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The National Appeals Association exists to coordinate the dates of the national appeals and awareness campaigns of its members. In carrying out this responsibility it relies on the goodwill and cooperation of its members. The National Appeals Association (NAA) does not have any regulatory powers, nor does it represent any other authority. However, NAA does have a constitution which applies to its membership and which gives guidance to its purpose as well as setting out the rules of the association.
Membership is open to organisations that are both charitable and national and who wish to conduct either a national appeal for funds or a national awareness campaign. Groups can apply to NAA for membership at any time provided they meet the criteria as set out in the Constitution and Rules of the Association.
The Association carries out the following objectives:
The NAA communicates with its membership to plan an Annual Appeal Calendar. While it tries to avoid clashes of dates for its members, it has no control over the dates set for national appeals by non-members. It also encourages members to avoid conflicts between the dates of their regional appeals and national appeals organised by other members.
The NAA publishes a calendar annually, which sets out the appeal dates of its members. This calendar is made available to all those who request it and is distributed to newspapers and community information centres. The calendar is an important public relations tool for members as the information it contains is used by a number of local newspapers.
Members are encouraged to limit any collections for a national appeal to a maximum seven day period. Advertising for the appeal can start the day after the end of the preceding appeal. If appeal envelopes are to be distributed then this can be done within seven days of the start of the appeal. The reason for these rules is to give all members the opportunity to hold their appeal without interference from other members. However NAA cannot prevent a non-member from carrying out an appeal at the same time as one of its members.
NAA encourages communication and consultation between members and will act as a neutral facilitator to help resolve any issues that arise between individual members. It encourages each member to avoid conflict with the appeals of other members of the association.
NAA holds regular meetings, which assist members to exchange points of view both formally and informally. These meetings also help members to meet other people who are active in fundraising and to build support networks.
NAA will respond to requests from the media on issues important to members. It supports the rights of members to make public appeals for funds and to run awareness campaigns. However it does not speak on behalf of individual members, as this is their prerogative.
NAA supports training that is in keeping with the aims of the Association and meets the needs of its members. Training may be in partnership with kindred organisations.
NAA encourages its members to be accountable to public interest by publishing the results of their fundraising efforts in their Annual Reports. The NAA logo can be used on envelopes and appeal letters with the permission of the Association.
NAA recognises that most members will undertake additional fundraising, other than a national appeal, throughout the year. NAA cannot coordinate the dates of these additional fundraising activities but will circulate information provided by members. Members are asked to take into account the appeal dates of other members when they are determining dates for additional fundraising activities.
Direct marketing usually involves the selling of products either door to door or by phone directly by members or their authorised contractor or agent. When planning this type of activity, be it local or national, members are asked to take into account the appeal dates of other members and avoid selling on the same days that another member is having either a house-to-house collection or street day.
An emergency appeal is defined as being a national appeal, using any method, for a response to either a national or international crisis where there is public interest in or pressure to respond to the need.
While members have the right to respond to such interest or pressure, the member wishing to hold the emergency appeal must consult and reach agreement with all NAA members who may be effected by the proposed appeal advising the details of the arrangements to the NAA Executive.
If agreement is not reached any of the NAA members effected may request that the NAA Executive, with urgency, mediate between the members concerned. The outcome will be reported to all members.
Members may hold a maximum of two national appeals or awareness campaigns per year excluding any emergency appeal
They may choose:
A Category A appeal and either a Category C,D or E appeal.
Or
A Category B appeal and either a Category C,D or E appeal
Or
Any two from categories C,D or E
Members holding more than one appeal must nominate one as a priority appeal. If the preferred date of two members' appeals conflict for any reason then the priority of their appeals will be taken into account.
The following guidelines record the process followed by members and the NAA Executive when determining the Annual Appeal Calendar. These guidelines follow the principles set out in the NAA Constitution.
The NAA Constitution and Rules lists the objects of the Association as follows:
6.1 To coordinate dates for national appeals promotional and awareness activities to ensure that each member has a reasonable opportunity to conduct its appeal(s) without interference from any other member, and to require each member to take all reasonable steps to avoid conflict with other member's national appeals.
6.2 To encourage members to cooperate in ensuring their regional appeals do not conflict with other members' national appeals.
