Rescued food, youth development, health workers, economic development and supporting incarcerated women to turn their lives around. Which organisation gets your vote?

Philanthropy New Zealand and AMP Capital today opened public voting for the 2019 AMP Capital People’s Choice Awards for Community Changemakers. Winners will be announced on 16 May at the wider Philanthropy New Zealand 2019 Awards to be held at Parliament.

Philanthropy New Zealand Chief Executive Sue McCabe said the Philanthropy Awards recognised outstanding achievement, innovation and leadership in the philanthropic and grantmaking sector.

“The Community Changemakers categories specifically acknowledges projects and people driving change at grass-roots community organisations, supported by philanthropic funding”.
Bevan Graham, NZ Managing Director and Chief Economist at AMP Capital, said they were proud to sponsor this award as part of their long-standing partnership with Philanthropy New Zealand.
“We really encourage people to jump online and vote. They may already know the positive impact of some of these amazing groups or can read up on their significant contributions online” Mr Graham said.

The six finalists in the two Community Changemaker categories are:

Community Organisation
• Wellington-based Kaibosh, a food rescue organisation, who over the last year has rescued and redistributed enough food to provide over 708,000 meals.
• Life To The Max Whanganui, a social work practise-based Police Youth Development Programme.
• RAW (Reclaim Another Women) who support women emerging from incarceration with the support they need to turn a life of crime into a life of promise.

Kaupapa Māori Community Organisation
• WhyOra, a Taranaki organisation dedicated to boosting the number of Māori working in health.
• Hikurangi Huataukina Trust (HHT) supporting community-led economic development in parts of the East Coast.
• TUIA charitable trust, a programme linking local Mayors with a Māori youth from their district to develop leadership capacity.

You can read more about the finalists, who were nominated by Philanthropy NZ members, at www.philanthropy.org.nz/amp-peoples-choice. Voting closes 29th April 2019 at 5pm.

The other Philanthropy New Zealand Awards that will be presented after consideration by a judging panel are:

- Perpetual Guardian - Lifetime Achievement Award: celebrating the enduring contribution and career of two inspirational leaders: an individual philanthropist and a leader or staff member with a career in philanthropic and grantmaking organisations.

- Strategic Grants - Te Tiriti o Waitangi & Grantmaking Award: recognising leadership or initiatives that have led to a philanthropic or grantmaking organisation to improve their relationship with mana whenua / tangata whenua and/or grantmaking to kaupapa Māori organisations.

- Kiwi Invest - Emerging Leader Award: recognises the contribution of someone new to the sector who is making a significant impact on philanthropy or grantmaking.

- Vodafone - Innovation in Grantmaking Award: showcases an organisation that has successfully launched an innovative response to the challenges of being a great grantmaker.

The inaugural winner of the People’s Choice Award in 2017 was Springboard Community Works – led by Gary Diprose, funded by the Vodafone NZ Foundation.

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