Eleanor Cater
Marketing and Membership Services Director
Community Foundations of NZ
26th August 2022
More than 100 years ago, Andrew Carnegie, the Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist, said that “it is more difficult to give money away intelligently than to earn it in the first place.”
I suspect things haven't really changed much. In our line of work what occurs to me often is how hard it is to give well - there are so many causes and charities doing great mahi, who do you support?
‘Big dreams can happen’ is our latest campaign for this September Wills Month. Community Foundations can be a vehicle that can make the big dreams of local people happen, with strategic intent and with longevity.
The campaign has come about from the work we do with donors and some of the latest trends we see in the world of philanthropy: donors are getting more strategic with their giving, gifts in Wills are on the rise, donors want to see their gifts have maximum impact. In particular, named funds or invested endowment funds are growing in interest as Kiwis come to see their long-term strategic opportunity to affect the change that they want to see in the world.
Invested endowment funds provide an incredible opportunity, and sometimes a solution for those who do not yet have a home for their estate. They provide the means for everyday Kiwis to be philanthropists, with an eye on the long-term.
Consider your big dream – what changes would you like to see for your local community? You can make it happen, with donations big and small, or perhaps through a gift in your Will, through your local Community Foundation.
Thank you for supporting our mahi this Wills Month: TVNZ, Sky TV, Air New Zealand and Kia Ora magazine, The NZ Law Society, our strategic partners The Tindall Foundation, Craigs Investment Partners and Philanthropy NZ, and our Ambassadors Sir Stephen Tindall, Miriama Kamo and our 8-year-old superstar Leni, for fronting our 'Big dreams can happen' campaign for 2022. Ngā mihi nui.
Date Posted: 24 Aug 2022
01 Sept 2026
New Zealand research reveals a multi-billion dollar conversation gap - and a simple fix ...
Read more21 Aug 2026
New research released by Community Foundations of Aotearoa New Zealand (CFANZ) suggests that charitable gifts in wills are of significant interest among New Zealanders who already give to charity, and local charities are set to benefit. The CFANZ survey of over 3,000 New Zealanders across different regions, ages and incomes was carried out by independent research consultancy BERL and found that 52.3% were interested in the idea of leaving a gift in their will to charity, with 17.4% indicating that they have already done so.
Read more17 Aug 2026
New research from BERL, commissioned by Community Foundations of Aotearoa NZ, has found that more than half of the 3,000 New Zealanders surveyed are open the idea of leaving a charitable gift in their will...
Read more