16 April 2007 Media Statement

New report highlights value of volunteers

A new report showing that 90 per cent of non-profit organisations in New Zealand are run entirely by unpaid volunteers proves how important these people are to our society, Community and Voluntary Sector Minister Luamanuvao Winnie Laban said today.

'Counting Non-profit Institutions in New Zealand: 2005', released today by Statistics New Zealand, found there were 97,000 non-profit organisations in New Zealand in 2005, of which only 10 per cent employed paid staff.

"We already know that more than one million New Zealanders carry out valuable voluntary work both in New Zealand and overseas each year," said Laban.

"This report is useful as we now have a clearer understanding of the number of non-profit organisations and the importance of volunteers for them to operate and continue their sterling work in our communities.

"Volunteers help to shape our kiwi identity as their dedication, work and generosity of spirit brings huge economical, cultural and social benefits for our country.

"Strong non-profit organisations are critical to building strong, sustainable and connected communities. This is why our Labour-led government continues to put time, energy and resources into supporting volunteering," said Laban.

The report covered all non-profit organisations including social services, culture, sport and recreational organisations, and religious organisations. It represents stage one in an ongoing programme of work to identify non-profit activity in New Zealand.

"This report is the first step in work aimed at calculating the overall contribution of non-profit organisations to our economy," said Laban.

The overall economic contribution of the non-profit sector will be measured when the 'Non-Profit Institutions Satellite Account' report is released by Statistics New Zealand in August.

ENDS

The report can be found online www.stats.govt.nz

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