Safeguarding your organisation’s impact.
More and more, organisations are looking for strategic ways to safeguard their impact, to maximise their fundraising efforts, achieve their growth goals, have more strategic conversations with donors, and futureproof in a powerful, practical way.
Organisational funds provide a reliable long-term fundraising vehicle to support your vision long into the future, making sure people can benefit from your services, visit the places you’ve built or enjoy the experiences you create for generations to come.
A reliable, long-term fundraising vehicle
Nikau understands that healthy, happy, thriving communities require long-term, sustainable support and resources. That’s why we invest and grow the gifts we receive, however big or small, to create positive change for our region today, tomorrow and long into the future.
Benefits of establishing an organisational fund
A reliable, cost-effective model
Nikau Foundation is committed to building reliable, long-term funding streams for your organisation. By establishing a fund with Nikau Foundation, your organisation will benefit from our low-cost structure and economies of scale to maximise your fundraising efforts.
To protect against market volatility, Nikau Foundation’s distribution policy, which takes a long-term approach, aims to smooth out market highs and lows, giving out 3.5% of the fund value (adjusted for inflation) most years.
Build relationships with donors
Having an organisational fund offers the opportunity to have more strategic conversations with your donors, offering an alternative giving option that allows them to support your organisation long into the future.
While the real value of your donors’ gifts will be protected over time, a portion of their gift will continue to benefit your organisation through an annual grant, long into the future.
A safe pair of hands
Creating an organisational fund means putting the next chapter of your organisation in a safe pair of hands. Nikau will handle all ongoing compliance, governance and reporting, so you can rest easy knowing everything is taken care of and can concentrate on the day-to-day.
Professional fund management
Your gift will be responsibly invested and grown by Harbour Asset Management and Craigs Investment Partners, who invest in line with our Statement of Investment Policy and Objectives (SIPO), our organisational values and commitment to creating better outcomes for our communities.
Benefit from enduring trusteeship
Nikau Foundation has a well-established volunteer Board of Trustees with a diverse set of skills and a deep connections and love for our local community.
Leaders in their respective sectors, our trustees bring expertise in marketing, investment, governance and law. Through this structure, your Fund will benefit from enduring trusteeship, so your organisation’s story, the services you offer, the places you’ve built and the experiences you’ve created can continue to benefit our communities long into the future.
Tap into our marketing expertise
Every organisation has a unique story that deserves to be shared and amplified. Whether you are the guardian of an important part of Wellington’s heritage, the provider of an impactful community service, a school or a creator of transformative experiences, we will ensure that your organisation’s story is told through powerful, tailored communications and marketing.
We will work with you one-on-one to profile your Fund, encourage donations and complement your existing operational fundraising initiatives.
Nikau Organisational Fund’s - FAQ
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A Nikau Foundation organisational fund is a long-term fundraising vehicle, which is designed to provide reliable funding to support your organisation’s for-purpose mahi for generations to come.
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All donations made to your organisational fund (whether as a capital contribution from your organisation or a donation from your organisation’s supporters) will be responsibly invested and grown by Nikau Foundation’s investment managers in line with our Statement of Investment Principles and Objectives (SIPO).
Once your fund balance reaches Nikau Foundation’s grant-making threshold ($75,000), we will calculate an amount available for distribution from your fund at the end of our financial year (30th of September) in line with our distribution policy and communicate this amount to you in November/December. If you would like us to pay you out this grant, let us know and we will arrange.
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As Te Upoko-o-te-Ika-a-Māui, the Greater Wellington region’s community foundation, Nikau is designed to exist forever. To ensure we can do this, we preserve the real value of donations over time and ensure we can sustainably give out grants year-on-year through our long-term distribution model. This means that while your fund balance continues to grow in the background, your organisation will receive grants from us every year.*.
*Once the fund balance reaches $75,000.
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There are plenty of reasons why for-purpose organisations choose to establish funds with Nikau Foundation. Some include:
They’re looking for effective ways to engage their donors and provide a strategic, future-focused giving option. By donating to your fund either in their lifetime or via a gift in their will, your donors have an opportunity to support your mahi long-term and maximise the impact of their donation.
They want to create more certainty in their funding – with so many fundraisers facing an uncertain environment, many wish to diversify their fundraising and build a reliable funding stream to help them to work towards their vision, long-term.
They want to create a more resilient future for their organisation – many for-purpose organisation’s face challenges with securing the funding they need to cover day-to-day costs while embarking on more long-term or bluesky projects or investing in themselves. Having an organisational fund allows you to create a reliable funding stream to support your organisation’s long-term financial resilience, so you can continue to grow and give back to our communities.
