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

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