Excerpt from Nikau Foundation’s 2021 Impact Report.

E aku nui, e aku rahi, tēnā koutou katoa.

It is my pleasure to bring you Nikau Foundation’s 2021 Impact Report.

Since stepping into the position of Chair in May, I have been delighted to see how well the management team and Board of Trustees are collaborating to work towards our vision and make a difference every day. I would like to thank former Chair Chris Milne for his immense contributions to Nikau Foundation’s growth since 2011. In particular, Chris drove many changes in process that have been significant in improving our delivery. Thank you Chris for your commitment and time.

We also said goodbye to valued trustees Greg Kelly, Jill Day and Robert Cross at the AGM in February. We thank you for your time and expertise. COVID-19 has continued to create many challenges for our communities. It has hit the already under-resourced not-for-profit sector particularly hard and has highlighted the many issues of inequality and hardship facing our communities. To address these challenges, we were pleased to make grants of over $900,000 to community organisations operating throughout the region. Many of them were working on the frontlines during the lockdown.

I am proud of how the Nikau team persevered and continued to deliver impressive mahi during this period with the support of our Board of Trustees.

This year, we celebrated many milestones, including marking 30 years of Nikau Foundation. During this first chapter, we have made immense progress as an organisation, financially and operationally. During the year, our funds under management surpassed $29 million.

Combined with corporate trusteeships, including the Michael & Suzanne Borrin Foundation, this brings our total funds under management to $80.9 million. This growth is testament to the strength of the community foundations model and to Nikau Foundation’s stellar reputation as a strategic forward-thinking organisation. I want to particularly acknowledge those who have helped us in making such progress.

I want to particularly acknowledge those who have helped us in making such progress. Whether you are a donor, supporter, volunteer, team member or partner organisation, you have all played a significant role in the story of Nikau Foundation to date. Many thanks to you all!

I also want to acknowledge the work of our staff, led by Alice Montague. The dedication of this small team has been exemplary during a very trying period.

For many organisations, the last two years has signalled a direction change. For us, this time has meant re-evaluating how we can best serve our communities. Our next chapter will see us adopting strategies for more-streamlined operations, effective delivery of our grant-making service and maximised impact for our communities.

From 2022, Nikau Foundation will be adopting the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals as an operational framework for our grant-making. This framework will help us to work more flexibly with heightened accountability and consideration of where the biggest opportunities for change lie. It will allow us to make a larger impact locally while aligning with a global movement.

I know that the trustees are all looking forward to a reinvigorated Nikau in 2022 – working in a new environment and, as always, committed to our kaupapa of promoting community wellbeing.

Ngā mihi