About
What is COAT?
The Christian Oversight and Accreditation Trust was established by experienced businesspeople and practising board members to help charities, non-profits and churches with governance accreditation and training.
What does COAT do?
COAT accredits Christian organisations in New Zealand against the ten COAT principles — a set of standards covering Christian identity, legal compliance, governance, leadership, charitable purpose, financial stewardship, risk, transparency, ethical fundraising and safeguarding.
The principles are drawn from Scripture, New Zealand law and leading governance practice, and they are set deliberately above the legal minimum. Accreditation is voluntary, renewed annually, and available at four tiers so organisations can start where they are and grow from there.
Where can I read the standards?
The ten principles are set out on our Our Services page, and the full assessment behind them is in COAT Connect. Registering for an account lets you read every question, its guidance notes and the legislation it refers to before you commit to anything.
Is COAT an auditor?
No. COAT does not carry out financial audits or provide accounting, legal or assurance services to its members. Doing so would compromise the independence accreditation depends on.
What COAT does is assess whether an organisation has appropriate financial oversight in place for its size — including audit or review where New Zealand reporting standards require it.
How does COAT check that members keep to the standards?
Through a rigorous initial application, verified by evidence and supporting documents.
Through annual renewal, including a review of financial statements and other documents that show continuing compliance.
Through periodic reviews, remote or on site, under our field review process.
And through referrals — anyone with a question about a member’s compliance can raise it with us.
Where an area of non-compliance is found, COAT aims to bring the member back into compliance through a confidential, biblical and redemptive process.
Does COAT ever take disciplinary action?
Yes. As an accrediting body, COAT has to protect the integrity of its standards and its seal. Where a member is unable or unwilling to comply, COAT may ask the member to resign, suspend membership for a period, or terminate it.
Any such action rests on facts and documentation, not allegations. That takes time, and it is meant to — a careful process is what makes a fair and accurate decision possible. Members have a right of appeal to an independent reviewer under our accreditation terms.
How is COAT funded?
Mainly through annual membership fees, application fees and consultation sessions, supported by funders. Fees are set on a sliding scale based on an organisation’s expenditure so that membership stays affordable for organisations of every size.
Is COAT itself accountable?
Yes. COAT holds itself to the same principles it asks of its members — independent governance, proper financial oversight, and appropriate transparency.
Who are COAT’s members?
COAT serves the full breadth of the Christian charitable sector in New Zealand — churches, camps, schools, social services and community organisations, from small local ministries to large national ones.
How can our organisation become accredited?
Register at portal.coatnz.org. The online application is confidential, straightforward, and takes only a few minutes to start. Once you have submitted it, a COAT adviser will follow up to talk through the standards and what membership involves.
What if I have other questions?
Use the contact form and we will come back to you.