Nikau Foundation Deputy Chair Liz Koh and Cas Carter from the Kāpiti Performing Arts Centre

20.10.16 – For Immediate Release

Over $25,000 given to Kāpiti organisations by Nikau Foundation in 2016

Nine local community organisations celebrated receiving grants from Nikau Foundation at an event last weekend, held at historic Lovat House in Waikanae.

Local area philanthropists attended the function to hear from the local organisations receiving funding in the 2016 Nikau Foundation grant round. Organisations in attendance included Youthquest, Kāpiti Performing Arts Centre, L’Arche and Nga Manu Nature Reserve.

Liz Koh and Terry Poko from Youthquest

Terry Poko, one of Youthquest’s founders, was at the event to celebrate Youthquest’s $5,000 grant for mentoring at risk youth, courtesy of the Tindall Foundation. “Youthquest is stoked to be a recipient of this funding” Terry says. “Every year we work with over 50 at risk young men, with positive outcomes for Kāpiti youth, their families, and our society. With the funding we receive, we make a real difference to the lives of our young people.” Over 76% of the young people who have been mentored through Youthquest are now back at school, enrolled in further education programmes or working full-time.

More than 20 applications seeking funding were received in Nikau Foundation’s 2016 funding round from organisations based on the Coast. Unfortunately not all projects were able to be funded. Nikau Foundation’s Deputy Chair Liz Koh says that the demand for funding on the coast exceeds the money available in the pot. “We received a wide variety of applications for funding in the Kāpiti Region” Liz says. “The diversity of projects seeking grants demonstrates the exciting amount of projects and initiatives in the Kāpiti area, and the need for more available funds in our region.”

Nikau Foundation is addressing this need through the Nikau Kāpiti Fund, established in 2013. Local donors are able to ‘give where they live’ with a tax deductible donation to the fund, which made its first grant in 2014 to the Waikanae Volunteer Fire Brigade. The growth of the Nikau Kāpiti Fund has seen over $30,000 given back to the Kāpiti community. A local committee, chaired by Liz Koh, is working hard to attract additional donations and bequests into the Fund.

Nikau Foundation is a community foundation, a model of giving which is the fastest growing form of philanthropy in the world. Community foundations allow donors to choose how and where their money is spent. Nikau Foundation attracts endowment gifts, trusts and legacies, which are invested in perpetuity. Income earned from endowments is distributed every year to charitable purposes in accordance with each donor’s wishes. Organisations such as the Tindall Foundation also distribute funds locally through the Nikau Foundation, whose awareness of local needs are vital to making each donation have the biggest impact for greater good.

-Ends-
________________________

Nikau Foundation 2016 Grant Recipients

· Performing Arts Centre (Nikau Kāpiti Fund) ($1,000)

· Youthquest (Tindall Foundation) ($5,000)

· Ngā Manu (Nikau Kāpiti Fund) ($1,500)

· Kapiti Kids Motivation Fund (Nikau Kāpiti Fund) ($1,000)

· Hohepa (Kāpiti Community Enterprises Fund) ($5,000)

· L’Arche (Kāpiti Community Enterprises Fund) ($2,500)

· Literacy Aotearoa Porirua (Tindall Foundation) ($3,500)

· Volunteer Kapiti (Nikau Kāpiti Fund) ($3,000)

· Kapiti Living Without Violence (Tindall Foundation) ($4,000)

· Te Newhanga Kāpiti Community Centre (Nikau Kāpiti Fund) ($3,000)

© Scoop Media