Special Interest Endowment Funds
We have a number of special interest endowment funds that have been set up in response to requests from donors.
If we don't have a fund for your favourite charity or cause and you'd like to donate especially to that cause, let us know. We can work with you to set up an endowment fund for any charity of your choosing.
Any donation you make to a special interest fund will be invested, protected and grown each year in line with inflation. Every year the surplus investment income from your donation will be granted to the charity or cause you selected, meaning your donation will keep supporting them forever.
You can support causes that are close to home, and close to your heart.
The special interest funds at Sunrise are the Alzheimer's Gisborne-Tairāwhiti, Arts, Campion College, Cancer Society Gisborne East Coast, Chelsea Hospital, Dialysis Tairāwhiti, Disability, East Coast Museum of Technology, Eastland Rescue Helicopter, Eastwoodhill Arboretum, EITSA Tairāwhiti, Environment, Gisborne Boys' High School, Gisborne Intermediate School, Gisborne Land Search and Rescue, Gisborne Rowing Club, Gisborne SPCA, Gisborne Volunteer Centre, Gisborne Women's Refuge, Health, Hearing Assistance, Hospice Tairāwhiti, Makaraka School, Matapuna Training Trust, Multiple Sclerosis Gisborne East Coast, Ngatapa Rugby and Associated Sports Club, Poverty Bay A&P Association, Stella Maris Catholic Early Childhood Centre, St John Gisborne-Tairāwhiti, St Mary's School, Suicide Prevention, Sunshine Bus Service, SuperGrans Tairāwhiti, Stroke Foundation NZ (Tairāwhiti), Surf Lifesaving Gisborne, Swim for Life Tairāwhiti, Tairāwhiti Community Law Centre, Tairāwhiti Museum, Tairāwhiti Outward Bound, Tauawhi Men's Centre, Waikanae Surf Lifesaving Club, Waikereru Ecosanctuary, Waikohu Health, Wainui Beach School, Wainui Surf Lifesaving Club, Waipaoa Farm Cadet Training Trust, War Memorial Theatre & Lawson Field Theatre, Water Sports & Leisure, Whinray Eco Trust and Whiti Ora Tairāwhiti.
Alzheimers Gisborne-Tairāwhiti Fund
As people get older the chance of developing dementia increases. The most common form is Alzheimers disease, which around two-thirds of people with dementia have. The symptoms each person experiences depend on the parts of the brain affected. Most common symptoms include changes in memory, thinking, behaviour, personality and emotions.
Alzheimers Gisborne-Tairāwhiti work alongside those diagnosed with dementia and their whanau, offering service and support needed.
Any donation you make will be invested, protected and grown each year in line with inflation. The surplus investment income will be granted back to Alzheimers Gisborne-Tairāwhiti every year, meaning your donation will keep supporting them forever.
Arts Fund
The arts are an expression of creativity and imagination. Creativity takes many forms - visual art, literary art and performing arts such as music, theatre, dance, spoken word and film. A donation to the Arts Fund at Sunrise is your opportunity to support a thriving arts scene in Gisborne/Tairawhiti for generations to come.
The Arts Fund was seeded by long-time supporter of the arts, Dame Bronwen Holdsworth. She hopes local people will join her in building a meaningful legacy for our creative community.
Campion College Fund
Campion College is a Catholic, co-educational college for students from Years 7 to 13. The school promotes student engagement and achievement in learning, providing an innovative learning environment.
Established in 1974, the school has high expectations of its students, and delivers an authentic Catholic education with a focus on the development of the total person.
Find out more about Campion College at www.campioncollege.school.nz
Please contact Glenda Stokes to discuss the Campion Fund 06 867 7939 or glenda@sunrisefoundation.org.nz
Cancer Society Gisborne East Coast
Our local Cancer Society strives to reduce the incidence and impact of cancer in the Tairāwhiti community. They help in real and practical ways offering counselling, transport and patient support groups, and promote Smokefree and SunSmart policy and practice.
They receive no government funding and are solely funded by way of grants and donations from our community.
Read more about our local Cancer Society's fund
Chelsea Hospital
Chelsea Hospital is a well-established private surgical medical hospital in Gisborne, with a vision of ensuring that our community has a viable health system for all.
