Offered under the umbrella of Weave Together, the free accounting advice service has a new cohort of keen senior accountancy students from the University of Otago, and supervising chartered accountants, lined up and ready to go.
DCA co-ordinator Hana Obradovic said the service had been running in the city for more than 10 years, providing not-for-profit organisation treasurers and administrators with practical help on a broad range of monetary topics.
These included budgets, record keeping, reporting to the board, end-of-year accounts, preparing funding applications, accountability reports and answering questions.
"We are just getting under way for 2024, and we have had 14 new senior accountancy students from the university sign up to be involved," Ms Obradovic said.
A good number of local chartered accountants had also stepped up to be involved in the DCA service, by supporting the students in their efforts.
She said the service was good for everyone involved — the students, the chartered accountants and the not-for-profit groups.
"It helps not-for-profits to stay on top of their finances, and also gives the students and the chartered accountants a chance to get to know each other — which will be helpful in terms of future employment opportunities," she said.
Students Sam Anderson and Jocelyn Fellowes are excited to be getting involved.
"DCA is exciting as it provides a platform for us to apply the skills and knowledge that we have learned at university, and start to have a real-world impact on our communities," Mr Anderson said.
Ms Fellowes said DCA was a "great opportunity for us students to not only give back to the community, but to also gain experience in working with clients and putting into practice what we have learned through our studies".
The service is administered by Rob Riddell Tigeir and Ms Obradovic, and operates in conjunction with University of Otago department of accountancy and finance Professor Ralph Adler and chartered accountant Matt Todd.
The service operates in partnership with the university and Sport Otago.
DCA sessions are held on Monday evenings, from 5pm to 7pm, and not-for-profit organisations are invited to book via https://bookme.name/accountingadvice, by emailing kiaora@dca.org.nz or phoning 0800113160.
