Established in 2023, the Ōtari-Wilton's Bush Fund will ensure that Ōtari-Wilton’s Bush will continue to play an innovative, forward-thinking role in the conservation of New Zealand’s native flora, as it has for 100 years. Grants from the Fund will support Ōtari-Wilton's Bush Fund in a number of ways.

Regarded as one of the most significant buildings in New Zealand’s architectural history, Futuna Chapel is an important part of Wellington’s story. Through the establishment of the Futuna Chapel Fund, the trustees are making sure that the Chapel can continue to be enjoyed for generations to come, as it has for over 60-years.

When Wellington North Rotary first connected with Nikau Foundation, the conversation pivoted around impact. Namely, how could they ensure that the Club was giving back to the community in the most relevant and meaningful ways. Nikau Foundation was delighted to work alongside the Club to share knowledge and connect them with organisations doing good mahi to support life skills for youth.

From her time facilitating in-prison public speaking programmes; first at Rimutaka and then at Arohata, Margaret Nixon is very aware of the extreme inequities that face many in our communities.

It was this knowledge along with a lack of wrap-around services to support positive reintegration that encouraged Margaret to establish the Reintegration upon Leaving Prison Fund, which will be bolstered by a gift in her will. 

With existing grant-making functions, a robust corporate trustee offering, deep community connections and an established volunteer board of trustees, Nikau Foundation was a safe pair of hands for the next chapter of Sir Mark Dunajtschik’s giving.

When Audrey died in 2010, she left a gift in her will to establish a Trust to support Hutt Valley High School students in the Lidgett name. For many years, the Lidgett Scholarships Trust has supported students to pursue fine arts and design in their tertiary studies. In 2023, the Trustees established The Lidgett Scholarships Fund to ensure that Audrey’s vision could continue to provide these opportunities for students, forever.

With deep roots in Wairarapa, the Mace family lived and worked in Masterton from the 1860s. Community-minded with a strong ethos for giving back, the Roy and Jan Mace Trust was established through a significant gift made by Alma (Jan) Mace in 1990. To ensure the family’s generosity could be felt for generations to come, the Trust was transferred to Nikau Foundation and the Roy and Jan Mace Fund was established in 2022.

At Nikau Foundation, we are delighted to work with so many incredibly generous individuals, who volunteer their time and expertise to make our region a better place to live. Our former Kāpiti committee Chair, Mike Olsen was one of them. Mike sadly passed away after a short illness in January 2022. We want to acknowledge the many contributions of Mike; a talented leader, businessman and advocate for the region he called home.

“I made my money in Wellington, and I plan to leave it here when I go,” says Wellington property developer and committed philanthropist Sir Mark Dunajtschik. We are delighted to announce that Nikau Foundation will be the guardian of The Mark Dunajtschik Foundation; a foundation set to make a transformational difference in the lives of those living with disability.

Nestled down a quiet road in Masterton, St Matthew’s Collegiate School has a long history of educating confident, resilient and successful young women. In late 2021, the St Matthew’s Old Girls’ Association established a Fund with Nikau Foundation to ensure students can unlock their potential through scholarship opportunities long into the future.

In 2019, what was then known as The Sprott House Trust rebranded to The Edith Sprott Trust.; a powerful acknowledgement of the woman behind its long history. In honour of Edith’s commitment to her communities, The Edith Sprott Fund was established in 2022 with the goal of providing equitable, accessible support for older people and people with dementia.

After Caroline passed away in tragic circumstances, her family were looking for a powerful way to honour her memory. The Caroline Boyd Memorial Fund was established with Nikau Foundation in 2017 with the goal of supporting the advancement of youth, women's and pressing community issues.

For Nikau Foundation donor Adrienne Bushell, acknowledging her late husband Laurie meant honouring their mutual love for the arts and shared interest in philanthropy. The Laurie Bushell Fund was established to foster the arts in its many forms in 2007. Since then, it has supported many organisations, such as the Orpheus Choir, Coasters Musical Theatre and the NZ Portrait Gallery.

Late composer, Douglas Lilburn, is widely credited with discovering the ‘sound of New Zealand’, which retrospectively earned him the title of the ‘father of New Zealand composition’. The Lilburn Residence Support Fund aims to continue Douglas’ legacy by supporting the next generation of composers.

Founded in 2016, the Foureyes Foundation helps to remove barriers to eye care by providing free vision screening, eye testing and glasses for communities in need. They have partnered with Nikau Foundation to build reliable funding streams for continued growth and expansion.

Established by Dr James Hector in 1869, the Wellington Botanic Garden is a landmark and must-visit for visitors and locals alike. The Friends of the Wellington Botanic Garden Endowment Fund aims to create a reliable funding stream to ensure the ongoing development of the Garden.

Following the sale of their meeting hall (known locally as the Rotary Lounge) in late 2020, the Rotary Club of Ōtaki started to look for a way to futureproof their impact as a Club. The Rotary Club of Otaki Fund was founded with the objective of supporting the people and places of Ōtaki long-term in the spirit of ‘service above self.’

Barbara Blake’s parents inspired her to want to make a difference. Five years ago, she partnered with Nikau Foundation to set up a Fund to ensure she could give back to her community in a strategic and meaningful way.

For Anne and David Buckell, making a difference means aligning their personal interests with philanthropic giving. They had heard about Nikau Foundation’s model from close friends and family who had decided to set up Funds and had always thought the idea sounded intriguing.

The Nikau Youth Fund was established in 2019; the result of an anonymous bequest, given with the goal of supporting youth-focused organisations and initiatives throughout the Wellington region.

Acknowledging the many, varied unmet needs within the community, the Nikau Community Fund aims to create a flourishing Wellington region by flexibly responding to where the needs are greatest. This includes organisations working towards the alleviation of poverty, the advancement of education, or other causes that are perceived to generally benefit local communities.

Cyrus Dahl wins 2020 Wellingtonian of the Year Youth Philanthropy Award for his incredible work fundraising for accessible recreational facilities within the Wellington region.