Making our communities stronger, together

Raymond Key
Chair, Wakatipu Community Foundation and CFNZ Trustee
1 October 2019

What exciting times. It is easy to come back from the annual CFNZ conference inspired; the unity and collective spirit of our various Community Foundations creates real energy. In addition, each year I return from the conference with new initiatives and ideas on how to improve our foundation and our donor experience in the Wakatipu.

I am also excited to have joined our CFNZ Board. I feel we are on the cusp of huge momentum around our country. This is largely because so many of the CFNZ family have spent years nurturing their local foundations - getting policies set up, demonstrating integrity, attracting hardworking and talented people and spreading the word day by day. A relentless drive to achieve our donors wishes for the benefit of our communities. I believe this endeavour was summed up in this quote made at the conference by CFNZ Trustee Sandi Wood: “Rome was not built in a day, but every hour bricks were being laid”.

As I said at the conference I believe our people are too modest when reflecting on their foundations achievements and the national movement. We are perhaps the best place group in NZ to demonstrate leadership in local based philanthropy.

So, bigger picture, my goal as a Trustee on CFNZ, is to ensure we continue to develop the right platform that helps support our local foundations to reach their goals and ours, to connect generous people with local causes that matter and by doing so, make our communities stronger. Kia kaha.