fuel crisis is impacting them. We got an avalanche of responses, from the straightforward “it just costs more to do everything” to the existential, “we might have to consider stopping our services”.
These are charities working heroically to keep delivering diverse and essential services — charities like Kaibosh, which rescues and redistributes surplus food to support communities and reduce waste; Project Jonah, which rescues and protects marine mammals; Skylight, which provides counselling for children and families often at times of crisis; and Big Buddy, which helps connect boys without dads with caring and reliable male mentors.
As these organisations confront higher fuel costs, for themselves and their partners and volunteers, it’s becoming harder and harder, for example, for volunteers to travel long distances to help rescue stranded whales; for counsellors to get to rural schools to deliver services; for volunteers to spend time in person with young people they are mentoring; or for volunteer drivers to deliver rescued food that could help fill bellies. And these are just a few examples of the challenges felt across the motu.
It’s easy in this context to feel helpless, or hopeless.
But we can all help. And all help – big or small – makes a difference.
If you are wondering what you can do, here are some ideas:
First, be aware that the most pressing need for most charities is – not to put too fine a point on it – money. Money to pay the rent; money to pay their staff; money to give fuel vouchers to their volunteers; money to increase their services to meet the greater need. The quickest and easiest way you can help is to find a charity near you, go to their website, and hit the donate now button. Whether you can give the value of a flat white, or can commit a larger amount or ongoing funding, making donations has a real practical impact for charities. And when you make a donation, especially to a smaller charity, the moral support inherent in this will have its own, significant impact.
If you want help figuring out who to give to, or want to put some regularity into your giving, the One Percent Collective is a great place to go.
If you don’t have a lot of extra money, but want to find different ways to give, you can replace ordinary gifts with charitable donations through The Good Registry. So money your friends or family might have spent on your birthday, wedding, Father’s Day or other special event can go directly to a good cause. Companies can do the same – replacing staff, customer or supplier gifts with charitable donation gift cards.
Volunteering is good too – but be purposeful. Every charity knows the value of volunteers, but it’s important that the type of volunteering matches the charity’s needs. Use sites and services like Volunteer centres or HelpTank to find out who needs help, and the kind of help they need. And if you sign up to volunteer, treat it like a paying job: show up when you say you will, and see it through.
And lastly, talk with others. As Margaret Wheatley said, “be brave enough to start a conversation that matters”. Help to change the conversation about need in New Zealand. Talk with your friends about this wicked problem, and lead by example. The more you talk with others about this, the more people who can make a material difference to the problem may feel motivated to act, and the more opportunities will open up for you to play your own part.
Your voice matters, your time matters, your money matters.
So we’re at the epicentre of a wicked problem? Well then, all hands on deck.
To help go to:
Creating Good Change 