A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.
Gisborne's only private surgical healthcare facility has established an endowment fund with The Sunrise Foundation with a focus on perpetuity.
Chelsea Hospital manager Vicky Briant says they hope the fund will support them to provide patients with the level of care they should expect at a private hospital.
“The hospital plan to use the grant they will receive from their fund every year for high-quality equipment purchases,” she says.
“The security of an annual grant will help alleviate some of the financial pressure we face and help us keep up to date with technological advancements. It's not about having the latest of everything. It's about having good quality equipment that we can regularly renew.”
Sunrise executive officer Glenda Stokes says competition for funding is a struggle for most not-for-profit organisations and establishing an endowment fund will guarantee Chelsea with a grant from Sunrise forever.
Chelsea Hospital offers an essential service to those who don't want to travel out of the district and those who require ACC-funded or specialised surgery.
With the public health system struggling to support the growing need for ever-increasing health expenditure, Chelsea Hospital trustee Michael Muir hopes the public will actively support their endowment fund, acknowledging what an important facility Chelsea Hospital is for our region.
Mr Muir has had a long association with Chelsea as a patient at various times since 1956 and as a trustee since 1980.
“Chelsea was set up as a charitable trust in 1959, hence it is owned by the people of Gisborne and needs their support.
“Chelsea plays an integral role in the sustainability of health services in our region and increases the ability of the public sector to attract and maintain medical professionals.”
All gifts to the Chelsea Hospital Endowment Fund will be invested in perpetuity, with some of the investment income retained to ensure any gift will grow with inflation. The balance of the income from investments is granted back to Chelsea every year.
“If there is anyone wanting to find out more about how Sunrise operates or how they can actively support the Chelsea fund, I'm just a phone call away and more than happy to answer any questions,” Ms Stokes said.
• The Sunrise Foundation raises funds from donations and legacies and invests them in perpetuity (forever) for the long term (endowment funds).
• Income from investments is used to increase endowments in line with inflation. The surplus investment income is granted to charities, organisations and needy causes in Tairawhiti-Gisborne (the area covered by Gisborne District Council). All money raised here stays here.
• 99 percent of donations are used for the benefit of our community. As a community foundation Sunrise can only retain one percent of endowment value each year to cover operating costs. This 1 percent funding model is in contrast to many charities where it can be usual that up to 30 percent (and sometimes more) of donations are used. Funding from Trust Tairawhiti, Clark Charitable Trust and corporate sponsorship assist with operational costs.
• Generous local donors have grown endowments to $6.6 million to The Sunrise Foundation since Sunrise was launched in October 2014.
• Donations gifted to the Sunrise General Fund ensure we can respond to our communities needs as they change. Income from the Sunrise General Fund is used to provide grants in our annual funding round. Since we were established in 2014, we have granted almost $1m to worthy local causes.
• Donors can support their favourite charities or causes through a special purpose endowment fund, meaning their chosen charity will be supported by their donation forever.
• Although fairly new to New Zealand community foundations have been operating successfully in Canada and the USA for over 100 years.
• Sunrise is one of 17 independent community foundations in New Zealand.
• The Sunrise Foundation was launched by Sir Stephen Tindall in October 2014.
• Sunrise is governed by a local board and supported by Community Foundations New Zealand and The Tindall Foundation with guidance, encouragement and sharing of resources.
• Sunrise has one funding round per annum. Applications are open to charitable organisations in Tairawhiti-Gisborne and organisations delivering charitable projects in Tairawhiti-Gisborne.
• Funding applications are assessed by the Sunrise Grants Committee.