How it works

How to make your giving go further.

You don't have to be wealthy to make a lasting impact. Whether yours is a large or small gift, a one off or regular contribution, all giving makes a difference through your local Community Foundation.

Can we help you dial up your dreams for your local community?

Check out our interactive fund calculator here >>>

Introducing a unique way to give:

Community Foundations are different for two main reasons:

1. Our smarter giving model allows your donation to have benefits that last forever because we invest it and ensure that it grows.

2. We’re not about one single cause; we’re about a place and its people. Through us, and through local knowledge and insight, you can choose which significant local causes and projects to invest in to help transform your community.

Why invest donations? So your generosity can have impact for many, many years to come.

We’re building permanent funding streams to achieve long term community transformation. Donations are invested so they can grow and provide long-term reliable sources of income. It’s the interest your giving earns that will be distributed to local causes; the gift itself remains protected so it can continue to benefit your community well into the future.

Who benefits? You get to choose.

Community Foundations are local organisations with deep roots in their communities and can advise where the great, impactful work is going on. This means they’re perfectly placed to ensure your giving is influencing the things you care about most locally. Whether it’s addressing issues of equity, supporting climate solutions, education, environment, Te Ao Māori, health, sports, arts and heritage, youth development or anything else, we work with you to find the most impactful way you can give to meet both your giving aspirations and those of your community.

Find my local foundation

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Ways to give:

We have different ways you can give and donations of any size are welcome.

Give while you live

Make a one-off donation or regular contributions to an existing fund that’s been set up to achieve great results, long term. One-off donations of significant value can also become your own Named Endowment Fund. All donations made during your lifetime qualify for a tax rebate of 33.3% up to the limit of your taxable income.

Find a region

Leave a gift in your will

When making a will many people want to give something back to their community by leaving a gift to a specific area of interest, or leave it up to the Community Foundation to guide giving into the future. You may consider leaving a percentage of your estate or a specified sum in your will, the choice is up to you.

Give as a group

Workplace giving is a way for people to give back to their community by way of small, regular donations. We can help companies set up regular giving via their payroll system – and many employers like to come on board too! Giving Circles are a gathering of like-minded people pooling their money and collectively contributing to a cause of their choice. It’s easy and a fulfilling way to affect lasting community change. We can help your group start..

"Many Kiwis do like to give in a more thoughtful way, and see Community Foundations as providing the long-term structure to be able to do this. Basically, the Foundations support the tūrangawaewae of each of us – the place we stand and feel at home"

Dame Fran Wilde DNZM QSO, Chair of Nikau Foundation, the Wellington region's Community Foundation

Fund types:

Whether you give now or later, there are options for how you’d like your giving to impact your community.

Give to an existing fund

Your local Community Foundation may already have a fund set up that’s working on an area of interest to you. Or you can contribute to the collective pool of the general community fund and leave it to us to channel the income where it’s needed most. Each regional Community Foundation is different because each community’s needs are too.

Learn More

Set up a new fund

Gifts of significant size (it varies between regions, but typically $50k+) can be eligible to become your own Named Endowment Fund. You can choose the name and which charities or causes will benefit from your fund’s income. And you or your descendants can receive annual reports on earnings and distributions from your fund, so you can see the impact you are having in your beloved community over time. See how your own fund would work below.

Charitable Trusts

If you have an existing Charitable Trust (or are considering establishing one) your local Community Foundation can offer easier options for management around compliance, investments, effective grant making and more. They can provide the means to run a Charitable Trust, without the significant workload, while your Trust's original purpose continues on. To date, we have resettled over $50m in Trust funds across New Zealand, with discussions ongoing in communities around future resettlements. See our blog post on this subject and contact us to find out more.