Whānau Mercy Ministries Trust is is a Catholic organisation within the Mercy tradition founded by Catherine McAuley in Ireland in 1827. Trustees oversee a family of Mercy organisations providing secondary education, healthcare, housing and community development services across Aotearoa New Zealand.
Our collective purpose is to make visible the mercy of God in today’s world, especially among those most in need. In doing that, we are guided by the values of:
- Aroha (love in action)
- Whanaungatanga (right relationship and community)
- Kaitiakitanga (faithful care of people and resources)
Trustees are responsible in canon and civil law for the conduct of Whānau Mercy Ministries and its constitutive ministries and organisations. The Trust is incorporated under the Charitable Trusts Act 1957 and registered as a charitable entity under the Charities Act 2005.
The six current Trustees offer a diverse blend of backgrounds, skills, governance experience and networks. We are seeking additional Trustees on a staggered basis over the next two years as part of our succession management plan. Therefore, people who are not available immediately should still consider applying.
We are seeking expressions of interest from people with a strong attraction to our Mercy kaupapa and a personal, lived commitment to upholding human dignity, working for the common good in society and the preferential option for the poor. Applicants must identify as Catholic or be willing to develop an understanding of and uphold our Catholic identity.
We wish to reflect the diversity of age, gender, ethnicity and geography that our ministries serve, with a particular invitation to Māori and Pasifika applicants. We are particularly interested in people with a growth mindset, who are aspirational for Mercy and open to the bold and new.
Applicants should be aware that a significant commitment to formation will be expected of them to be able to fulfil the responsibilities of Trustee. Applicants should expect to spend 25-30 hours per month on Trust business. Benefits include a competitive non-profit director fee, membership of the Insitute of Directors and payment of relevant professional development expenses.
A detailed information pack will be provided to those expressing interest, to assist with their understanding of what is involved and their discernment of their application.
Please send your expression of interest to the Board Chair, Gerald Scanlan, at mercy@scanfam.nz.