They want to attract new audiences of donors – by working alongside Nikau, you have the opportunity to introduce new donors to your organisation’s mahi and encourage them to support your vision long-term.
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AlSometimes we find that the terms ‘charitable trust', 'foundation’ and ‘fund’ are used interchangeably however they are quite different. While all three types of entity have a charitable purpose and vision for our communities, charitable trusts and foundations are lone-standing entities with their own governance structures, investments, administration, grant-making functions, compliance and reporting obligations.
Although every Nikau Foundation fund (we currently have over 80 established by individuals, trusts and for-organisations) has its own grant-making focus and vision for our communities, they are all consolidated within Nikau Foundation. This means that while you can get all the charitable benefits of a charitable trust or Foundation, Nikau deals with all the ‘back of house’ stuff like investment, administration, compliance, reporting and grant-making, allowing you to minimise costs, use your organisation’s resources where they are most needed and maximise the impact to your organisation.
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There are a whole range of for-purpose organisations that establish funds with Nikau Foundation. Some of them include school alumni associations, heritage buildings, charitable trusts, friends groups and for-purpose organisations.
Some of these organisations include:
Women’s Refuge
Cure Parkinson’s NZ
Friends of the Wellington Botanic Garden
Wheako Poneke Experience Wellington
Chilton Old Girls’ Association
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Absolutely! Although we are Te Upoko-o-te-Ika-a-Māui, the Greater Wellington region’s community foundation, we work alongside for-purpose organisations that have a national reach. For an example, you can see how we are working alongside Cure Parkinson’s NZ to maximise their fundraising and create a reliable source of funding here.
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It’s completely up to you! We understand that every organisation has different funding needs, priorities, fundraising strategies and operational requirements. Because of this, you are welcome to establish your fund with the purpose that best suits your goals, priorities and needs.
While some organisation’s establish their fund to provide an additional source of operational funding, others design their fund so that it supports longer-term projects or specific areas of their organisation’s mahi.
Additionally, you can establish your fund specifically for different types of giving. For instance, some organisations choose to use their organisational fund solely to manage larger gifts or bequests.
Either way, we will ensure that your vision for our communities is honoured through your fund’s grant-making, forever.
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Although there is no cost to set up a fund, we kindly request a fund establishment donation to assist with Nikau’s operations. This non-mandatory gift helps us to cover the costs of establishing your fund, working with you to position and promote the fund and other activities like reporting, administration, investment and compliance etc.
Please note that although there is no cost to set up a fund, your fund will only make grants once it reaches Nikau’s grant-making threshold of $75,000.
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Yes! We are happy to provide updates on your fund’s performance, contributions and grants paid. Although you will be provided with a yearly donor report in November/December every year, we can also provide more ad hoc updates upon request.
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At Nikau, we have a vision to build thriving, resilient communities that are strengthened by diversity and generosity. Because of this, we are mindful of the impact we have as a fundraiser, funder, storyteller and investor – we're here to create better outcomes for our communities, not worse!
This is why we place of a focus on Responsible Investment, considering not only the returns of the investment, but also the implications of ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance) factors.
To read more about how we invest, please click here.
We are a…
School
Many Old Girls’ or Old Boys’ organisations, like Chilton Old Girls’ and St Matthew’s Old Girls’ have a mission to provide ongoing, sustainable support for the school they love and provide opportunities for its students. Establishing a fund provides a reliable, long-term fundraising stream to achieve just that.
Placed-based organisation
Iconic sites throughout the Greater Wellington region such as Old St Paul’s, Wellington Botanic Garden Paekākā, Ngā Manu Nature Reserve and Experience Wellington sites have made strategic steps to safeguard the next chapter by establishing a Fund.
By creating a long-term fundraising vehicle, these sites will be preserved so they can be enjoyed by our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Service organisation
Service-based organisations such as Women’s Refuge, the Foureyes Foundation and the Rotary Club of Otaki have an impressive history of uplifting our communities.
By establishing Funds, these important organisations are safeguarding their impact so it can continue to benefit the people and places of our region long in to the future.
Download our 2024 Impact Report
Featuring almost 50 voices from across the for-purpose sector - from volunteers to donors, funders to people on the front lines, founders to for-purpose organisations - Nikau’s 2024 Impact Report shares stories of impact and generosity from across Te Upoko-o-te-Ika-a-Māui, the Greater Wellington region, funding and philanthropy trends and key mahi to grow generosity to support the people and places of our region.
Start the conversation
For the next chapter of your organisation, Nikau Foundation is a safe pair of hands. To discuss how we can help you to safeguard your impact, maximise your fundraising efforts and support your organisation’s vision long into the future, get in touch.