Established in 1927, Chelsea Hospital is a charitable trust that has been recognised nationally for the high standard of care that it delivers.
Being a not-for-profit organisation enables it to balance the needs of the community and focus on delivering high quality surgical services across the Te Tairāwhiti community.
Dialysis Tairāwhiti
There are many causes of kidney disease, high blood pressure and diabetes being the most common. Uncontrolled diabetes negatively affects quality of life and can be fatal. With the increase of diabetes on the East Coast kidney disease and dialysis treatment are on in the rise.
The harsh reality is most patients will be on dialysis for the rest of their lives. The team at the Dialysis Unit at Gisborne Hospital hope the fund will help make it as enjoyable as possible.
East Coast Museum of Technology
ECMoT is home to fifteen acres of exhibits that showcase 20th Century life on the East Coast.
Established in 1967, over its 50-year lifespan the 100 percent volunteer run organisation has created a collection to rival that of its bigger and more well-known relative in Auckland with some unique exhibits that MOTAT doesn't have.
Read more about the East Coast Museum of Technology fund at Sunrise
Eastland Helicopter Rescue
The Eastland Helicopter Rescue Trust is a not-for-profit charitable organisation whose primary aim is to deliver lifesaving critical care to patients in rural or remote areas of te Tairāwhiti region.
The trust works hard to raise the money needed to ensure the Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter is on duty 24/7, 365 days a year, saving time and saving lives.
And it is needed. In 2023 the team flew 360 completed missions from the Gisborne hangar, as well as 122 flights for training, ferrying, maintenance and “other” purposes . . . a total of 482 reported flights. Compared to 2022, this reflected a year-on-year increase of 45.2 percent more completed missions and 38.1 percent more total reported flights.
Eastwoodhill Arboretum
Revered as the National Arboretum of New Zealand, Eastwoodhill encompasses over 131 hectares of rolling hills, 25km of walking tracks, and is home to 3,500 species of exotic and native trees, shrubs and climber plants.
While Eastwoodhill is regarded as the largest and most comprehensive collection of Northern Hemisphere trees south of the equator, just as significantly it is also an important community resource, attracting thousands of visitors annually.
EITSA Tairāwhiti
When Tairāwhiti Polytechnic merged with EIT Hawkes Bay in 2013 the Tairāwhiti Students Association was wound up and the proceeds transferred to EITSA Tairāwhiti. Board members wanted to see those funds secured for the future benefit of students in our region. They established this fund to protect and grow this legacy for future generations of students in Tairāwhiti.
Environment
Severe weather events have highlighted the importance of caring for and protecting our environment now and forever. This fund was established to support charitable groups and organisations who advance the protection, promotion and preservation of the natural environment, flora and fauna of Tairāwhiti forever.
Gisborne Boys' High School
Gisborne Boys’ High School has a proud history and impressive reputation for supporting personal, academic and co-curricular excellence. The foundation stones of their teaching and learning programmes are respect, honesty, perseverance, loyalty and courage. Boys’ High is where young men become young adults.
Their mission is 'challenging young men to develop and achieve their potential'. They nurture their students' academic, cultural and sporting potential along with their development as young men.
Gisborne Intermediate School
GisInt is focussed on meeting the unique characteristics and needs of emerging adolescents. They prepare young people for living in the 21st century and to be positive, contributing members of society.
Their mission is ‘growing great people’. They deliver a broadly balanced holistic programme, designed to develop the whole person so they are able to excel at high school and beyond.
Gisborne LandSAR
Gisborne Land Search and Rescue has been searching for and rescuing lost, missing and injured people for nearly 60 years. Their specialist search and rescue skills are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Rescue volunteers have a wide spread of expertise across many fields and regularly clock up over 5,000 hours a year.
Gisborne Rowing Club
The Gisborne Rowing Club was established in 1874 and is the only club in the Gisborne area providing coaching and support for rowers of all ages and abilities.
The Club has been largely self-sufficient over its history, sourcing sheds and boats through community support, fundraising and occasional grants.
