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Earth+ NfP Programme

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Ready your not-for-profit for the future

 

  • Do you know you need to take action to address climate change but don’t know where to start?
  • Do you want to strengthen your organisations’ planning and readiness for change?
  • Do you want practical tools and support to measure, assess, and reduce your organisations’ environmental impact?
  • Are you looking for achievable and actionable steps you can take today, which will make a positive difference for people and planet?

In partnership with Rātā Foundation, our Earth+ Resilience and Emissions Reduction programme has been designed to empower community organisations with the tools and know-how to take action towards taking environmental action and preparing for change; and it’s free of charge!

About the programme:

With the support of the Terra Nova team and other programme participants, you will be guided to identify how your organisation is uniquely placed to contribute to the resilience and wellbeing of people and planet, and the opportunities and obstacles to creating positive change. The programme is accessible and suitable for everyone, from those just starting on the journey, to those who have steps in place but are looking to gain access to further resources. We know that every organisation’s capacity is different, so our support is available for you to utilise it when you need it until the end of 2025. This includes:

  • Access to a dedicated online community where you can connect with the Terra Nova team, other Rātā grantees and specialised partners. Ask questions, find resources and share your journey.
  • A toolkit of resources and impact sessions to develop your knowledge and connect you with the expertise and support to build resilience and tackle change in a range of impact areas.
  • Complementary access to the Cogo carbon emissions measurement tool, providing you the ability to quantify and report on your emissions impact and providing recommended actions for emissions reduction and cost savings, in an easy-to-use format.

 

It begins with a 1.5 day workshop to kick things off. By the end of the workshop, you’ll have:

  • An understanding of resilience and climate change as it relates to your organisation’s context.
  • Explored how to go about developing a climate/environmental policy statement and resilience plan for your organisation.
  • A snapshot of your carbon footprint and access to Cogo, an easy-to-use tool to measure your progress on emissions reduction.
  • Clear, actionable next steps on your resilience and climate journey and free-to-use practical tools and templates.

 

Sign-up Information

To join the programme, please fill out the registration form and indicate your preferred dates to attend the introductory workshop (if there is more than one which suits, select all that apply and we will enroll you in the first one which has availability). A member of the Terra Nova team will be in touch to confirm your registration once it has been submitted.

Workshop Dates 2025:

16th – 17th July, central Ōtautahi Christchurch

13th – 14th August, central Ōtautahi Christchurch

10th – 11th September, central Ōtautahi Christchurch

8th – 9th October, central Ōtautahi Christchurch

Currently, our scheduled 2025 workshops will be hosted in Christchurch, but if you are located in wider Canterbury, Nelson/Tasman, or Marlborough, please indicate your preference in the sign up form. With enough interest, we are more than happy to bring a workshop to you!

Cost: Participation in the programme is supported by The Rātā Foundation and is at no cost to participants. Please note that positions are limited and by registering you are indicating your firm commitment to attend the workshop and participate in the programme.

Workshop requirements: You will need to bring a laptop and have access to your organisation’s Xero, Kiwibank or MYOB account to sign up for the Cogo Carbon Manager tool.

 

“I think a lot of us understand the idea of “reduce reuse recycle” and as non-profits we are really good at this anyway, although usually coming from a place of creative frugality. This workshop with Terra Nova delved beyond this, looking at not just how to make change, but also the best way to face change in our organisations. The word “resilience” got bandied around a lot during the earthquakes here to the point of near overkill, but reframing this in the face of increased climate-related emergencies was enlightening. The tools shared with us are incredibly user-friendly, are realistic for our organisations to utilise, and the tone of the whole workshop was still positive, despite the bleakness that could come when discussing climate change.

I would absolutely recommend these workshops to staff and trustees as a way to show caring for the planet is intrinsically linked with caring for your organisation and all people.”

Programme participant

FAQs

Who is the programme for?

The programme is for non-profit organisations.

Why has Rātā Foundation funded this project?

