Strengthening the Sector: New Rātā website designed with communities in mind
Empowered to Thrive: Head of Community Investment Kate Sclater talks about the new Rātā website and mahi to support the Strengthening of the Community Sector
To empower people to thrive, it is important communities see themselves reflected in the stories of impact Rātā shares, and that the information and resources we provide across our channels, is both relevant and accessible.
The refreshed Rātā website has been designed with community organisations in mind. We see the website as an extension of the support organisations receive from our Community Investment Team.
Our research helps inform our community investment approach, and this is available on the new Insights page. Our latest publication is the Building Project Programme Review.
We have recently updated the wording in our Participate funding area priorities, to add some additional clarity. This has come from our Participate research, which we look forward to sharing with you in the new year.
We have also highlighted some external resources on our website we think could be useful for community organisations, such as He Whakaaraara - Aotearoa New Zealand's first national report highlighting educational inequities and barriers faced by learners. The report combines big data and research with community voices, providing a platform for those from marginalised communities to share their stories and experiences. We have shared this on our new ‘Understanding Your Impact’ page, as it highlights the importance of hearing directly from the people and communities we serve.
To create conditions for community organisations to thrive, Rātā invests in opportunities to strengthen the community sector.
An example we have shared previously is our partnership with Terra Nova Foundation. Terra Nova recently hosted us at their Earth Positive (Earth+) Resilience and Emissions Reduction Programme end of year celebration.
The event acknowledged the 80 participants in the programme to date. Community organisations reflected on their involvement in the programme, including what they have learnt and the diverse ways they have been able to implement change within their organisations.
For some, the focus has been immediate emissions reduction, while others have looked to their long term strategic plans for opportunities to implement change. Others focused on strengthening their climate resilience so they are in a better position to respond to community need during times of disruption. You can read more about this on the Terra Nova website.
Dates for their 2025 workshops and the link to register is also available here.