Generosity helps sustain services

THANK YOU: Masterton Farmers store manager Lisa Parker hands Wairarapa Hospice general manager Suzie Adamson over a donation last year.

A Wairarapa charity is praising the generosity of the community for helping keep vital services open.

An annual increase in street appeal donations and further support has prompted Hospice Wairarapa's general manager Suzie Adamson to thank the public for their "astounding" kindness.

Ms Adamson said Wairarapa people have been "very generous with their giving", allowing Hospice Wairarapa to stay open for six years.

The contributions are among the largest level of donations ever tallied in the district.

An initiative supported by 3600 people led to the hospice service opening in 2009.

Ms Adamson said the community understood the importance of a hospice service.

"Wairarapa as a district and as a community have been absolutely astounding - they just give and give.

"Hospice was opened by the people of Wairarapa, for the people of Wairarapa."

Ms Adamson says the recent annual call for funding was very successful.

"Our street appeal was considerably up on previous years - the take was up several thousand on previous years."

While praising Wairarapa people's generosity, Ms Adamson acknowledges the difficulties charities can face. Local, global and international campaigns can mean donations are stretched across many areas.

"Fundraising is getting harder and the dollar is going less far."

But donor support is essential to keeping the doors open as the service receives no government funding.

"It's imperative the community supports Hospice in order to keep it running."

According to the latest figures released by Charities Services, income for registered charities is steadily increasing, up from $13.6 billion in 2009-10 to almost $16.2 billion. However, this data has been self-reported by charities and was not required to be audited.

The figures include government grants and contracts for delivering public services.

The education, training and research sector has been one of the big movers, gaining an extra $1.5 billion over the last five years, and taking 41.3 per cent of the nationwide charity income.

The health sector, however, has lost ground. Health causes drew more than 23 per cent of the charitable dollar in 2009-10 ($3.2 billion) but now receives just 17.5 per cent ($2.8 billion).

Fundraising Institute chief executive James Austin said public donations are increasing, despite common sentiment.

"There's been a steady growth in giving. We're doing more." Mr Austin said more can be done. "I personally believe there's room for major growth. By no means is the generosity of New Zealanders over-saturated."

The increase in op shops and second-hand goods stores, such as those run by Hospice New Zealand and The Salvation Army, enables aid to be provided to more New Zealanders, Mr Austin says.

Not only does store income go back into delivering services, the new and second-hand goods for sale are more affordable for those who need them, something Mr Austin says is a "double whammy" of aid.

Almost 1700 new registered charities have been established in New Zealand since 2009, pushing the current number to almost 27,000.