Helping community organisations make sense of technology when they don’t know where to start.
Apply for a clinic place
Yarra Tech Clinic provides four free, one-hour sessions of practical, vendor-neutral technology guidance for small charities and community organisations across Aotearoa New Zealand.
“You don’t need to know the technical question. Tell me what’s difficult, slow, risky or frustrating — I’ll help you work out what the technology question actually is.”
— Vish Devarajan
What to expect
Think of it as a community law centre, but for technology: unhurried, patient, structured and tailored to your organisation.
I sell no software, take no commissions and have no vendor agenda. Every recommendation prioritises low running costs, data dignity, and volunteer sanity.
Time commitment
Four 1-hour video or phone sessions, scheduled flexibly over about six weeks. Designed to fit around school runs, board meetings, and frontline community work without overload.
Who should attend
Someone with frontline operational context. Often this is a centre manager, volunteer coordinator, lead administrator, kaiārahi, or treasurer.
Honest assessment
Applications are reviewed based on mutual fit and available capacity. If a local peer or a simpler option suits you better, I’ll tell you plainly.
Aotearoa-wide
Whether you run an environmental trust in Northland, a food cooperative in Porirua, or a heritage community hall in Murihiku, sessions are held via telephone or low-bandwidth video.
What to prepare before you apply
You do not need any technical preparation, specialised jargon, or software audits. You just need to know how your day-to-day work runs.
Your organisation’s purpose
A brief 2–3 sentence overview of who you serve in your rohe, how many volunteers or staff you have, and your core mission.
1 to 3 tech bottlenecks or puzzles
Practical everyday pain points currently stalling your team. Plain language is best — describe what feels slow, scary, or disjointed.
Common examples of what I can help with:
Messy Data
Duplicate spreadsheets, unorganised contact lists, lost volunteer hours.
Donor & Client Privacy
Handling personal information safely under the Privacy Act 2020.
Software Transitions
Deciding whether to replace old accounting software or move files to the cloud.
Volunteer Handover
Ensuring emails and passwords don’t vanish when key committee members change.
Ready to submit your application?
Fill in the short form below (about 10 minutes), or email me if you prefer. Applications are reviewed based on fit and available capacity, and every organisation gets a reply within 5 working days.
Prefer email?
Email kiaora [at] yarra.org.nz with your organisation’s name, your role, where you’re based and what’s getting in the way. Please don’t send passwords or confidential client information.
Who the clinic is designed to support
Yarra Tech Clinic focuses exclusively on grassroots community stewards who lack the internal IT resources or budget of larger organisations.
Grassroots legal structures
Registered Charities (Charities Services NZ), Incorporated Societies, Not-for-profit Charitable Trusts, and Marae or Hapū Committees.
Unincorporated community collectives
Volunteer mutual-aid networks, local food rescue clubs, community gardens, and neighbourhood associations operating for clear public benefit.
Small or no dedicated IT staff
Organisations where the general manager, lead volunteer, or administrator is currently "the tech person" alongside their primary mahi.
Have a question before applying?
Vish is happy to clarify whether your question is within the clinic’s scope.