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Members

Our membership is diverse and reflects the range of relationships New Zealanders have with the US. We are fortunate to be well supported by our members via their involvement on the executive committee and advisory board and assistance with the activities of the Council.

Members join the Council for a range of reasons and, without exception, are motivated by advancing New Zealand’s interests in a strong bilateral relationship with the US.

MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS INCLUDE
  • Recognition with logo and profile on the Council’s website
  • Involvement in the governance of the Council and influence over the Council’s work and policy programme
  • Advocacy support in areas aligned with the Council’s work and policy programme
  • Advocacy support for policy development in areas of priority interest for members
  • Participation in Council events, such as the roundtables and the bi-annual Partnership Forum, and co-hosting opportunities of events
  • Participation in Council and co-hosted events
  • Regular special briefings from key stakeholders· Regular special briefings on developing issues

FUNDING

We are funded through a mix of government funding and corporate membership fees and are audited annually. We are actively recruiting members to grow the membership share of funding and the range of activities we can deliver to support our mission and vision. Our largest single funder is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade who also have an ex officio position on the Council’s executive committee. Other government agencies are members of the Council and represented on the Council’s executive committee.

ACTIVITIES

The Council operates a lean structure with low overheads relying heavily on the contribution of time, expertise, and the facilities of its members. The Council has one paid full-time position – our executive director – and contracts for services such as accounting, basic administration, and a hot-desk arrangement.

Platforms

The Council is about providing platforms to build connections, share ideas, create regulatory settings, foster commercial opportunities and grow industries. We provide these platforms via in-person interactions, digital and social, and media.

Congressional internship programme

A key annual deliverable we send four final year university students to intern in the US House of Representatives in Congress for up to 8 weeks. We have an alumni of 28 and growing.

Delegations

Each year the Council leads 1-2 small delegations of members to the US to continue to build out our connections and a constituency of support for New Zealand in the US.

Policy and events programme

This includes activities aligned with one of our policy focus areas and includes the hosting of roundtables, briefings, panel discussions and commissioning and presentation of research.

Public outreach

We undertake a number of activities designed to encourage public level debate, highlight US experiences, showcase the closeness of the relationship. An example includes organising and hosting former US President Barack Obama in 2018.

Partnership Forum

Hosting a future Partnership Forum in Washington DC in early 2021 is back on the agenda and in planning. This follows a hiatus of 8 years since the last, the fourth Partnership Forum, held in 2011.