TRUST / CHURCH / SELF
COAT offers a range of services specifically tailored for Christian charities and churches, providing support and resources to help them succeed in their missions. Additionally, there is a more personalized service designed to foster the growth of Christian leadership, whether for individual leaders or entire teams, empowering them to lead effectively and with faith.
Charity Governence Reviews
The Christian Oversight and Accreditation Trust (COAT)
Our mission is to foster faith and trust in Christian organizations including churches, charities, and schools, to help them achieve more effective outcomes. We believe that the love and teachings of Jesus are essential for our world to understand, and that Christian organizations and churches play a crucial role in society. We aim for these organizations be effective in fulfilling their missions and to govern themselves in a way withstands public scrutiny. Christian organizations should set the benchmark for exemplary corporate behavior, and COAT is here to assist the Christian sector in reaching that high standard.
We achieve this by:
- Defining and publishing a set of standards for accountable behaviour in Christian organisations and churches.
- Accrediting organisations that meet these standards.
- Listing accredited organisations in our directory.
- Offering resources, training, and support to enhance accountability.
- Encouraging donors and volunteers to support organisations committed to good governance, transparency, and accountability.
Our model straightforward and draws from established patterns in the USA, Canada, and Australia. We invite Christian organisations to commit to our standards, demonstrate compliance, pay a fee, and collaborate with us for ongoing monitoring. In exchange, they can display our 'Accredited' COAT seal on their website and appear in our 'Give Confidently' directory, and enjoy various other benefits. For more information, please visit our 'Get Accredited' page.
10 Principles of COAT Accreditation
Every COAT-accredited organisation is assessed against ten foundational principles drawn from Scripture, New Zealand law, and leading governance practice. These principles apply to all certification tiers — from Bronze through to Platinum.
"Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers." — Acts 20:28
"Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God." — Romans 13:1
"The plans of the diligent lead surely to abundance." — Proverbs 21:5
"For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?" — 1 Timothy 3:5
"One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much." — Luke 16:10
"Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds." — Proverbs 27:23
"The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it." — Proverbs 22:3
"Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works." — Matthew 5:16
"A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight." — Proverbs 11:1
"Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck." — Matthew 18:6