|
Kia ora,
2026 is off to a flying start, and with the general election confirmed for 7 November, the countdown has officially begun.
If looking ahead to an election year feels overwhelming, you are not alone. However, we’re here to support you to approach the election as a strategic moment in our long-term journey for change.
|
Are you ready for the 2026 election?
As the 2026 election approaches, many organisations are asking similar questions:
Are we focusing on the right things? How much time, energy and resources should we dedicate to the election?
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing a five-step guide to election readiness, designed to support advocacy and changemaking organisations to pause, reflect, and prepare thoughtfully. Each step offers practical prompts, examples, and reflective questions to help you assess where you’re well placed and where a bit more attention now could make a real difference later.
The series explores:
- Strategy: clarifying what you’re trying to shift through the election, and how this fits within your longer-term theory of change.
- Alignment and power: connecting grasstops and grassroots work, strengthening internal clarity, and reflecting on how power is shared, including how Te Tiriti responsibilities show up in practice.
- Engagement pathways: using digital tools to support relational organising, move beyond your existing base, and deepen supporter involvement.
- Constructive communication: shaping messages that lead with shared values, offer solutions, and keep doors open across political lines.
- Beyond election day: preparing now for post-election engagement, accountability, and momentum, regardless of the outcome.
Each step is designed to be read on its own or worked through as a series, with space to reflect, discuss with your team, and apply what’s useful to your context.
Read and download Part One of the Election Readiness Guide on our blog.
|
 |
Progress 2026: connect and learn with us
We are excited to attend Progress 2026 in Naarm (Melbourne) on March 24-25. This is Australia’s largest gathering for changemakers, bringing together over 1,500 people to build stronger movements for justice and equity.
We will be hosting a meet-up in Naarm during the conference specifically for New Zealanders, and we’re also looking forward to connecting with our Australian changemaking friends. Let us know if you’re going.
|
Let’s make 2026 a year of connection
This year we are focusing on making time to connect kanohi ki te kanohi (face to face). As a team, we’re really adept and working remotely and using digital tools to collaborate with people in Aotearoa and around the world. But there’s something really special about sharing space and connecting in person.
Here are a couple of opportunities this month to meet IRL:
You can book an online 30-minute discovery call with Kristin any time here.
|
 |
Project spotlight: Global SPIRIT
We supported Global SPIRIT, an international collaboration led by the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health and the LEGO Foundation, to create a shared digital home for Indigenous-led approaches to play and child development.
Working with 23 partners across Aotearoa, Australia, Canada and the United States, including our friends Te Hou Ora Whānau Services. We used a co-design process grounded in listening, making and collective storytelling. The resulting website brings together shared knowledge while respecting the cultural integrity and autonomy of each Indigenous partner.
The platform now acts as a digital gathering place, supporting connection, learning and collaboration for a five-year initiative aiming to reach 20,000 children and 12,000 caregivers, while centring Indigenous wisdom on intergenerational play.
Explore the Global SPIRIT website to see how Indigenous-led knowledge, storytelling, and play come together in practice.
|
Learning and inspiration
Listen
Zenaida has been listening to The Emerald Podcast recently, and recommends starting with the episode, ‘On Powers, Great and Small’ for its thoughtful exploration of power beyond “power over” narratives. Drawing on Indigenous and ancient traditions, it offers more relational, grounded ways of understanding influence and change — especially relevant for advocacy and systems-change work.
Learn
Dr. Ana Fernandez, who led a fantastic For Purpose Lunch and Learn last year has teamed up with Rod Macdonald to deliver a practical course for social impact leaders who want to better connect their everyday mahi with meaningful impact measurement.
This hands-on learning opportunity helps you build and own your impact measurement system. You’ll gain practical tools to generate insights that support both programme improvement and fundraising, including:
- A clear, working Theory of Change that links your actions to the outcomes that matter most
- Practical, low-burden approaches to collecting and analysing data.
- The confidence to turn evidence into credible stories for funders and stakeholders.
The course begins on 17 February and includes four online sessions, and downloadable resources and tools to help you get your systems going.
Full details and registration here For Purpose whānau receive a 10% discount with code FORPURPOSE10
EOI: Leadership & Organising Courses — Australian Fabians & TrainLab
The Australian Fabians are inviting expressions of interest for upcoming in-person and online leadership and organising courses. Drawing on the leadership and organising framework developed by Marshall Ganz, the courses support organisers and leaders to build power through values-based leadership, strong relationships, and strategic action.
Register interest
|
Events to add to your calendar
Relational Organising to Build Power – LCN Australia Community of Practice launch
A free online session from the Leading Change Network exploring why relational organising matters and how to put it into practice. Join organisers from across the Asia-Pacific to learn, connect and grow skills in building power through relationships and collective action.
📅 Tuesday 17 February ⏰ 2:00 – 4:00 pm NZ time
https://leadingchangenetwork.org/events/relational-organising-to-build-power-lcn-australia-community-of-practice-launch-event/
Te Tiriti-Based Futures + Anti-Racism
An innovative Aotearoa-based event bringing together local and international voices to explore institutional racism, decolonisation and what it means to build genuinely Te Tiriti-based futures. Through webinars and in-person sessions, speakers share practical insights and global lessons on transforming systems — including constitutional change — in ways grounded in justice, accountability and collective care.
📅 21-26th March (Online)
https://www.tiritibasedfutures.info/
Progress 2026
Progress 2026 brings together 1,500+ people working for social change across Australia. Over two days, participants will learn new skills, hear from national and global leaders, network with peers, and strengthen the power of movements driving justice, equity, and democracy. It’s the event for anyone working to create positive change. Virtual tickets are also available.
📅 March 24-25 📍Naarm | Melbourne and Online
Hosted by: Australian Progress
https://www.progress2026.org.au/
|
|
Want help to make the world a better place?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
