The survey by Volunteering New Zealand and Hui E! Community Aotearoa of more than 600 organisations in the tangata whenua, community and voluntary sector showed the sector is experiencing increased demand for its services from stressed communities.
But the demand has not been met with increased funding from government and the philanthropic sector, and the challenges are starting to wear down workers and volunteers.
The research was conducted in June-July 2021, just before Aotearoa New Zealand went into its second national lockdown in August. It was a follow-up of a 2020 survey which showed similar trends, and included focus groups with organisations caring for Māori, Pasifika, migrant and refugee-background, and disabled communities. Find the full dataset here.