Read more about the Gisborne Rowing Club fund
Gisborne Volunteer Centre
Gisborne Volunteer Centre recruits, trains and finds suitable roles for hundreds of volunteers every year.
Volunteering can help people who may be socially isolated, it contributes to well-being, increases self-esteem and confidence and helps improve employability skills and opportunities. There are also positive economic outcomes from providing a free workforce that is not motivated by financial gain and who give their time and skills freely to the community.
Hearing Assistance
Gisborne Hearing Association closed in 2016 after nearly 70 years advocating for and assisting those with hearing impairments. The Association’s work continues through the Hearing Assistance Fund at Sunrise, which was established with the residue funds of the long running organisation.
Sunrise invites applications for grants from individuals who are hearing impaired and organisations that are involved in education or projects which help hearing impaired people. Find out more about hearing grants.
Hospice Tairāwhiti
Hospice Tairāwhiti provides community based hospice care for the people of Tairāwhiti, from Morere to Potaka.
Hospice or palliative care is specialised care for patients who are terminally ill. Their focus is on improving quality of life for the patient and providing support for the family. The aim of Hospice is to help people make the most of their lives, to live every moment in whatever way is important to them.
Makaraka School
Makaraka School has a rich history, over a long time. Established in 1875 it is one of the oldest schools in the district and has grown over the years from 80 to 130 students.
The majority of Makaraka School kids come from farming environments where there are a multitude of hazards and dangers. Their vision of risk and adventure is about continuing to grow and be better than before. It helps kids be more active, healthy and confident. Makaraka School is bringing back ‘old school’ values.
Matapuna Training Centre
Matapuna Trust Board has taken a significant step towards securing its long-term future by establishing an endowment fund with Sunrise. This move ensures that the trust can support at-risk rangatahi and adults in a flexible way, without restrictions from government contracts and funding rules.
The Sunrise fund will provide independent funding to the trust, with the grant each year being used to remove barriers to learning and provide holistic wrap-around support to students. The trust is committed to growing the fund through various fundraising activities, enabling it to continue supporting students to achieve their goals and realise their potential.
MS Society Gisborne East Coast
MS is an auto-immune disease where the immune system mistakenly attacks parts of the body that are vital to everyday function. Symptoms are unpredictable and can vary in intensity. While some people experience fatigue and numbness, severe cases of MS can cause paralysis, vision loss, and diminished brain function.
Our local MS Society provides a wide range of services which include arranging social networking opportunities, one on one support, referrals to agencies and attending specialist appointments with members.
Ngatapa Rugby & Associated Sports Club
Ngatapa was established over sixty years ago and has grown from a small country sports club to over 500 members, many of whom are from town and others coming from as far afield as Tolaga, Matawai and Mahia.
They hope to inspire success through sports by providing guidance and positive role models. They are fortunate to have people who choose to share their time and skills with the club. The commitment of those volunteers helps members to grow in their sport, as well as promoting fair-play and respect for others.
Outward Bound Tairāwhiti
The Outward Bound Tairāwhiti School Course is designed in partnership with our local secondary schools. Students are selected because they show commitment at school but are not yet achieving to their full potential.
Local Year 12 students will push themselves to the limit and discover what they are truly capable of. They will build courage and resilience, experience success as a member of a team, identify their own values, develop an appreciation for the natural environment and gain experience being of service to others.
Poverty Bay A&P Association
The Poverty Bay A&P Association is one of the oldest surviving organisations in Gisborne. As custodians of Showgrounds Park and the A&P Show for over one hundred years, they are an integral part of Gisborne life.
They established this fund to secure the Show’s future and create an enduring legacy to protect these community treasures for future generations.
SPCA in Gisborne
SPCA helps animals who are sick, injured, abused or abandoned.
With low government funding they rely heavily on the generosity of people that want to make a difference for animals that can’t defend themselves.
You can help give animals in Tairāwhiti-Gisborne a better life with a donation to the Gisborne SPCA Fund at Sunrise.
St John Gisborne-Tairāwhiti
St John Gisborne’s Ambulance Division was established in 1925 and covers a large area of the East Coast, stretching from Wairoa right up to Hicks Bay.
