30 January 2020
Gisborne Volunteer Centre (GVC) recruits, trains and finds suitable roles for hundreds of volunteers every year.
Reliant on grants and donations to operate they recently established an endowment fund at The Sunrise Foundation
(Sunrise) which they hope will help them build a more sustainable business and reduce their reliance on annual funding
applications.
Michelle Whitley, GVC Chair, says “even though up until now we have been fortunate to have great support from funders,
we have noticed that grants from gaming trusts are getting harder to access as machines are disappearing. We want to
build up our own endowment fund to give us some security and reliability of funding in the future”.
GVC Centre Manager, Jenny Greaves, says volunteering impacts on the social, economic and cultural outcomes of a
community.
“Volunteering can help people who may be socially isolated, it contributes to well-being, increases self-esteem and
confidence and helps improve employability skills and opportunities. There are also positive economic outcomes from
providing a free workforce that is not motivated by financial gain and who give their time and skills freely to the
community.”
Jenny added that “people are volunteering in a different way than before. Social media has had a big impact and there is
now greater awareness amongst the youth of today about volunteering and giving.”
“We work collaboratively with organisations to identify and improve volunteering opportunities. We seek the best
outcomes for people so they can volunteer in fulfilling roles that they enjoy.”
Janine Hamilton-Kells, GVC Marketing Manager, says “recruiting and referral is only one part of what GVC does. We don’t
just work with volunteers, we also support and educate the organisations that use them so they can manage their
volunteers well and get the best benefits for both the organisation and volunteer.”
”We run networking events, celebrate and recognise the contribution volunteers make to Tairawhiti-Gisborne at our
Volunteers Awards Ceremonies and do lots of promotional work to engage more people in the volunteer community.”
Any donation to the Gisborne Volunteer Centre Endowment Fund will be invested, protected and grown each year in line
with inflation. The surplus investment income will be granted back to Gisborne Volunteer Centre every year, meaning your
donation will keep supporting them forever.
• The Sunrise Foundation raises funds from donations and legacies and invests them in perpetuity (forever) for the
long term (endowment funds).
• Income from investments is used to increase endowments in line with inflation and protect the funds from future
market fluctuations. The surplus investment income is granted to charities, organisations and needy causes in
Tairawhiti-Gisborne (the area covered by Gisborne District Council). All money raised here, stays here.
• 99 percent of donations are used for the benefit of our community. As a community foundation Sunrise can only
retain one percent of endowment value each year to cover operating costs. This one percent funding model is in contrast
to many charities where it can be usual that up to thirty percent (and sometimes more) of donations are used. Funding
from Eastland Community Trust and Clark Charitable Trust, and corporate sponsorship assist with operational costs.
• Generous local donors have grown endowments to $4.5 million and have promised a further $3.5 million in bequests
to The Sunrise Foundation since Sunrise was launched in October 2014.
• Donations gifted to the Sunrise General Fund ensure we can respond to our communities needs as they change.
Income from the Sunrise General Fund is used to provide grants in our annual funding round.
• Donors can support their favourite charities or causes through a special purpose endowment fund, meaning their
chosen charity will be supported by their donation forever. Click here for a full list.
• A separate named endowment fund can be established when a donors donations total $50,000 or more. They can
nominate which local charities or causes will receive grants from the income from the fund.
• Although new to New Zealand community foundations have been operating successfully in North America for over 100
years.
• Sunrise is one of 18 independent community foundations in New Zealand.
• The Sunrise Foundation was launched by Sir Stephen Tindall in October 2014.
• Sunrise is governed by a local board and supported by Community Foundations New Zealand and The Tindall
Foundation with guidance, encouragement and sharing of resources.
• Colin Christie, Sunrise vice chair, is on the board of Community Foundations NZ.
• Sunrise has one funding round per annum. Applications are open to charitable organisations in
Tairawhiti-Gisborne and organisations delivering charitable projects in Tairawhiti-Gisborne.
• Funding applications are assessed by the Sunrise Grants Committee.
• We have awarded grants to local causes across a wide range of sectors and throughout the district, to the arts,
education, environment, health, social services and sports communities in Tairawhiti-Gisborne (the area governed by
Gisborne District Council), with a total value of $310,000.
Grant recipients over the last five years are
Alzheimers Society Gisborne
Art in Public Places
Barnardos Gisborne
Cancer Society Gisborne East Coast
Centre Stage
Citizens Advice Bureau Gisborne
City of Gisborne Cadet Unit
Diabetes Gisborne
Eastland Kart Club
Eastland Rescue Helicopter
Eastwoodhill Arboretum
EIT Students Association
Gisborne Bowling Club
Gisborne Boys’ High School
Gisborne Budget Advisory Service
Gisborne City Vintage Railway
Gisborne Concert Band
Gisborne Craft & Care
Gisborne Homeschool Organisation
Gisborne International Music Competition
Gisborne Land Search & Rescue
Gisborne Riding For Disabled
Gisborne Rowing Club
Gisborne Stroke Support Services
Gisborne Unity Theatre
Gisborne Volunteer Centre
Gisborne Youth Sports Charitable Trust
Gisborne/Tairawhiti Regional Science & Technology Fair
Growing Through Grief
Hackfalls Aboretum
Hearing Assistance
Heart Foundation Gisborne
Historic Places Tairawhiti
Horouta Waka Hoe Club
Hospice Tairawhiti
Ilminster Intermediate
Ka Pai Kaiti
Kaiti School
Kids Can Charitable Trust
Life Education Trust
Longbush Eco Sanctuary
Mangapapa Playcentre
Mangapapa Union Church
Matapuna Training Trust
Midway Surf Club
Mind Lab
Ngati Porou Hauora
Pakirikiri Marae
Parafed Gisborne Tairawhiti
Parenting Place
Patu Tahi Boxing Club
Poverty Bay Woolcrafters
Red Cross Gisborne
Seasons of Growth
SLSNZ Eastern Region
Supergrans
Surfing for Farmers
Swim for Life Tairawhiti
Tairawhiti Technology Trust
Tairawhiti Age Concern
Tairawhiti Beneficiary Advocacy Trust
Tairawhiti Community Law Centre
Tairawhiti Community Voice
Tairawhiti Environment Centre
Tairawhiti Multicultural Council
Tairawhiti Voyaging Trust
Tauawhi Men’s Centre
Te Hā Sestercentennial Trust
Te Hapara Family Service
Te Hapori Disability Trust
Te Ora Hau Te Tairawhiti
The Aurora Education Foundation Charitable Trust
Tolaga Surf Life Saving Club
Turanganui Schools Maori Cultural Festival
Victim Support Tairawhiti
Waikanae Surf Lifesaving Club
Waikohu Health
Wainui Surf Club
Waipaoa Station Farm Cadet Training Trust (Bob and Aileen Harris Fund)
Whinray Eco Trust
ends