6.3 To publish annually and make known throughout New Zealand a list of members of the Association with the dates agreed upon for their appeals and promotional activities.
6.4 To encourage members to limit in all cases national appeal advertising to the period commencing the day after the final day of the appeal week for the preceding appeal and one day following the final day for the appeal covered. The additional day should be limited to “thank you” and “late donations” advertising.
6.5 To encourage members to limit in all cases the distribution of appeal envelopes to the seven days immediately prior to or the seven days during their respective appeal week.
6.6 To conduct negotiations on behalf of the Association to obtain favourable support and conditions for the collective benefit of members and to advance the general objectives of the Association.
The NAA calendar fixes dates for members' annual appeals so as to avoid conflicts between members and to allow each member to conduct their appeal without interference from other members. The calendar records each member's national appeal week irrespective of the type of appeal and informs the public of their activity.
The following process is followed:
7.1 Members are requested to specify appeal dates up to three years ahead. These are allocated by the members at the AGM two years in advance, and confirmed by members at the AGM prior to the respective calendar year as specified in the Association Constitution and Rules.
7.2 Members requesting a significant change to the dates of their appeal i.e. changing from one period of the year to another period, must advise the NAA Executive Committee of their proposal. The Chairperson of NAA may request a meeting of those organisations effected by the proposed change to seek resolution of any concerns.
7.3 The Executive Committee of NAA may suggest minor changes to follow established patterns or sequences or to avoid overlaps with other members' weeks.
7.4 The Executive Committee circulates a draft calendar for the following year before the March AGM for discussion at the AGM. Members likely to be effected by another member's date are encouraged to discuss the conflict and resolve the problem if possible.
7.5 Where members cannot find an acceptable solution, either party can refer the problem to the Executive Committee who act as a facilitator towards an acceptable solution; requesting submissions from each and encouraging continuing dialogue.
7.6 Members recognise that category A appeals shall have priority over other categories, especially in daylight saving time because of their necessary commitment of collector organisation, advertising and appeal expenditure. Likewise category B appeals will normally take precedence over category C and so on.
7.7 The NAA Executive Committee shall work towards a solution to all calendar issues.
7.8 Members are expected to follow their requirements of membership as set out in the Constitution and Rules, particularly with regard to appeal collections, advertising and organisation. Members are expected to ensure their organisation respects their undertaking to the NAA membership, and refrains from interfering with another members' appeal week rights.
If a member wishes to change the dates of their appeal once the Annual General Meeting has approved these they must:
8.1 Inform the Secretary of NAA in writing of the proposed changes giving the reasons why the change is necessary.
8.2 Consult with any other member holding an approved appeal during the week in which it is proposed the appeal will now be held.
8.3 Consult with any other member holding an approved appeal either in the week preceding or following the week the appeal will now be held.
8.4 Confirm in writing that all effected parties agree.
8.5 If agreement cannot be reached the chairperson of NAA may request a meeting of the parties concerned to see if agreement can be reached.
8.6 If agreement still cannot be reached the matter will be referred to a General Meeting of the Association for resolution.
8.7 Once agreement has been reached it is the member's responsibility to advise, as necessary, any local authority, which approves collection dates or street days of the change. A list of local authorities is available from the Secretary.
The following classification system applies.
Category A
A national appeal, conducted annually, for monetary donations within a period of seven consecutive days during a calendar year involving distribution of envelopes to more than 90% of households throughout New Zealand and using door to door collectors as the major means of collection.
Category B
A national appeal, conducted annually, for monetary donations within a period of seven consecutive days during a calendar year involving distribution of envelopes to more than 90% of households throughout New Zealand and using return post as the major means of collections.
Category C
A national appeal conducted annually or less frequently for monetary donations within a period of seven consecutive days during a calendar year and using street days, door to door selling, promotional activities or electronic media appeals as the major means of collection.
Category D
A regional or local appeal conducted annually or less frequently for monetary donations within a period of seven consecutive days during a calendar year and using street days, door to door selling or return post as the major means of collection.
Category E
Members who conduct annually, or less frequently, a significant national, regional or local promotion and awareness campaign conducted annually, or less frequently, within a period of seven consecutive days during a calendar year which does not involve an appeal for, or collection of, monetary donations.