Nikau Foundation exceeds $4.5 million in donations to the Wellington Region

Since its inception, Nikau Foundation has given over four and a half million dollars to over 300 charities across the region – a milestone that they are proud to celebrate.

The community foundation held their 2017 grants event at the Academy of Fine Arts this week and donors in the audience heard stories of how their generosity has translated into impact for the 79 charities that received grants this year. One of the most inspiring was by David Hanna, Director of Wesley Community Action, who spoke about a new model of engaging with those who traditionally used their foodbanks.

“The shame often associated with visiting foodbanks was creating a barrier to an authentic relationship with our clients” explained David. “To disrupt this, we have created a broader Food Co-op model that allows users to volunteer with Wesley’s poverty-reduction programmes so they feel they are giving back rather, than just benefitting from charity. It has proved so popular, that the original programme in Cannons Creek has grown to over nine sites throughout the region”

Wesley Community Action Director David Hanna speaking to the crowd at the event

Nikau Foundation General Manager Louise Parkin added “The work that Wesley are doing in the region is just the type of activity that we are proud to support through our annual grants round. While $4.5m is a great milestone we are eager to do more.”

The Foundation would welcome enquiries from generous Wellingtonians who want to do something tangible to strengthen our local communities. Any donation is pooled and invested in perpetuity with the interest being distributed to charities across the region.

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