Therapy Dogs New Zealand director and dog trainer Wendy Isaacs was a 2020 Acorn Foundation recipient. Photo / George Novak
Therapy Dogs New Zealand director and dog trainer Wendy Isaacs was a 2020 Acorn Foundation recipient. Photo / George Novak
A record $1.75 million has been distributed to the community in the past year through the Acorn Foundation.
The donation distribution was 50 per cent more than last year's $1.15m with 157 charitable organisations, mainly in the Western Bay of Plenty, receiving grants.
This year's recipients included more than $43,000for Omanu Surf Life Saving Club from the Karen Pensabene Fund and $104,000 for the Waipuna Hospice from the contributions of 11 different donor funds.
Acorn Foundation general manager Lori Luke said she was pleased to see a record amount of funds distributed in the last 12 months despite what had been a hard year.
"We are in a very fortunate position. We are really lucky with everything that has happened this year our donors have continued to give," she said.
"We were really blown away when we added it all up."
Whatever alert level the country was at in 12 months' time, Luke said she anticipated people would continue to support the community.
Luke said the community contributions came from estates, living gifts, trust settlements, Community Group funds, Giving Circles and Workplace Giving programmes.
She said the significant growth in donations was driven primarily by the resettlements of trusts and an increase in local business support for charitable organisations.
"The addition of this year's contributions means that generous Acorn donors have now cumulatively distributed more than $8.3m since 2003 to causes in the region that are close to their hearts.
"The recipients that have been selected this year provide essential services to our region, and we are delighted that we can help our donors contribute to their efforts."
Luke said this year the Foundation achieved financial self-sufficiency.
"That's a big deal for charities. It means we can run independently and donations from our sponsors such as Craigs Investment now can go straight into the community directly.
"That was one of the most heartwarming days for us."
Craigs Investment Partners chairman Neil Craig said the company had been longstanding advocates of the Acorn Foundation and its philosophy.
"It is the most sustainable way to give in our communities."
Craig said the Acorn Foundation was pivotal in establishing the Craigs Community Fund, enabling them to give $150,000 to multiple New Zealand charities last Christmas.
He said the foundation also helped the company set up a Workplace Giving programme, empowering its employees to personally gift to local charities with the company matching staff contributions up to $500 per year, per employee.
"The team at Acorn have the experience in this field, they are attuned to the needs of our community and their expertise around how to administer such programmes has been extremely helpful to us."
More than $310,000 will be paid out via scholarship and award programmes thanks to an extra seven Bob and Joy Owens Scholarships that have moved to Acorn via the resettlement of the Owens Charitable Trust and two new scholarships for students at the University of Waikato Tauranga campus.
The awards included the $57,000 Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction at the Ockham NZ Book Awards, Page/Acorn Engineering Scholarships, Outward Bound, Dale Carnegie Youth Programme, arts, sports and international travel awards, and a variety of educational scholarships.
Acorn Foundation general manager Lori Luke and chairwoman Lesley Jensen. Photo / Supplied
Acorn Foundation chairwoman Lesley Jensen said she appreciated the support that many Acorn donors provide to the community.
"With such a strong increase in distributions relative to a year ago, we know that the Acorn Foundation is making a significant difference to the lives of people here in the Western Bay of Plenty."
The Salvation Army was a recipient of this year's donations and Wendy Lobb said she was thankful for the "wonderful gift" from Acorn's donors.
"We continue to be humbled and grateful for these vital funds that assist us at the front line of our work," she said.
"In particular this year, knowing these funds provide us with the opportunity to add the much-needed resource of dedicated peer support to our team working in the addictions space in Tauranga – this is very exciting for us, and we know we can better serve the community with this added resource."
Turning lives around
Thousands of dollars in extra funding towards the costs of a therapy dog will help turn some Bay families' lives around.
Therapy Dogs New Zealand was a 2020 Acorn Foundation recipient and received $8000.
Director and dog trainer Wendy Isaacs said the money was enough to pay for half the costs of a therapy dog for one family.
"They just turn lives around," she said. "Some of the stories just break my heart."
The company helps people struggling with anxiety, chronic illness, medical conditions or disabilities affecting their independence and confidence.
"Families with children with autism are our main clients."
Isaacs said the demand for therapy dogs was "huge" with many people on the Tauranga waiting list.
"I have about 30 people on the waiting list and about seven or eight applications a day."
Isaacs said many families could not afford a therapy dog.
"We are so grateful. It will make a difference to the large number of clients we have in the Bay."
The gift that keeps on giving
- 266 charities have been supported by Acorn donors.
Local contributions this year included: - Cooney Lees Morgan has long raised money for their corporate fund - ASB Tauranga contributed money to help Good Neighbour buy new equipment - TECT beneficiaries have donated rebates worth more than $68,000 to the Acorn Vital Impact Fund in the past two years - Many local supporters contributed to the Covid-19 Rapid Response Fund to help organisations providing vital support during the lockdown - Dozens of regular givers donate to the more than 40 Community Group funds managed by Acorn