In addition to providing ambulance services, St John Gisborne play an increasing role in meeting the broader health needs of the community by providing first aid training, event medical services, defibrillators, first aid kits and supplies, medical alarms, as well as youth group leadership and health programmes.
Through their delivery of an extensive range of services and products in health-related fields, St John believe it is important to help develop strong communities where people can live independently.
All donations made to the St John Gisborne-Tairāwhiti Endowment Fund will stay local and support the Tairāwhiti region.
Read more about the St John Gisborne-Tairāwhiti fund.
St Mary's School
St Mary’s is a state-integrated Catholic school of approximately 220 students. St. Mary’s School wants all its students to reach their full potential by becoming confident and capable learners who share the love of Jesus.
A generous family group of parishioners gifted $40,000 to The Sunrise Foundation and requested it be used to seed this fund. “The gift is intended to help those children in greatest need, supporting children from families who are struggling financially to participate fully in the life of the school.”
“It can be used to support children in spiritual, academic, cultural or sporting activities of school life, with the school selecting who will benefit each year.”
Stella Maris Catholic Early Childhood Centre
A generous donation from a group of local parishioners seeded an endowment fund with Sunrise, to support children from families who are struggling financially to participate fully in the life of Stella Maris. Specifically, the fund will assist children in the spiritual, academic, cultural, and general activities at Stella Maris.
Stella Maris Catholic Early Childhood Centre completed the Catholic community when they opened their doors to pre-schoolers in 2022. With St Mary’s Star of the Sea, Campion College, St Mary’s Primary School and Stella Maris, a wonderful Catholic hub has been established.
Stroke Foundation New Zealand (Tairāwhiti)
Although having a stroke can be overwhelming for those affected, many go on to live a normal life.
Stroke Foundation New Zealand (Tairawhiti) believe the survivor's circle of support is core to their recovery.
They assist stroke survivors, their families, whanau, friends and carers throughout their stroke journey with free programmes and professional care.
Read more about the Stroke Foundation New Zealand (Tairāwhiti) fund.
Suicide Prevention
It was the loss to suicide of a friend and work colleague that prompted Derek & Rebecca Watson to establish the Suicide Prevention Fund, to try and make a difference so there will be funding available to enable a life-supporting community, where people can have life-supporting conversations.
Any donation you make will be invested, protected and grown. Every year the surplus investment income will be granted to organisations working in suicide prevention that are making the biggest impact, meaning your donation will keep supporting suicide prevention, forever.
Sunshine Service
Sunshine Service takes the elderly and disabled who live in Gisborne, Wainui and Makaraka, to medical and dental appointments, recreational and social activities. Their service is a lifeline to the people that use it, many of whom would be housebound without the friendly door-to-door service.
Their fleet of four purpose built vehicles, which have hydraulic hoists and can carry two wheelchairs, have friendly and helpful volunteer drivers and assistants who take extra care when helping clients in to the vans.
SuperGrans Tairāwhiti
SuperGrans Tairāwhiti help whānau that are overwhelmed by crisis and poverty. They run workshops that help people to help themselves by teaching them how to budget, cook healthy meals, grow vegetables and apply for jobs.
They also support families with practical assistance such as providing beds, sheets, blankets, fridges, food, and clothes, helping families to move into safe accommodation and donating home cooked meals to folk in crisis.
Photos kindly supplied by Jamie Troughton
Surf Lifesaving Gisborne
Lifeguards patrol our beaches through the long summer months, identifying potential danger spots, constantly on the lookout for swimmers in distress. We rely on our people in red and yellow to provide safety in the surf.
Surf lifesaving is predominantly run by volunteers and relies on sponsorship and donations from the community. Our clubs need financial support to help them carry out the important work they do every summer to prevent drowning and injury.
Swim For Life Tairāwhiti
Swim For Life's swim and survival education is delivered to around 2,800 students per year, from Manutuke to Hicks Bay, helping children to become confident and safer in the water.
Programmes are targeted at low decile schools where parents are often unable to support extra-curricular activities such as swimming.
Tairāwhiti Community Law
Tairāwhiti Community Law Centre strives to support those people that have unmet legal needs. Legal advice, assistance and representation are provided and, in conjunction with special legal experts, law-related workshops and training for community and voluntary organisations are offered.
