Sisterhood passionate about creating ripples of change for a stronger Aotearoa New Zealand

Theresa and Angela Gattung have today announced the launch of the Gattung Foundation, a charitable foundation that among its aims, wants to address inequalities for girls and women, and improve animal welfare across Aotearoa New Zealand.

Operating nationally, the Foundation encompasses five pillars, known as Care Causes, that consist of charities, community groups and individuals that are close to Theresa and Angela’s hearts. These Care Causes are:

• At The Table – Reducing inequality by lifting women, Māori and Pasifika voices
• Here Together – Growing stronger families within supportive communities
• Forging Futures – Fuelling futures through education and learning opportunities
• Cycle Breakers – Relieving and reversing poverty cycles through grassroots support
• Furry Friends – Improving the welfare of animals through care, support and protection.

After extensive histories of giving back to the community, the Gattung Foundation was born out of Theresa and Angela’s sisterhood and a shared spirit to enable others.

“We want to give back, to make a difference, to redress inequalities we see around us, and to use our skills to make real change.

“We call it the heart effect because we support causes that touch us deeply, but we believe just as strongly in effectiveness. Put the two together and you can create ripples of change for a stronger Aotearoa New Zealand,” says Angela Gattung, Executive Director of the Gattung Foundation.

The Gattung Foundation supports causes where Theresa and Angela know they can make a tangible difference. Through funding, advocacy and mentoring – and sometimes hands-on, practical support – they are creating real solutions for very real problems.

Angela has vast experience working in the education and social sectors, and has developed a special affinity with Māori language and culture.

“My education, both of the formal kind and having a learning orientation, has been the key to preparing me for the opportunities and challenges of life. At a young age, I was told ‘girls can do anything’ and to this day, I am incredibly passionate about enabling equal opportunities and seeing women in our communities thrive,” says Angela.

Theresa Gattung, Founder and Trustee of the Gattung Foundation, is a New Zealand business leader and philanthropist.

Throughout her business career, Theresa has paved the way for women in Aotearoa New Zealand, and continues to support women in business through her leadership with Coralus (formerly SheEO) and funding the Theresa Gattung Chair of Women in Entrepreneurship within the University of Auckland Business School, amongst many other things.

“For most of my adult life, I have supported groups dedicated to empowering women. I hope to be a catalyst for women being inspired to manifest amazing outcomes for themselves, and to create meaningful change in the world.

“From the time I started working, I have given money to the SPCA and various women’s charities. It is a natural evolution for me to extend charitable giving to have a focus on girls, girls who haven’t had the opportunities that my sisters and I did,” says Theresa.

The Gattung Foundation contributes to causes that relieve poverty; reduce inequality; educate and advance women, especially Māori and Pasifika; and support the care and protection of animals. For more information, visit www.gattungfoundation.nz

About the Gattung FoundationThe Gattung Foundation launched in October 2022 and is founded by sisters Theresa and Angela Gattung. The Gattung Foundation is a charitable foundation encompassing five Care Causes: At The Table, Here Together, Forging Futures, Cycle Breakers, and Furry Friends. These causes aim to lift whānau out of poverty; lift women out of situations of inequality, hardship or violence; lift young women, Māori and Pasifika into futures of leadership and empowerment; and improve the care and protection of animals.

Theresa and Angela’s vision for the Gattung Foundation is to empower the less advantaged, to support them so they can stand strong and know that anything is possible, especially young women. They want to create a legacy that will make real change for many generations to come.

For more information, visit www.gattungfoundation.nz

https://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/2210/Gattung_Foundation_media_backgrounder_October_2022.pdf

https://img.scoop.co.nz/media/pdfs/2210/Gattung_Foundation_Care_Causes_October_2022.pdf

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