Local Conservation Given a Helping Hand

The Sunrise Foundation

March 2016

Local Conservation Given a Helping Hand by the Sunrise Foundation

The trustees of the Whinray Ecological Charitable Trust have announced the establishment of an endowment fund with The Sunrise Foundation.

With ninety percent of kiwi chicks being killed by stoats every year and kiwi threatened with extinction in our forests because of predators, the work of the Whinray Eco Trust is vitally important.

Glenda Stokes, Sunrise Foundation Executive Officer, acknowledges fundraising is always a huge challenge for charitable organisations. “The conservation work that the Whinray Eco Trust does is outstanding. We are delighted to assist with their fundraising efforts to enable the Trust to carry on their good work for a long time to come.”

All donations to the fund will be invested by the Sunrise Foundation and grown each year in line with inflation. The surplus investment income will be granted back to the Whinray Eco Trust annually. Glenda added that “at the Sunrise Foundation we are all about capital preservation, meaning that any donations received for the Whinray fund will keep on supporting their hard work forever.”

Whinray Eco Trust Chair Dan Griffin recognises that the success of the Trust so far has been due to the support of a very determined and passionate local community. “We appreciate the support of the wide range of volunteers and generous sponsors who have helped us to get to where we are today.”

The Trust has established the Whinray Eco Trust Endowment Fund with the Sunrise Foundation to assist them with fundraising efforts and to ensure a long term financially sustainable organisation.

The Whinray Ecological Charitable Trust was formed in 1999 with the intention of restoring our national icon the kiwi. They also protect the Whinray Scenic Reserve and conserve other endangered wildlife species living in the area such as the North Island robin, weka, falcon, whio, kaka, rifleman and long tailed bats.

Mr Griffin believes that the Whinray Eco Trust Endowment Fund will make a real difference to the conservation work that they do. “The annual income we receive will be used to support the work of the Trust, helping with pest control, as well as the development of the reserve.”

The Sunrise Foundation, a new community endowment foundation, was launched by Sir Stephen Tindall in October 2014. Although new to New Zealand, community foundations are the fastest growing form of philanthropy worldwide and have been operating for over 100 years in North America.

The strength of the endowment model is that all donations and bequests are held as permanent endowments. Funds are invested and each year enough is retained to ensure that endowments grow in line with inflation, the surplus investment income is available as grants to charities and organisations in the local community.

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