Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti, formerly known as Sport Gisborne Tairāwhiti, is the latest organisation to launch an endowment fund with The Sunrise Foundation.
Since Sunrise’s inception in 2014 as Tairāwhiti’s local community foundation, 51 local groups or organisations have set up endowment funds across the arts, animal welfare, community, education, environment, health, or sporting sectors of the community.
Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti chief executive Stefan Pishief said establishing a fund with Sunrise was a strategic move by its board of trustees to help secure its long-term sustainability and provide an ongoing, guaranteed source of funding.
Each year Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti will determine how income from the fund can be used best in a way that aligns with its vision and strategy of supporting those in the community to lead a healthy, active and connected lifestyle.
“As a not-for-profit, it can be challenging to align with multiple funders and their requirements,” Pishief said. “Our Sunrise fund will provide some flexibility for us to determine where and what our community’s greatest needs are and how to respond.
“Sport is just one component of what Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti provides and our new name Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti — healthy, active, and connected — more accurately reflects the breadth of what we provide as an organisation.
“Our team are passionate about reducing inequities and barriers, such as cost or accessibility, that may prevent people throughout the region from leading a lifelong active, healthy lifestyle.”
Sunrise executive officer Glenda Stokes said she hoped the community recognised the importance of Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti’s endowment fund and helped grow it, so the annual grant it provided each year could make a significant difference.
“Statistics show that many in our region are living with a variety of health issues.
“Stefan and his team get it. It’s about supporting the overall health and wellbeing needs and helping people make positive changes.”
Sunrise Foundation invests any donations to Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti’s endowment fund in perpetuity, with some of the investment income retained to ensure donations grow with inflation.
The balance of the income from investments will be granted back to Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti, supporting their work with those in the community who need them.
