PKF Hamilton managing director Bernard Lamusse said PKF nationally had worked with cloud-based accounting software giant Xero to secure free six-month Xero subscriptions for new not-for-profit customers.

“We are incredibly proud to have been able to secure this fabulous give away for charities and not-for-profit organisations,” Bernard said.

PKF Chartered Accountants will provide free six-month subscriptions to Xero for new charitable/not-for-profit customers that sign up through any PKF office in New Zealand between April 1 and June 30 this year.

“Being able to provide this is our way of saying a huge thank you to our community and the charities that our clients and staff work with. We see the incredible mahi that not-for-profits do to make our communities stronger, more vibrant and resilient and we thank you wholeheartedly for that.”

Bernard, who works closely with the not-for-profit sector, will also be speaking next Thursday (Editors: April 11) at the Charity Law, Accounting and Regulation Conference in Wellington.

The conference covers issues associated with the charitable sector. It is there that Bernard will present the NZ Charities & Not-for-Profit Board honorarium survey results.

“I believe this will create some interest and further discussion in whether charities’ governance boards should be paid or not,” Bernard said.

“The work that goes in behind the scenes on governance boards is significant and it requires contributions from skilled, committed people, but on the other side of the coin when you’re dealing with not-for-profits, finances can be tight. This is a worthwhile discussion that we need to have.”

The NFP sector in New Zealand includes charity, voluntary and non-governmental organisations and is estimated to be a more than $10 billion industry.