Community organisations have told Rātā they want to do their bit to contribute to reducing the impacts of climate change. However, it’s not always easy to know where to start. Rātā Foundation is also on this journey, and want to walk alongside organisations as they navigate taking the first step. Rātā has partnered with Terra Nova to support organisations to build the knowledge and skills to start their climate action journey.

Is there any cost for participants?

There is no cost to take part in the programme. After the workshop it is up to each organisation to determine how much mahi it will do. Ongoing support through the online community and access to the Cogo Carbon Manager tool is free until the end of 2025.

What are the aims of the programme?

The programme has been designed to provide you with effective, flexible support to build your organisation’s capability to improve your resilience to climate change impacts and take action to reduce your environmental impact. There’s no time like the present to get started on your climate journey.

What are the benefits to my organisation?

Through the programme, you will be supported to:

  • Reduce your carbon emissions
  • Identify the unique contribution your organisation can make to reducing human impact
  • Increase your preparedness for climatic change (and related change)
  • Undertake and/or align with environmental action in your local area
  • Implement a measurement tool to show your progress

Will this commit our organisation to taking climate action? 

The programme’s intent is to grow the sector’s capability to respond to climate change. The programme is flexible in nature, meaning that once you have attended the initial workshop you can, at your own pace, access tools and templates, individualised support from experts and an online community of organisations that have also embarked on a journey towards resilience and reduced emissions.

Who from my organisation should attend?

We suggest two to three attendees from organisations attend. To make the most of the workshop we suggest a member of the leadership team take part, and if you have a team member who has – or may have – responsibilities for your organisation’s climate commitment, it would be beneficial if they attend.

The session focusing on carbon measurement requires familiarity with, and access to, your organisation’s Xero, MYOB, or Kiwibank account, which may require an additional team member attending for that session.

Do I have to report on my progress to Rātā if I join the programme?

No, there is no obligation to report back to Rātā on your participation.

Will Rātā consider our emissions when we apply for future funding from them?

No, this programme is independent of any current or future funding applications you have with Rātā.

Do I have to report on my progress to Terra Nova if I join the programme?

No, though Terra Nova Foundation is always happy to receive your feedback and to hear about your successes along the way. We encourage you to share with others the actions you are taking to reduce your carbon footprint so that others can benefit from your leadership and shared knowledge. We find that participants in the programme want to share as they make a difference quickly.

What time commitment is required if we join?

The initial time commitment is 1.5 days for the workshop. Following the workshop, you are free to set your own pace and access the support available through the community as and when necessary.

What happens if I can no longer attend the workshop I am signed up for?
While this programme is at no cost to our participants, the resources and expertise we provide is highly valuable and positions are limited. To make it fair on participants who get waitlisted for positions and to cover our administrative costs for no-shows and late cancellations, if you are unable to make it to the workshop and give us less than a weeks’ notice or none at all, there will be a $100 +GST fee charged per participant to your organisation.

 

If you do have an unavoidable plan change (and let us know with more than a weeks’ notice) or experience illness which means you cannot make the workshop, your attendance will be postponed to the next available workshop.
What is Cogo and why use it as the tool to measure progress on emissions reduction?

Cogo is an international award winning company born in Aotearoa NZ which delivers a simple and user-friendly platform for SME’s to measure, report on and reduce their carbon emissions.

The platform uses an organisations’ spend records to classify and assign a carbon value to each transaction, which is then collated to estimate an overall carbon footprint. Users are then guided to actions that can be taken to reduce emissions, tailored to the emissions contributors within their unique footprint.

The financial information used to generate a footprint is carefully managed so it is only visible to the user and the tool cannot be used to edit or amend accounting records.

How will my data be managed?

Each organisation will manage their own data within the Cogo tool to ensure confidentiality. The overall emissions reduction of participating organisations will be measurable through anonymised collective data.

Do I need to bring a laptop or other device?

Yes. You will need to bring a device so you can access the Cogo Carbon Manager tool, sign up to our online community, and take part in some of the workshop exercises.

Still have questions? Get in touch with us here.

Thank you to our programme supporters and service providers
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