Tairāwhiti Museum
Tairāwhiti Museum is the major public institution for arts, culture and heritage activities for the Tairāwhiti region.
They receive funding to cover normal operating costs, but do not have a regular source of funding to purchase new works for the collection. Grants from this fund will be used to purchase and care for new acquisitions.
Tauawhi Men's Centre
The Tauawhi Men’s Centre provides a safe environment for men dealing with family violence, addictions, and other challenges. Recognising the importance of long-term financial stability, the Tauawhi Trust sees the endowment fund as a means to enhance sustainability.
Tauawhi Men’s Centre has been recognised for its positive impact on the community through various projects. The center offers tailored programs and counseling services to support individuals in navigating life's difficulties. Their vision involves fostering a community of caring men, embraced by "manaakitanga" (hospitality) and an environment conducive to personal growth.
Tim Marshall, Tauawhi's Kaihautu/Coordinator, looks forward to continuing the partnership with Sunrise to provide ongoing support to men and families in Te Tairāwhiti. The centre aims for a holistic approach to addressing men's needs, employing innovative peer support and community outreach initiatives. One such effort is the Tauawhi Whare Ahuru, a space for men struggling to maintain a violence-free lifestyle, which opened recently as part of their outreach services.
Waikanae SLSC
Waikanae has been patrolling the beach and keeping our community safe in the water since 1950.
Their qualified lifeguards provide over 1,500 hours of voluntary beach patrol every summer. That is a huge benefit to our community, as well as the many visitors that enjoy the beach when they are in Gisborne.
They have up to 150 young people on the beach on Sunday mornings learning how to look after themselves in the water. Many of those kids don't have access to the kind of equipment they provide for them.
Read more about Waikanae's fund
Waikereru Ecosanctuary
Waikereru Ecosanctuary is a beautiful, peaceful place for visitors; a home for the Wild Lab, an innovative science programme that inspires young people to learn about and take care of local waterways and landscapes; and an experimental site for sustainable land uses.
Dame Anne and Jeremy Salmond established Waikereru as they believe the chance to spend time in such wild places should be the birth right of every kiwi kid.
Wainui Beach School
WBS is set beside one of the most beautiful beaches in NZ and is staffed by teachers who live to the school's vision of Light Up Learning. They provide a high standard of education in a safe learning environment and are dedicated to the principles of EnviroSchools.
They believe children learn best when they are happy and feel positive about themselves and their environment, and are committed to making each child's learning journey unique.
Wainui SLSC
Wainui was the first club in the Gisborne District dedicated to surf lifesaving. They have been preserving and saving lives since 1939.
Wainui is a challenging environment, there are a lot of rips and big swells, so they need the best lifeguards they can possibly have patrolling the beach.
A small family orientated club, Wainui has members from all generations patrolling the beach, and participating in Nippers, Ocean Athletes and national rep teams.
Waipaoa Station Farm Cadet Training
Waipaoa's training encompasses both practical and theoretical components, with trainees studying toward National Certificate qualifications while experiencing the annual farm cycle first hand.
Their nationally recognised training initiatives are leading the way in preparing future agricultural leaders.
War Memorial Theatre & Lawson Field Theatre
The War Memorial Theatre and Lawson Field Theatre endowment fund has been established by The War Memorial Theatre Gisborne Trust using the funds which were surplus to the renovations of the War Memorial and Lawson Field Theatres.
Now that both theatres are fully operational the Trust has seeded the War Memorial Theatre and Lawson Field Theatre Endowment Fund with a focus on perpetuity.
The fund with Sunrise will be used for all the “nice to have stuff” including sound technology, capital, and upgrades, whilst Gisborne District Council is responsible for repairs and maintenance.
Read more here about The War Memorial Theatre & Lawson Field Theatre fund.
Whinray Eco Trust
Did you know that 90% of kiwi chicks are killed by stoats every year and that Kiwi are still on track for extinction in our forests because of predators?
The Whinray Ecological Charitable Trust was formed with the intention of restoring the kiwi and other native endangered wildlife species living in the Motu area and to protect the Whinray Scenic Reserve.
